Kundan Lal, Saigal
R. D. Qureshi, Uttara, Dhaka
Under the heading 'ALL-TIME GREATS', the 'Cultural Correspondent' wrote in The Daily Star of July 21, 2004, "KL Saigal, a legend in his lifetime". Unfortunately his full name was mis-printed inside the write-up. Also, he deserved a better picture of his achievements which raised him to the position of a legend in his lifetime. Saigal not only sang classical and popular Urdu and Hindi songs and played leading roles in famous Urdu/Hindi motion pictures like Tansen, Bhakta Surdas, Shahjahan, Devdas, Chandidas, Zindegi etc. but also played leading roles in Bangla films like 'Porichoi' (with Kanan Devi) 'Jibon Moron' (with Lila Desai) etc. His famous Bangla songs include 'Ami Tumai Joto Shuniechhilem Gaan' (Tagore's), 'Golap Hoye Uthuk Fute Tomar Ranga Kopol Khani', 'Ekhoni Uhtibe Chand Adho Alo Adho Chhayate', and 'Naiba Ghumale Prio Rojoni Ekhono Baki'. Incidentally, I have a desparate longing to know who wrote the last three Bangla songs mentioned above (I shall be grateful if someone who knows lets me know). I heard the last two songs about sixty years back in a 78 RPM Gramophone record. I have got these four songs now recorded in a CD together with some of his Hindi/Urdu master pieces. I may mention here that upto the days of partition of India in 1947, brochures on almost all films, Hindi, Urdu or Bangla, shown in a cinema hall for the first time were available at the hall at a very cheap price, starting with one Anna (one sixteenth of a Rupee) and rising up to four Annas in the later years. I had in my collection 19 of such brochures including one on 'Pukar' (first shown at Sylhet on April 27, 1940). I donated all these to Bangladesh Film Archive in January, 1995(retaining photocopies). Interestingly, brochures on Hindi/Urdu films included a brief story, invariably including the songs, in three languages : Hindi, Urdu and Bangla and also a synopsis in English.
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