Hemant Kumar

Born Hemanta Kumar Mukherjee (1920-1989), Kumar adopted the name Hemant Kumar after he settled in the Indian film capital of Bombay (also known as Mumbai) in the 1950s. Born in Varanasi (Benares) , his fame as a singer of Bengali and Hindi songs began early in his life with his first appearance on All India Radio[?] in the late 1930s. He also became one of the most active proponents of Rabindrasangeet, the songs of the most famous Bengali poet of the 20th century, Rabindranath Tagore.

In 1940 he launched his career in Indian movies when he appeared as a singer in the Bengali film Sanyasi and in 1944 he appeared in his first Hindi language film Iraada. During this period he also established himself as a competent composer of Benagli songs.

During the 1950s his full baritone voice established him as the undisputed star of middle-class Bengali romanticism, where love was found, lost and then regained; where joy was unbounded and despair fathomless. His style of delivery became the standard for all romantic heroes in Indian film since his time. His first Hindi success as a composer was Nagin, which introduced electronics into Indian film.

Still later, Kumar branched out into film production with movies of a decidedly occidental cast, like Bees Saal Baad based on The Hound of the Baskervilles and Kohraa derived from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.

Even after his death in 1989, Hemant Kumar remains the model other male singers imitate.

Selected filmography

 Anand Math		Ferry 
 Anjaan 	 	Girl Friend  
 Anupama		Hamara Watan  
 Arab Ka Saudagar	Hill Station  
 Asha  	 		Inspector  
 Bahu  	 		Jagriti  
 Bandhan 	 	Khamoshi 
 Bandi  	 	Kohra  
 Bandish		Lagan 
 Bees Saal Baad  	Maa Beta  
 Bees Saal Pehle  	Majhli Didi  
 Bhagwat Mahima  	Nagin 
 Bin Badal Barsaat	Nayakeenicha Sajja  
 Biwi Aur Makan  	Payal  
 Chand  	 	Police 
 Do Dil 	 	Rahgeer 
 Do Dooni Char  	Sahara 
 Do Ladke Dono Kadke	Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam  
 Do Mastane  	 	Samrat 
 Durgesh Nandini  	Sannata  
 Ek Hi Raasta  	 	Shart  
 Ek Jhalak  	 	Taj  
 Faraar 	 	Us Raat Ke Baad  
 Fashion		Yahudi Ki Ladki 

For a complete filmography, go to:

http://beta.ece.ucsb.edu/~pdg/hemanta/discography/index