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The turning point came when S.D. Burman chose him to sing ‘Roop Tera Mastana, pyar mera diwana’ and ‘Mere sapnon ki raani kab aayegi tu’ for Rajesh Khanna in the super hit Aradhana(1969) And made Kishore the superstar singer of the seventies. The success of the film made Kishore the voice of Rajesh Khanna. But before Rajesh Khanna arrived on the scene S.D. Burman had made him the voice of Dev Anand with super hit music in films like Guide(1965), Jewel Thief(1967) and Paying Guest. Songs like ‘Maana janab ne pukara nahin’ and ‘Gaata rahe mera dil’ were evergreen hits.
R.D. Burman too had a lot of conviction in Kishore. He had seen Kishore imitate artistes like Bhimsen Joshi perfectly. His ability to imitate coupled with his tremendous voice and range gave him an edge over others. Which is why after the decline of Rajesh Khanna, R.D. Burman and the other composers were able to successfully exploit Kishore Kumar’s voice for the other superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Kishore sung some super hit songs for the big B in movies like Don(1976), Sharaabi, Mili and Amar Akbar Anthony the list is endless.
It was his ability to modulate his voice to suit the personality of his hero, and the ethos of the situation, was what made him a star. He was as much the voice of the dapper Dev Anand, the adorable Rajesh Khanna as well as the aggressive, angry young man Amitabh Bachchan.
Kishore reached his peak as an actor with the zany comedy Chalti ka Naam Gaadi (1958) which starred all the three Ganguly brothers and Madhubala. Kishore and Madhubala matched each other step for step in this comic caper with Burmanda composing such lighthearted ditties as Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka and Paanch Rupaiya Barah Anna.
After Kishore's marriage to Ruma Devi disintegrated, he married Madhubala. The two starred in Jhumroo (1961), which Kishore produced and directed. He also composed the music of the film. The riotous Half Ticket (1962) with the two of them saw Kishore at his madcap best impersonating a 12 year old!
Door Gagan ki Chaon Main (1964) further confirmed Kishore's acting talent as he scored heavily in a rather serious film. But the 60s also saw Kishore fall from grace as beset by tax problems he was reduced to doing B-films with the likes of Kum Kum. He had the odd singing assignment for Dev Anand in Guide (1965) and Jewel Thief (1967) but that was all.
But the heightened expectations of his fans of Kishore as a director were never fulfilled by his other films: Badhti Ka Naam Daadhi (1978), Zindagi (1981) or Door Wadiyon Mein Nahin. The last was another surprise from the singing, dancing, and vocal comic—a song less film.
As his fame grew so did stories of his eccentricities. He put up a board outside his house saying 'THIS IS A LUNATIC ASYLUM.' He reportedly spoke to his trees in his backyard addressing each by a special name. He zipped through a marriage with Yogita Bali which lasted just about a month and then married his fourth wife Leena Chandavarkar who was two years older than his son, Amit!
His childlike, guileless personality won him the friendship and admiration of many of his colleagues. Although he had the reputation of being a miser and encountered problems with income tax officials, he will always be remembered fondly. Kishore was extremely insecure. He was prankish but extremely sensitive and committed. Lata Mangeshkar’s description of Kishore Kumar fits him perfectly. She refers to Kishore as a ‘Sampoorna Kalaakar’ which means a complete artiste. His death on the 13th of October 1987 due to a major heart attack robbed the world of a great genius.