Born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly on August 4, 1929, in Khandwa, Central Provinces, British India, Kishore Kumar is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential, and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. He was not only a playback singer but also an actor, music director, lyricist, film producer, film director, and screenwriter. His career spanned from 1946 to 1987.

Kishore Kumar's first film appearance was in Shikari (1946), in which his brother, Ashok played the lead role. His first lead role was in the Bombay Talkies film Andolan (1951). After the success of films such as Ladki, Char Paise, and Baap Re Baap, Kumar developed an interest in acting seriously, which resulted in him having successful films as the lead actor between 1955 and 1966.

Kishore Kumar was known for his eccentric lifestyle. He was known to 'talk' to his trees at his home and had even put up a sign 'Mental Hospital' right outside his residence in Khandwa. Despite his eccentricities, he was known for his parsimonious nature.

Kishore Kumar was married four times. His first wife was Ruma Guha Thakurta (1950-58). His second wife was the beautiful actress Madhubala (1960-69), whom he had met during the shooting of Chalti Ka Naam Gadi and Half Ticket. His third wife was Yogeeta Bali (1976-78), and his fourth wife was Leena Chandavarkar (1980-87). He had two sons, Amit Kumar and Sumit Kumar.

Kishore Kumar's exceptional singing talent earned him several accolades, including eight Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer. He also received the Lata Mangeshkar Award by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1985. In 1997, the Madhya Pradesh Government initiated an award called the "Kishore Kumar Award" for contributions to Hindi cinema.

Kishore Kumar acted in a number of successful movies. Some of his notable works include Naukri (1954), Bhai Bhai (1956), New Delhi (1956), Aasha (1957), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Jhumroo (1961), Half Ticket (1962), Mr. X in Bombay (1964), and Padosan (1968).