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It was in 1987 that Boney Kapoor released Mr India, directed by Shekhar Kapur. The sci-fi classic, starring Sridevi and Anil Kapoor in the lead roles, was shot over nearly a year. Written by the legendary duo Salim–Javed—who split after this film—the movie remains unforgettable, thanks to iconic characters like Mogambo and Mr India, and evergreen songs such as “Kate Nahin Kat Te” and “Hawa Hawai”. While Mr India evokes nostalgia for many, for singer Alisha Chinai—the voice behind the sensual “Kate Nahin Kat Te”—it also marks her memorable experience of recording with Kishore Kumar.
Alisha was barely 21 or 22 when she stepped into the studio to record the duet with Kishore Kumar, who was more than twice her age and already an icon. Composers Laxmikant–Pyarelal were at the helm. Terrified she might forget her lines, Alisha found Kishore da busy “clowning around,” barely acknowledging her presence.
She continued: “The song was very oomphy. There was a seduction scene, and she’s singing to Mr India, who’s invisible—so there were all these oohs and aahs in the track. Mostly, it was the fact that Kishore da was in the same room, which normally doesn’t happen these days. There was such electricity and vibe in the studio; it was amazing. That’s half the reason why the performance turned out even better.”
Determined to match Kishore Kumar’s energy, Alisha came fully prepared.
“I had rehearsed a day earlier because he was too big an artist to mess around with. I rehearsed it well, and we did it.”
Despite recording the now-iconic number together, Alisha never really got to interact with Kishore Kumar.
She vividly remembers her first—and only—meeting with him: “We were in the same recording room and Laxmikant ji introduced me to him. He said, ‘This is a new singer and she is going to sing with you.’ Kishore da gave me a very raised-eyebrow look and moved on without a word. His expression said, ‘Yeh kya gaane wali hai!’ He got busy clowning around, making funny remarks, while I tried to focus on getting the song right.”
“We never had a silly conversation. It was just getting on the mic while he kept clowning. That’s it. We sang, and he left without saying anything to me. He didn’t comment on what he felt, but from his looks, I guess he was shocked. Then he had to leave, so he left. We never got a chance to interact.”
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