Google doodles Kishore Kumar's versatility

New Delhi: A smiling Kishore Kumar looks at you from the Google India home page on the Hindi cinema legend's 85th birth anniversary.

Known for his eccentricity, Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly), was a multi-talented personality and the doodle also salutes his many abilities.

Though he is best known as one of Indian cinema's greatest playback singers, he was also an actor, lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenplay writer and scriptwriter. The four icons on the the four corners of the Google doodle symbolise this.

Born on August 4, 1929, Kishore was introduced to the world of cinema by his elder brother Ashok Kumar who was already a star in the film industry.

The singer, who idolized KL Saigal and considered him his guru, started his career as a chorus singer in the film 'Bombay Talkies' which featured Ashok Kumar in the lead role.

The youngest of four siblings, Kishore always wanted to be a singer. During his lifetime, the extremely talented playback worked also as a lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.

While his singing career was taking off, he starred in his first film as an actor in 'Shikari' (1946), in which Ashok Kumar played the lead role.

He said in an interview that his only love was music and he hated when producers chased him for films.

Among his many films, Kishore Kumar starred in New Delhi (1957), Aasha (1957), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Half Ticket (1962), and Padosan (1968). Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, his home production, starred the three Ganguly brothers, and Madhubala. In 'Dilli Ka Thug' Kishor Kumar plays a trickster who turns a new leaf and helps nab a murderer. Has sung some gems like 'Yeh Raate Yeh Mausam'.

As his popularity grew, Kishore's eccentricity grew in leaps and bounds. In the 1960s, Kishore built a notoriety for coming late for the shootings and major mood swings.

Even though, not all his films as an actor worked at the Box Office, Kishore Kumar the singer reached great heights, specially during the 1960s.

Kishore Kumar married four times. His first wife was Ruma Guha Thakurta and their marriage lasted from 1950 to 1958. His second wife was actress Madhubala who was sick and had a ventricular septal defect when he proposed to her. His third marriage was to Yogeeta Bali, that lasted from 1976 to 4 August 1978. Kishore was married to Leena Chandavarkar from 1980 until his death on October 13, 1987.