Leena Chandavarkar reveals Kishore Kumar loved 'paan' but was completely against tobacco & 'choona'
Mumbai, June 27
Veteran actress Leena Chandavarkar, also known for being legendary singer Kishore Kumar's wife, shared an unknown fact about the stalwart singer and his love for 'paan' but being against tobacco, 'chuna' and all other ingredients of the ideal post meal freshener.
Leena who along with son Sumit arrived on the sets of music reality show Indian Idol as a special guest for the episode dedicated to Kishore Kumar, revealed some unknown stories of the singing icon.
During a fun conversation, host Aditya Narayan brought up one of Kishore Kumar's most memorable quirks arriving at a recording studio wearing one slipper and one ladies' sandal.
When asked about the unusual incident, Leena Chandavarkar smiled and admitted that Kishore Kumar often did things in his own unique way.
She then went on to reveal another lesser-known habit of the legendary singer. Leena shared, "Woh paan sirf patta khaate the. Jo Calcutta ka paan ka patta hota hai na, ek patta khaate the. Matlab usmein andar choona nahi, tambaaku nahi, supari nahi, kuch bhi nahi. Gulkand bhi nahi. Kuch bhi nahi woh uske Khilaf the, bas woh sirf paan ka patta khaate the."
(He would only eat a plain paan leaf. You know the Calcutta paan leaf? He would simply have one of those. There was no lime, no tobacco, no betel nut, nothing at all inside it. Not even gulkand. Nothing. In fact, he was against all of that. He would just chew a plain paan leaf)
Talking about Kishore Kumar, the singer remains one of the most celebrated playback singers in the history of Indian cinema.
He was not only an iconic singer but also an accomplished actor, music composer, lyricist, producer, director and screenwriter.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, the stalwart singer lent his voice to thousands of songs across multiple Indian languages, with evergreen classics such as 'Roop Tera Mastana', 'Mere Sapno Ki Rani', 'Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas', 'O Mere Dil Ke Chain', 'Yeh Shaam Mastani', 'Rimjhim Gire Saawan', 'Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si' and 'Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana' amongst many others.
As an actor, Kishore Kumar starred in memorable films including 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi', 'Half Ticket', 'Padosan', 'Jhumroo' and 'Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein'.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I've always been fascinated by Kishore Kumar's eccentricities. The slipper story is classic - one slipper and one ladies' sandal to a recording? That's Amar Akbar Anthony level of craziness 😂 But eating just a plain paan leaf is surprisingly refined. Shows he had his own logic to everything.
I remember my grandfather telling me that Kishore Kumar once walked into a recording studio barefoot because he forgot his shoes at home. The man was a genius but also completely madcap in the best way possible. His songs are timeless - 'Roop Tera Mastana' still gives me goosebumps. And now I'll always picture him chewing on a plain paan leaf while singing it 😄
I respect that he was against tobacco and supari when paan culture in India is so deeply associated with both. Many people chew paan and end up with mouth cancer. Kishore da was ahead of his time in that sense. He enjoyed the simple pleasure of the leaf without the harmful additives. More people should learn from this! 🙏
Leena ji sharing these stories is such a treasure for Kishore fans. He was not just a singer but a complete entertainer who lived life on his own terms. The plain paan leaf habit is actually quite common in some Bengali families - it's called 'sada patta' and is supposed to be good for the stomach. Thank you for this beautiful insight! 🎵🎤
I grew up listening to Kishore Kumar songs because my parents loved Bollywood
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