Kishore Kumar didn’t need alcohol to sound drunk—he just needed a mic, a long table, and his madness.
The year was 1984, and Prakash Mehra’s Sharabi was in production. The film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Prada, Pran, and Om Prakash, and its music was composed by Bappi Lahiri. One evening, inside HMV studios, a song meeting was underway with Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Prakash Mehra, and Bappi da.
During the recording of Sharabi’s iconic track “Inteha Ho Gayi Intezar Ki,” something happened inside the studio that no one had expected. As everyone watched in surprise, Kishore Da suddenly decided he wouldn’t sing standing up—he would lie down and sing, just like a real sharabi. What followed became one of the most unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories in Bollywood music.
When Kishore Kumar decided to record “Inteha Ho Gayi Intezar Ki,” he didn’t just sing the song; he became the character. He declared, “The hero is drunk. Drunk people don’t stand and sing—they lie down!” Before anyone could react, he looked at Bappi Lahiri and said, “Bring a big table. I will lie down and sing.” According to a popular retro video essay, Kishore da requested a dimmer light in the recording studio.
A table was arranged, and he actually lay down on it, singing the entire song in that position, channeling the pain and sway of a drunk lover. This wasn’t a joke or gimmick—it was his instinctive way of capturing the pain and sway of a man drowning in longing.
No one else could have delivered the same impact in that manner, especially not while lying on a studio table.
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