Kishore Kumar Birth Anniv: Why 'Zindagi Ka Safar' Remained Close to His Heart

Zindagi Ka Safar was recorded barely a year after the death of Madhubala.

On Kishore Kumar’s birth anniversary, here’s a look 

(Photo courtesy: Twitter)

On Kishore Kumar’s 94th birth anniversary, Subhamoy Das takes a close look at ‘Zindagi Ka Safar,’ one of the singer’s personal favourites and why this evergreen song narrating the saga of life and death remained close to his heart till the very end...

In 1979, at the peak of his musical career, Kishore Kumar was invited to perform at the historic Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, one of the most famous performance halls in the United States. It was not only an honour to perform at such a hall, but also a momentous occasion for Kishore Kumar as he was being felicitated by EMI Records.

At this event, David Cavenaugh, VP of Capitol Records, EMI Inc., presented a Gold Record to Kishore Kumar and subsequently, published a special twin-disc set - Kishore Kumar Live at Los Angeles to commemorate and recognize the artiste’s “tremendous contribution to recorded music:”

“For 30 years, Mr. Kumar had made hit recordings and provided entertainment not only for the people in India but for people all over the world. So, on behalf of Capitol Records, the Gramophone Company of India, and all the record companies throughout the world, here is a rare honor and indeed a pleasure to present to Mr. Kumar, a Gold Record.”

Kishore Kumar, in his brief vote of thanks, said,

“My dear friends, this is one of the most memorable evenings in my life. I cannot express my gratitude in words for the honour that has been conferred on me today. All I can say is, whatever I’ve achieved in life today, it’s all owed to the support of all of you. On this occasion, I would like to present to you a song, which is my dil ki awaaz (my heartbeat).”

On receiving the award, he sang ‘Zindagi Ka Safar,’ a song that remained his personal favourite that he would sing in almost all his live appearances.

Recorded barely a year after the death of Madhubala, his terminally ill wife of nearly ten years, Kishore Kumar renders this song with a certain calm that seems to be slowly oozing off a dying heart. Here, he suppresses his usual assertive style and delivers a deep and powerful rendition that is somewhat resigned and ruminative, which lends the song a haunting appeal. As a result, ‘Zindagi Ka Safar’ evokes and sustains a despondent, fatalistic mood, which remains to this day a musical totem for introspection on life and its meaning.

Kishore was absolutely fond of ‘Zindagi Ka Safar’ along with his other Jhinjhoti-based song by the music director duo Kalyanji-Anandji (K-A)—'Mera Jeevan Kora Kagaz’—and would sometimes sing them consecutively on stage. As Kalyanji later recounted in a TV interview, “Kishore Da always insisted that ‘Zindagi Ka Safar’ be included in all his live shows.”

The enduring qualities of ‘Zindagi Ka Safar’ owe a great deal to Kishore Kumar’s singing prowess, which had just begun to bloom like never before.

While songwriter Indivar’s plaintive elegy makes the pathos of the song all the more pensive, Kishore wistfully elevates each line to its melancholic crest by infusing into it the life experiences of his own tryst with destiny. 

Indivar, in a 1990 interview, talks about his inspiration behind writing ‘Zindagi Ka Safar.’ Who would have guessed that the Jhansi-born, village-educated Shyamalal Babu Rai (aka Indivar) would be inspired by European poets to pen one of his most philosophical and everlasting songs?

He alludes to the apostle St. Paul, says, “Life is meant to be lived, not understood. Because it takes a lifetime to understand life.” This thought most definitely prompted him to write ‘Koyee samjha nahi, koyee jaana nahi, which touched Kishore so much that he put all his life energies and emotions behind it.

Thus, ‘Zindagi Ka Safar’ became Kishore Kumar’s weltanschauung—his view of life.

The ups and downs he witnessed in his own life made him realise this profound truth about the uncertainty of the future, which became even more profound a couple heart attacks later. Towards the latter half of the 1980s, after surviving these near-death experiences, he knew his days were numbered. As he said in Bangla to his multitude of fans waiting to listen to his songs at one of his last live shows somewhere in Bengal: 

“Today, I’m here because I’m alive. Someday, you’ll hear that I’m no more. So, I have decided to sing all your favorite songs tonight and finally leave!”

This article is part of an upcoming book on Kishore Kumar by the author.