Source : The Tribune
Google celebrates birth anniversary of KL Saigal with a doodle
Google is celebrating the 114th birth anniversary of legendary singer-actor KL Saigal with a doodle. Considered the first superstar of Indian cinema, Kundan Lal Saigal is known to have recorded 185 songs as well acting in 36 films in his career, which spanned 15 years.
His musical journey began in 1930 when he joined New Theatres Calcutta and started working with the studio for a salary of Rs 200 per month. He gave his voice to the melodies such as Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya, Bangla Bane Nyara, Hum Apna Unhe Bana Na Sake, Do Naina Matwale Tihare, Main Kya Janoon Kya Jadu and Babul Mora among others.
His first film was the 1932 Urdu film Mohabbat Ke Ansu and he followed it up with two more movies the same year, Zinda Lash and Subah Ka Sitara. He tasted success with Yahudi ki Ladki, a costume epic-based on Aga Hashr Kashmiri’s famous play Misar Kumari.
He further catapulted his position as an actor with films such as Chandidas and Pramathesh Barua’s Devdas. In 1941, he shifted his base to Bombay, where he acted and sang in films including Bhakt Surdas (1942) and Tansen (1943). His last on-screen outing before his death was Parwana in 1947.
On Twitter, veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar remembered listening to Saigal’s songs. “All three of us — me, Kishore da and Mukesh bhaiya were devotees of Saigal sahab,” she said.
