RAJSHAHI, July 14, 2020 (BSS) – Legendary playback singer Andrew Kishore’s funeral will be held in Rajshahi city tomorrow (Wednesday), his brother-in-law Dr Patrick Bipul Biswas said today.
Andrew Kishore breathed his last at his elder sister Dr Shikha Biswas and her husband Dr Patrick Biswas’ house in Mahishabathan area in Rajshahi city on July 6.
Dr Biswas said it has been slightly delayed so that Kishore’s son and daughter, who live in Australia, have enough time to reach Rajshahi to attend their father’s funeral.
Kishore’s son Jay Andrew Saptok has already returned back home on July 9 while daughter Minim Andrew Songa on Monday.
Kishore’s body was kept in the mortuary of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
“If all goes well, his funeral will be carried out according to plan,” Dr Biswas said. From the mortuary the body will be taken to Rajshahi City Church in Shreerampur area at 9am on Wednesday for the religious formalities.
According to his last wish, he will be buried at the cemetery of the Church of Bangladesh near Rajshahi Circuit House in the afternoon, said Dr Biswas.
Kishore’s parents and a brother were also buried in the same cemetery.
“Christians have a tradition of visiting their relatives’ graves on November 1 on every year. On such a day in 2017, Kishore and I visited the cemetery together,” recalled Dr Biswas.
“At the end of our prayers, he walked around the cemetery and chose a beautiful spot. He said he wants his burial to be done at that spot,” Dr Biswas said, “And we will fulfill his wish.”
He was undergoing treatment at a clinic here, owned by his sister Dr Shikha Biswas.
Andrew Kishore returned home by a special flight on June 11 after taking treatment in Singapore for nine months. Since then, he had been living in Rajshahi.
Andrew, 65, left behind his wife Lipika Andrew Eti, daughter Minim Andrew Songa, son Jay Andrew Saptok, along with millions of fans who will miss him dearly.
Andrew Kishore was born in Rajshahi in 1955. Since childhood, he was keen on pursuing a career in music and began taking lessons from Abdul Aziz Bachchu, who later became the chief music director of Rajshahi Betar.
He had rendered more than 15,000 songs in movies, earning him the moniker of ‘playback king’ in the Bangla film industry.
Kishore made his debut as a playback singer with the song ‘Ochinpurer Rajkumari Nei Je Tar Keu’ in the movie “Mail Train”.
An eight-time winner of the National Film Award for his outstanding contribution to the music industry, Kishore also earned recognition for his work in Urdu and Hindi films.
The singer also ran a production house that used to produce television dramas and commercials.
His songs – ‘Jiboner Golpo Achhe Baki Olpo’, ‘Dak Diyachhen Doyal Amare’, ‘Haire Manush Rongin Fanush’, ‘Amar Shara Deho Kheyo Go Mati’, ‘Amar Buker Moddhe Khane’, ‘Amar Babar Mukhe Prothom Jedin Shunechilam Gan’, ‘Bhengeche Pinjor Meleche Dana’, ‘Shobai To Bhalobasha Chae’, and many others – will linger in the hearts of his fans.