Nearly four decades after his death, Kishore Kumar is remembered just as fondly in his birthplace Khandwa.On his 97th birth anniversary on Tuesday, fans and friends gathered here to celebrate the singing legend with his favourite milk and jalebis.Born on August 4, 1929, in Khandwa, Kishore Kumar’s real name was Abhas Kumar Ganguly. He was the youngest of three brothers, actors Ashok Kumar and Anoop Kumar.In his final years, Kishore Kumar often said, “Doodh-jalebi khayenge, Khandwa me bas jayenge” (I will eat milk and jalebi and settle in Khandwa), a fan recalled.Kishore Kumar admirers came from faraway places like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand and West Bengal to celebrate the singer’s birthday by cutting a cake and offering milk and jalebis at his memorial. They also celebrated the birthday by singing popular Kishore Kumar numbers.On the occasion, singer Vinod Kumar Rathod was honoured with the ‘Kishore Gaurav Samman’. He expressed a desire to be reborn in Khandwa, the birthplace of his idol.“Kishor da is with me wherever I go. Every year on August 4th, no matter where I am, my heart is in Khandwa. I wish that if I were to be born again, it would be in Khandwa,” Rathod, known for hits such as “Ae Mere Humsafar” and “Aisi Deewangi”, told reporters here.Rathod was presented with the prize money of Rs one lakh rupees and a citation.Local public representatives and officials also paid tribute to Kishore Kumar by singing his famous songs.Kishore Kumar died on October 13, 1987, in Mumbai. In accordance with his last wish, the singer’s last rites were performed in Khandwa.
