How Kishore Kumar's Natural And Heartfelt Singing Inspired Shaan To Become A Singer

Ace singer Shaan is set to honour his ‘first guru,’ the legendary Kishore Kumar, with his first-ever tribute concert, Forever Kishore Shaan Se. Presented by Namrata Gupta Khan and Rabbani Mustafa Khan of NR Talent and Event Management — the family of Shaan’s guru, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan — the show is scheduled for September 19 at NMACC, Mumbai.

In an exclusive interaction with The Free Press Journal, Shaan opens up about the deep impact Kishore Kumar has had on his musical journey. He shares how Kishore da’s natural and heartfelt singing inspired him to become a singer and how this concert is his way of giving back to his mentor and legend. The show promises to be a magical evening filled with timeless melodies, memories, and soulful renditions of Kishore Kumar’s most iconic songs. Excerpts:

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Q. What inspired you to create a tribute show for Kishore Kumar now?

A. Well, it was now or never! Of course, it’s been a fantastic coincidence that this show is also brought to us by NR Talent and Event Management. NR would be Namrata and Rabbani—Rabbani, of course, is Ustad ji’s son. Actually, it all started with a conversation with Rabbani. He wanted to do a show, and he had a date at NMSCC. He said, “Let’s do a Shaan show.” So I said, “I’d love to do a tribute to Kishore da.” He jumped at the idea, and within two days, posters were printed, the name was fixed, and within a week I was like, “Yaar, nikaal de poster, nahi ho payega!” You know, this is something I hadn’t thought through. In two and a half hours, to put out a concert singing Kishore Kumar songs—I realised it’s not going to be possible. There are so many songs, so many emotions, so many facets to him. How am I going to put all that down in such a short while? But once you’ve committed, you’re in. Since then, I’ve been working on it, and I think now I’ve reached a comfortable zone. I think I’m ready for this, and it’s going to be a fantastic show. We’re already sold out, so there’s no backing out!

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Q. What does Kishore Kumar mean to you personally and musically?

A. Everything. I mean, you know, the fact that I wanted to be a singer is only after I heard him sing. His voice is a voice that resonates with me. His voice so effortlessly lives every emotion that he sings. His voice is not dated. Aaj bhi agar koi gaana aap gaana chahte ho, aaj ki tareekh mein, I would think the ideal way to sing it would be how Kishore Kumar would have sung it. You know, no extra frills, no extra fuss, no extra gaayaki. But feeling that emotion. Not just energetic happy songs—even a sad song was sung with such grace and dignity. You’re not overdoing it. You’re not dwelling. The emotion automatically connects.

Q. How did you prepare for Forever Kishore Shaan Se?

A. I mean, the idea of that took many days.First, I thought maybe I’ll do a tribute with all the collaborations—the songs that he has sung with his co-singers, his composers, songs that he has sung for the top actors.But then I realised that even that would not justify it. Then I thought, what if today Kishore da was doing a show for an audience of today? He would select songs based on emotion—runna bhi hai, hasna bhi hai. With at least 250 superhit songs, if an artist has to perform a few, they’d pick them to take the audience on a journey. So we have almost 70 songs in a short span of two and a half hours. Some songs are short bits, some full songs.The journey is full of music, stories, and nostalgia. Everyone has a story connected to one of his songs—it should feel like that. So that’s how the journey is shaped.

Shaan Mukherji

Q. Which Kishore da song do you find most emotionally challenging to sing?

A. All his songs are emotionally challenging—because I get emotional when I sing them. But I enjoy that. The challenge is not the song. Technical challenges are there if your voice is not in form. And of course, there’s a disclaimer—please do not compare me, a small artist, with the great Kishore Kumar. I will never, never, never measure up to that. But enjoy the journey along with me.Though it’s not just a show—it’s a connection. So when you come, even if you’ve bought expensive tickets, you’ll be taken on a beautiful Kishore Kumar journey through his songs, with storytelling. Who better than his own son to tell us about his discography? Google mein aapko mil jaayega, but this will be something else. Using his songs, it’s a journey into a world full of nostalgia, beautiful lyrics, poetry, and melody.

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Q. Are you planning to add your own twist to his classics or keep them as original as possible?

A. No, no, no. They’ll be sung the way he sang them. Of course, there will be some finer changes. It’ll be a little different—but only slightly.

Q. Can you share a glimpse of your next musical project after this concert?

A. Yes! I’ve released a ghazal album which is doing very well. It’s called Ghazal Ho Gayi, and it’s composed and written by the great Nida Fazli sahab.It’s being released soon, and we’re making the best of it.

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Q. What message would you like to give to Kishore Kumar fans through this tribute?

A. All I’d like to say is—Kishore Kumar hum rahenge na, hamari awaaz, hamare gaane rahenge. Kishore Kumar ki awaaz, unke gaane, unka charcha—they will always live on. And as an inspiration, he will always be there. As long as someone understands what music is, what feelings are, what emotions are—he will always be relevant. The beautiful thing about Kishore da’s singing is that it never gets dated. People will love it as a song of today and still feel his special touch. I think… you feel that. You feel that song.