When Kishore Kumar Was Banned From All India Radio
Amit Kumar reveals on Kapil Sharma's show why his father Kishore Kumar was banned from All India Radio for a year during the 1975 Emergency.
Key Highlights:
- Kishore Kumar's son Amit Kumar revealed the story behind his father's year-long ban from All India Radio during the 1975 Emergency.
- Kishore Kumar refused to travel for a government-arranged show unless an official came to speak with him first.
- He was banned within two hours of that refusal, with his songs pulled from AIR and Doordarshan.
- The ban lasted nearly a year until the Emergency was lifted, after which his songs returned to state broadcasters.
- Kishore Kumar got his first break with "Marne Ki Duayen Kyon Mangu" in "Ziddi" (1948), later rising to fame with hits like "Mere Sapno Ki Rani" and "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana."
An Untold Chapter From the Emergency Era
Did you know legendary singer Kishore Kumar was banned from All India Radio for a year? When Indira Gandhi's government imposed the Emergency in 1975-1977, Kishore Kumar's songs were banned from being broadcast on state-run All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan, a chapter of the singer's career that remains relatively lesser known compared to his musical legacy.
Amit Kumar Reveals the Story
Kishore Kumar's son, Amit Kumar, was asked about this incident by actor and comedian Kapil Sharma during his appearance on the latter's show, prompting Amit to share the full account of what had actually transpired at the time.
A Call From the Ministry
Revealing what had actually happened, Amit Kumar shared, "When the Emergency was declared in 1975, he was at the top as a playback singer. He got a call from Delhi. Someone from the Ministry rang up, and my father picked up the phone." According to Amit, the caller told Kishore Kumar, "Kishore Saab. We are sending your ticket. You come from tomorrow's evening flight. You have a show the day after tomorrow."
