Sumeet Kumar - The New Kid On The Block
An interview by Dr. Mandar
His round, boyish face and his cute dimpled smile reminds me more of his mother- Leena Chandawarkar, a famous actress in the seventies but Sumeet Kumar's real claim to fame is more through paternal side. He is the late great Kishore Kumar's second son. Following into the footsteps of his father Kishore Kumar and half-brother Amit Kumar, Sumeet has also joined the playback singers' league by singing for soundtracks like Mudda and Naach.
Clad in dark blue denim shirt and faded blue jeans, Sumeet sits besides me on a sofa in the crowded hotel lobby. Amidst the constant hubbub of a particularly noisy group of people waiting for their city-tour bus, we chat about his life in spotlight. He is refreshingly candid and free of any put-on acts. Here are the excerpts from the interview:
How was your experience of making a debut in playback singing?
It was not at all planned. My mother just told me that producer Raju Mawani wanted to listen to my voice and when I went for that test-session, it went on to become a full-fledged recording session for Mudda. More than the actual recording, the media reaction to that event really took me by surprise.
There was a big horde of reporters waiting outside the recording room and everybody was asking me if I would sound like Kishore Kumar! How can a twenty year old sound like Kishore Kumar? Even he himself didn't sound like Kishore Kumar when he was twenty! It was totally crazy media hype as if I had come back to claim and conquer my father's lost empire!
But luckily the song was appreciated and was aired on music channels often. Through that exposure, I got to sing other songs.
What are your memories of your father?
I lost my father at the age of five. Whatever I remember of him is as a fun-loving father pampering me to the hilt with toys and videos. I was a fat child and he used to call me 'Chiballa Bachcha'.
What do you feel about his artistry?
He was a complete artist. Singing, composing, writing lyrics, acting, directing – he did everything with aplomb. The amazing thing about his singing was his ability to sound like the actor he was singing for. You could almost visualize actors like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor, when he sang for them.
How was it growing up as Kishore Kumar's son?
I was an over-protected child. My mother would everyday come to my school in the recess to make sure I eat my Tiffin. Those days, I was very shy. Sunidhi Chouhan was my schoolmate and still remains one of my best friends.
In college-days, I got more freedom. I learnt different things like Western classical music on piano and even Western dancing. My mother and my brother made sure that my attitude remained balanced and they never forced any decision upon me.
How is your relationship with your brother Amit Kumar?
He is thirty years elder to me and he is more like a father-figure. I consider him as my idol. Not only his singing but also all his mannerisms constantly remind me of my father- so much so he sounds and behaves like him. I can confide everything in him. He is a Cancerian and very emotional. Even if he is not happy about something I have done; he would tell me in a roundabout way. He is the Go- Get man for me. Mom might deny me something but Bhaiya always indulges me.
As regards your career, what are your goals?
I see myself pursuing a career in creative fields but not necessarily only playback singing. I am taking training to improve my singing. Conceptualizing, directing and editing videos is a passionate hobby and I would like to do something on those lines
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