He Installed a Sign That Said “Beware of Kishore”
Kishore Kumar had a board on his bungalow gate that read “Beware of Kishore” instead of “Beware of Dog.” He loved playing pranks on visitors—friends, producers, and even strangers. Many producers who came to clear his dues were startled to see the sign and sometimes turned back, assuming he was in one of his notorious moods.
He Only Worked After Getting Paid in Advance
Kishore was famously wary of film producers who delayed payments. Once, when a producer tried to avoid paying his fees, Kishore turned up at the studio with half his face shaved—refusing to complete the song recording until his dues were cleared. After he got paid, he calmly shaved the other half and carried on as if nothing had happened.
He Spoke to Trees and Flowers on His Estate
He was known to walk around his Madh Island bungalow talking to trees and plants, referring to them as his closest companions. According to his son Amit Kumar and colleagues, Kishore believed plants were living beings who listened to him better than people did.
He Once Drove to Work in Reverse Gear
When a director complained that Kishore was “driving in the wrong direction” with his career, he decided to take it literally. He drove his car in reverse all the way to the set of the film Bhagti Me Shakti in 1958, just to prove a point about how he did things on his own terms.
He Had a Habit of Making Animal Sounds in Meetings
During contract discussions, Kishore often barked like a dog or meowed like a cat mid-sentence—just to see how people would react. He believed that taking life too seriously was the worst way to waste it. To him, music was serious business, but everything else was an opportunity to have fun.