Kishori Amonkar, who passed away recently, was associated with which of the following fields?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your awareness of prominent personalities in Indian arts and culture. Kishori Amonkar was one of the most respected and influential figures in Hindustani classical music. When she passed away, her death was widely reported in the news, and questions about her field of contribution became common in competitive exams. Identifying her area correctly shows that you keep track of major cultural news.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The personality mentioned is Kishori Amonkar.
• The question asks which field she was associated with.
• Options include classical vocal music, classical dance, sports and politics.
• We assume basic knowledge of important Indian cultural icons.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall that Kishori Amonkar was a legendary Hindustani classical vocalist, belonging to the Jaipur gharana, known for her powerful and emotive khayal renditions. She was not known as a dancer, sportsperson or politician. Recognising her as a vocalist makes it straightforward to eliminate the other options as unrelated fields.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Kishori Amonkar was a famous exponent of Hindustani classical music.Step 2: She was primarily a vocalist, performing khayal and bhajan, and was known for her deep, introspective style of singing.Step 3: There is no record of her being a classical dancer, so option B is incorrect.Step 4: She was not a sportsperson, which rules out option C.Step 5: She did not hold office as a politician; hence option D is also incorrect.Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is that she was a classical vocalist.

Verification / Alternative check:
Newspaper obituaries and cultural articles about Kishori Amonkar describe her contributions as one of the leading Hindustani vocalists of the Jaipur gharana. She received many honours, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, for her contributions to classical music. These sources consistently refer to her as a vocalist and never as a dancer, sportsperson or politician, confirming the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Classical dancer: Famous classical dancers include people such as Rukmini Devi Arundale or Kelucharan Mohapatra, not Kishori Amonkar.

Sports: There is no connection between Kishori Amonkar and competitive sports; this option is clearly irrelevant.

Politician: While some artists do enter politics, Kishori Amonkar remained focused on music and is not known for political office.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse different cultural figures if they only vaguely remember names. Another error is assuming that any famous name in the arts might be a dancer or musician without being sure. Building a mental map linking each major cultural icon with their art form, such as associating Kishori Amonkar with Hindustani vocal music, helps prevent such confusion in exams.

Final Answer:
Kishori Amonkar was a renowned classical vocalist in Hindustani music.