Today’s Google Doodle is dedicated to the 114th birth anniversary of KL Saigal aka Jundal Lal Saigal, India’s legendary maestro whose songs are still considered to be epic. The doodle shows the singer singing against the backdrop of Kolkata where the Bollywood industry was based initially.
KL Saigal emerged as the first superstar of India and was a renowned actor as well. He was an inspiration even for the legendary singers like Kishore Kumar, Mohammad Rafi, and Mukesh. His unique style of singing and the ability to emote heartbreak through his voice is considered to be unparallel.
Born in the year 1904 in Jammu, Saigal got his big break in 1932 when he got the offer to be cast in three films by a studio named New Theatres. In 1933, he got the opportunity to lend his voice to the songs of a film titled ‘Puran Bhagat’ that became quite popular.
From that time onwards, the studio made numerous hits with Saigal as the lead actor and singer. In a career spanning 15 years, he appeared in 36 films in 3 languages and sang 185 songs. Unfortunately, at the later stage of his career, his dependence on alcohol affected his work as well as health followed by which he died at the early age of 42.
Some of the popular films of Saigal include My Sister, Chandidas, Shahjehan, Zindagi, Bhakt Surdas, and Tansen, among others. His hit songs include Ek Bangla Bane Nyara, Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya, Tu Aa Gayi Dil Ki Tamanna Jag Gayi, etc.
Interestingly, Saigal never had a professional training in vocals. He casually sang with people at a local shrine or religious ceremonies with his mother. However, when he got his big break, it was solely his hard work and talent that made him a superstar.
