K L Saigal

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K.L. Saigal inherited music from his mother. Saigal was born on 11 April 1904 in Jammu. His father Amarchand Saigal was a tehsildar and his mother Kesarbai Saigal was a pious lady. She had a melodious voice and sung Bhajans, Kirtan and Shabad at temples. It was his mother's passion for music that slowly attracted young Saigal towards music and drama. Being a chubby kid, Saigal played the role of Sita in the annual local Ram Lila held in his village.  As he grew his passion for music escalated but due to lack of finance, he could not get formal music training. Nevertheless, Saigal learned the nuances of music from a little known Sufi Peer saint Salamat Yusuf. Rest he learned by visiting the Kotha's or Tawaifs which were quite prevalent in those days.

K.L. Saigal had a happy married life. K.L. Saigal had married Asha Rani in the year 1935. The couple had a son named Madan Mohan and three daughters- all daughters were married to successful people viz. Nina Merchant, Bina Chopra, and Durgesh Nandani.

1930

Famous Music Director RC Boral discovered K.L. Saigal

K.L. Saigal migrated to Kolkata to make a career in drama and films but life was not easy. Hence to make a survival Saigal worked as a salesman in Remington Typewriter Company to make a living. During the day he did his job and at night he attended Mushaira's where his style of narrating Mirza Ghalib Ghazal's fetched him a lot of applause. It was during one such Mushaira, famous music director RC Boral discovered Saigal and introduced him to Kolkata’s film producer B. N. Sircar. Saigal was signed on a contract of Rs 200 at New Theatres Film Company.

K.L. Saigal made his debut as an ‘Extra’ Actor in 1932

Saigal began his career in films as an extra in the movie Mohabbat Ke Aansoon (1932). Later he did a few more films like Subah ka Sitara and Zinda Laash but all the 3 films were a flop.

K.L. Saigal won popularity as a singer in 1933

In 1933, K.L. Saigal did the film, Puran Bhagat. It was in this film, Saigal has sung 4 bhajans and all the bhajans became popular. Thereafter, Saigal never looked back.  Later in the movie ‘Yahoodi ki ladki' Saigal sang his first song ‘Nukta chi haii gham-e-dil…' The song was a smash hit. His other hit films were Chandidas (1934) and Rooplekha (1934)

K.L. Saigal became India's First Super Star with Devdas in 1935

The movie that established K.L. Saigal as the First Superstar Of Indian Cinema was Devdas (1935). The film created history and the image of Saigal as Devdas got imprinted in the minds of people which continued to haunt film lovers of India for generations to come. The highlight of the film was the music and its super hit songs like Baalam Aye Baso More Mann Mein, Dukh Ke Ab Din Beetat Naahin and Piya Bin Nahin Aavat Chain were hummed in all the corners of India.

K.L. Saigal broke the Employment System in Bollywood 

The character of Devdas suited Saigal to a perfect ‘T'. Saigal's depiction of the alcoholic lover was never portrayed so convincingly on the celluloid ever. True the role has been played superbly by legend Dilip Kumar (Devdas-1955) and later by Shah Rukh Khan ( 2002) but film critics and cine buffs regard K.L. Saigal's version and performance as  ‘The Best'!

The movie became such a big hit that K.L. Saigal became a sort of an obsession!! It was similar to the craze that was witnessed in the late '60s after the mega-success of Rajesh Khanna after Aradhana. Readers would be surprised to know, the craze for K.L. Saigal became so popular that Saigal broke the ritual of employment in Film companies and started a new trend of freelance Star System. In a short period, he stood tallest among top stars of the '30s like Pankaj Mullick, K C Dey, and Pahari Sanyal. With his brilliant singing and popularity K.L. Saigal  thus became India's First Superstar!

K.L. Saigal became a sensation with his hit song Ek Bangla Bane Nyara……….

After Devdas, Saigal had a lucrative association with New Theatres and gave some super hit films that were made in bilingual (Bengali and Hindi) like Didi (Bengali), President (Hindi) in 1937. The song from this film Ek Bangla Bane Nyara………. became a national craze. Other songs that made Saigal a star were Duniya Rang Rangilee Baba …..(Dharti Mata in1938), Babul mora Naihar Chhooto Jaye ….(Street Singer in 1938), Karoon kya aas niraas bhaye ……….(Dushman in 1939 ), Soja rajkumari ………..(Zindagi in 1940)

1940

K.L. Saigal gave several biggest blockbusters in Bollywood

After ruling Kolkata, in the early '40s, K.L. Saigal moved to Mumbai, the heart of Indian Cinema. Bollywood welcomed Saigal with a red carpet and Saigal lived up to the expectation of the film producers. He gave some of the biggest blockbusters of the Indian cinema. Filmmakers made music-based films to brilliantly exploit Saigal's melodious Films like Bhakt Surdas had hit bhajans like Madhukar Shyam Hamare Chor….Film Tansen had the hit song Diya Jalao Jagmag Jagmag….Meri Behan had two hit songs Do naina matware … and Chupo na …. 

Music Mastero Naushad made Saigal immortal with his hit song Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya.

The great music composer Naushad before making Mohd Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar star playback singers had played a lion's share in making Saigal immortal by composing the timeless song Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya…. (Shahjehan -1946). 

Its reported Saigal tended to record his songs only after consuming liquor for he believed without liquor he couldn't sing. However, Naushad proved him it was just his myth as he convinced him to sing a song without liquor. But Saigal refused!!  Thus Naushad requested Saigal to sing the song twice – once without consuming alcohol and later after consuming alcohol. Saigal agreed.

When both the versions were recorded, Naushad, played the two versions in front of Saigal and asked him to select the Best version for the film. Incidentally, Saigal selected the version that he had sung without consuming alcohol!!  Saigal was so overwhelmed that he recorded all the other songs of the movie without consuming a single drop of liquor. Even today the film's songs Mere Sapnon Ki Rani, Ae Dil-e-Bekaraar Jhoom, Jab Dil hi Toot Gaya .. are timeless gems.

K.L. Saigal passed away at the age of 42 years!

On 18th January 1947, at around 7.55 in the morning, Saigal breathed his last due to liver cirrhosis. Alcohol had ruined him and at the young age of 42 years, Saigal bid adieu. Few know that Saigal was so impressed by Naushad's song ‘Jab dil hi toot gaya' ………that in his will he had instructed the song to be played on his way to the funeral and so was it done.