A tribute to Kishore Kumar, the legend, on his 86th birthday

Today is the 86th birthday of legendary singer Kishore Kumar, a man of many qualities who is remembered for the hundreds of songs that he has sung in his lifetime – from comical ones to soulful ones. He was a master in his own way and has left an indelible mark on not just Bengalis but on all Indians.
Among his songs, I love the one from the 1954 movie ‘Paheli Tarikh’ or ‘The 1st day of the month’. The lyrics of the song ‘din hai suhana, aaj paheli tarikh hai’ was penned by Qamar Jalalabadi and paints a vivid picture of the 1st day of any month in the year 1954.
It has been aired at exactly 7.30am on the 1st day of every month over Radio Ceylon and later Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
In those days, the 1st day of the month meant getting salaries, hence there was happiness in the family and expectations right from the missus to the kids. Everyone in the family looked up to the bread earner.

The expectations of the wife came first - please come home early, she says, because I would like to go to see a cinema at night with you. Do not make any excuse because today is the first day of the month and there is happiness all around.
The shopkeeper is happy – he will get some money from those who had taken items on credit and owe him money. The money lender (Kabuliwala) has come at the gate of the office – he wants his money back. The money he had given as loan!
The cinema hall beckons – they announce cinemas of Aaga, Bhagwan, Kishor Kumar, Nimmi, Gita Bali, Ashok Kumar, Nargis, Raaj Kapoor, and Dilip Kumar. They promise songs and dance aplenty. Tickets are priced at five annas – the price in the black market is ten annas!! Do not go back because, today is after all, the 1st day of the month. (Anna was the denomination of coinage up to the 1960s – 16 annas was equal to one rupee)
And, the children also want their share of fun and joy. They surround the man of the house and demand toys.
Kishore Kumar has sung hundreds of songs but, this is one song that gives a vivid description of the simple life of the 1950s – it is all about a past era when wants were few. (to be continued…)

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Gold smuggling route to India via London - courtesy airline staff

Rat inside Air India’s Dreamliner forces it to abort flight to Milan and return to Delhi

How to improve digestion through proper food items


Ajay Devgn - new look in Drishyam

Salman Khan’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ is the talk of the town – the cash box is ringing

Jena Malone to appear in the role of Batgirl in Batman v Superman


Gun battle in Multan – Pakistan police eliminate Sunni militant leader and 13 others

Man of Agra kills four minor girls to cure his mentally ill wife on advice of tantrik

ISIS targets Indians in Libya – four teachers returning to India kidnapped


Influence of Bengali culture on Hindi movies

Prawns are the prized catch of the kitchen

How green is our Indian food menu