Here's How An NRI Is Keeping Kishore Kumar's Memory Alive In New York

During his lifetime, actor singer Kishore Kumar had visited the US only a few times.

His tours included a live performance in Los Angeles with another Bollywood legend, Lata Mangeshkar.

Anindo Bose was a kid when Kishore went for his concert in the US but his sheer love for Kumar’s evergreen songs led him to remake them—in the backdrop of New York.

“Kishore in New York is an ambitious project – thought process was what it would have been if Kishore was in US, speaking Hindi and had an opportunity to sing his legendary songs in today’s modern recording era,” Bose said from New York. For the last twenty years, Bose is living in the US. He runs a business in New Jersey.

To start with, Bose had picked songs like O Hansini and Jane Kya Sochkar nehi guzra—two evergreen gems composed by Rahul Dev Burman.

O Hansini was shot in the heart of Times Square, Bryant Park and the historic Brooklyn bridge. “We had to explain about who is Kishore Kumar at times while seeking permission. At times, we hired a cameraman who already has a permission,” Bose said.

He knows very well that imitating Kishore Kumar is a near-impossible task and no music lover will accept a remake of hit songs. Bose maintains that’s the reason why he wanted to give the songs a new video and maintain that his is a tribute to the “greatest playback singer India has produced till date”.

“I always thought how could I keep his legacy going in my own small way,” Bose added.