Sudesh Bhosle was the star of this show, held in sync with Kishore Kumar's 86th birth anniversary. The hall was full of fans-most were in their 40s and 50s, and some in their sixties, with a few youngsters too.
And what a show it was. Kishore Kumar started with mimicry at his home in Khandwa when young, struggled to become a mainstream singer for many years until Rajesh Khanna happened (they both
happened to each other) with Aradhana in 1969. His first break had come from Khemchand Prakash, a music director who made him sing a Saigalish song-
Marne ki duaen kyun mangoon. SD Burman brought him into his own and it was then that he took off like a rocket, zooming into a million hearts.
Sudesh Bhosle is also a great mimic, and he has a great stage presence too. He did the Jaane jaan song (with Bela Sulakhe) with aplomb, but also many others, diverse in range. From
O Nigahen mastana, to Yeh raatein yeh mausam nadi ka kinara, to Chingari koi bhadke, and so on.
His son Sidhant joined him with a couple of songs, like
Neele neele ambar pe, and then they both sang
Ek Chatur naar-superbly. His wife also joined in and played the piano keyboard for two lovely songs-
Khwab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat.., and
Pyar diwana hota hai..his quip before she started was ..Main roz inki ungliyon pe nachta hoon..aaj main inki ungliyon pe gaoonga (I usually dance to her tunes..today, I will sing to her tunes). He also sang the rumbunctious
Are rafta rafta dekho aankh meri ladi hai, with verve.
The orchestra was the next generation of Melody Makers, one of the best in the business, and I was able to appreciate the effort that goes into playing each instrument (and the arranger's contribution in making these play in tandem). A talented bunch it was, from the trumpet to the tabla, adding a charm to the proceedings.
