Mumbai, June 29, 2026
Veteran actress Leena Chandavarkar fondly recalled the day when legendary singer Kishore Kumar unexpectedly proposed marriage to her during their very first meeting.
Leena, revealing that she playfully questioned him about his earlier marriages to Madhubala and Yogita Bali, had gone on to turn him down.
The revelation happened on the upcoming episode of music reality show ‘Indian Idol’, where she appeared with her son Sumit Kumar. During a conversation with host Aditya Narayan, she shared several cherished memories of the legendary singer and actor.
When Aditya asked whether it was true that Kishore Kumar had proposed to her during their first meeting and that she had rejected him, Leena smiled and replied, “Ji yaad aaya…”
Recalling the incident, she said Kishore Kumar had initially told her that he wanted to cast her in a film with a wonderful role. During their conversation, he casually asked whether she would like to get married in the future. When she replied that she would, he immediately quipped, “Toh mera proposal sabse pehle.”
Leena said she was taken by surprise and jokingly replied, “Nahi nahi… jiske saath aap film karte ho aap shaadi karte ho?” Referring to his earlier marriages, she added that he had already married Madhubala and later Yogita Bali, so she wondered why he was bringing up marriage when he was merely offering her a film.
Unhone kaha ‘sabke sath nahi’, kyunki unhone Madhubala ke sath shaadi ki, Yogita ke sath ki phir abhi mujhe filmo ke liye le rahe hai par shaadi ka kyun bola, ‘accha baba cancel kar do, shaadi cancel.’ Toh yeh mujhe yaad aata hai ki kaise woh ekdum se change hogaye, unko bura bhi nahi laga.”
She recalled that Kishore Kumar laughed off the moment and instantly replied, “Accha baba, cancel kar do… shaadi cancel.”
Leena also narrated how she first met Kishore Kumar after his driver, Abdul, arrived at her house with a message asking her to call him. She later visited his bungalow, where Kishore Kumar narrated multiple film stories and eventually announced the film ‘Pyar Ajnabi Hai’. She admitted that she was going through a difficult phase in life at the time, but meeting Kishore Kumar transformed her outlook.
Talking about Kishore Kumar and his marriages, he was first married to to singer and actress Ruma Guha Thakurta in 1951, with whom he had a son, Amit Kumar.
After their separation, he married legendary actress Madhubala in 1960 and remained by her side until her death in 1969 following a prolonged battle with a congenital heart ailment.
He later married actress Yogita Bali in 1976, but the marriage ended within two years.
In 1980, Kishore Kumar married actress Leena Chandavarkar, and the couple remained together until his demise in 1987. They also had a son, Sumit Kumar.(Agency)
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