Hello Everybody,
How've you been doing? And how did your week go by? Well, today I have a post for you quite different from the rest. I have profiled one of the greatest actors and singers of the Hindi film industry who ruled Hindi cinema at a time when we were not even born. Yes, he is none other than K.L Saigal.
Today it's neither his birthday nor is it his death anniversary…then you 
must be wondering as to why on earth I'm writing a post on him today!! Alright before I answer your question, I'd like to ask you…do we have to remember people only on birthdays,death anniversaries,wedding anniversaries,teacher's day, father's day, mother's day!!!…
Are people in our lives just equalled or let's put it relegated to certain days in a year? Why can't we remember them otherwise!! Surely, we should….then why wait for a particular day to come….let's start writing about them even if they come to us even as a passing thought. Surely, there is some charisma or perhaps one quality about them for which you remember them. As for me, I was making a series on some of the great men and women 'once upon a time' in Hindi cinema…I was randomly going through some of the names…and one of them which caught my interest was K.L Saigal….a man who achieved so much fame and adulation that even when he left us by the age of 42…people were left asking for more…
No one would ever have imagined that in a small village in Nawanshahr (located in Punjab) a school dropout who worked as a railway timekeeper and as a typewriter salesman would one day revolutionize the music scenario forever and become a legend in his life time.
Yes, we are talking of the icon who mesmerized the masses with his magical voice and his intense performances - Kundan Lal Saigal also called K.L. Saigal.
must be wondering as to why on earth I'm writing a post on him today!! Alright before I answer your question, I'd like to ask you…do we have to remember people only on birthdays,death anniversaries,wedding anniversaries,teacher's day, father's day, mother's day!!!…Are people in our lives just equalled or let's put it relegated to certain days in a year? Why can't we remember them otherwise!! Surely, we should….then why wait for a particular day to come….let's start writing about them even if they come to us even as a passing thought. Surely, there is some charisma or perhaps one quality about them for which you remember them. As for me, I was making a series on some of the great men and women 'once upon a time' in Hindi cinema…I was randomly going through some of the names…and one of them which caught my interest was K.L Saigal….a man who achieved so much fame and adulation that even when he left us by the age of 42…people were left asking for more…
No one would ever have imagined that in a small village in Nawanshahr (located in Punjab) a school dropout who worked as a railway timekeeper and as a typewriter salesman would one day revolutionize the music scenario forever and become a legend in his life time.
Yes, we are talking of the icon who mesmerized the masses with his magical voice and his intense performances - Kundan Lal Saigal also called K.L. Saigal.
Born on April 11th 1904 and having no formal training in music; much against his father's wishes he left for Calcutta in the early 1930's to pursue a career in singing. Hired by B.N Sircar of New Theatres in Calcutta, he met R.C. Boral, a highly respected music composer who took an instant liking to his talent.
In the good old days of Hindi cinema, an actor was someone who not only played his part in a film but gave his playback in it too, so was the case with K.L Saigal, who not only sang but played his part with aplomb.
Initially, his films did not do well, but it was in 1933 that four bhajans (devotional songs sung in praises of God by the Hindus) for the film "Puran Bhagat" created a sensation and after that there was no looking back. He churned hits after hits with films like Yahudi Ki Ladki, Chandidas and Rooplekha.
Then came the film Devdas in which he played a drunken character where he loses the love of his life Paro to an old widowed man because of the difference in class and status. His powerhouse performance in this film came to define his acting career. Then followed a string of successes with films like Karwan-e-Hayat, President, Dhartimata, Street Singer, Dushman, Zindagi, Lagan, My Sister, Tansen, Shahjahan and many more.
But Saigal's dependence on alcohol began to affect his work and health to such an extent that he could not sing without drinking. Sadly on January 18th 1947, Saigal left us all forever leaving behind a legacy of his immortal music and films for which he is remembered even today.
The youngster's today may have forgotten this great singer and actor in the age of pop, rap, jazz, remixes and with the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar etc…but one mustn't forget the people who have left behind a legacy for us all - to imbibe, to learn and to grow.
TRIVIA – Did you know?
1) Saigal acted in 36 feature films – 28 Hindi, 7 Bangla and 1 Tamil
2) Saigal rendered 185 songs in all which include 142 films songs and 42 non film songs in different languages
3) From 1932-1946, the Hindi film world was called "K.L. Saigal musical era"
4) According to composer Naushad, K. L. Saigal quickly wrapped up the recordings of his last two films Parwana and Shahjahan because he had a premonition of his death.
5) As a youngster, India’s melody queen is alleged to have said that she wanted to marry Saigal after seeing his performance in Chandidas.
Hope you enjoyed reading today’s post…do not forget to share your views/ comments/ opinions with us.
Love,
Sonyaa
1 comment:
In the 40s KL Saigal's Devdas set a new trend in cinema. But it was Dilip Kumar's Devdas which equaled and rose above that performance - And rightly so he was crowned the Tragedy King of Indian Cinema.
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