Stage show to revive Saigal's memories

Stage show to revive Saigal's memories
Express News Service

In Mumbai where the high-decibel bhangra-rap mix of Baba Sehgal and Daler Mehndi have taken over the millennium celebrations, a quiet musical evening has been reserved for the first singer star of Indian cinema, K L Saigal.

On January 21, the Birla Matushree Sabhaghar will be witness to a musical tribute to K L Saigal who popularised Indian music by singing 200 songs in over 36 films in a career span of 15 years. Singers Chandru Atma and Sanjay Edwankar will bring Saigal's music alive during the three-hour stage show.

The stage show, organised by the K L Saigal Memorial Trust, is a fund-raising drive undertaken for the preservation and promotion of Saigal's music for the generations to come. The trust was formed a year ago by Saigal's fans with the lead taken by the Cine Society's Abdul Ali. Ali, a freedom fighter and labour leader, had often met Saigal. ``I am a diehard fan of Saigalsaab, which is why I have treasured his music. I formed the Cine Society in 1968 to screen Saigal's films. Although welater included his contemporaries, we started with screenings of Saigal's films alone,'' recalled Ali, who has done much archival work in the last 30 years to retrieve Saigal's old films, especially as the old reels had decomposed, affecting the sound track.

As Ali puts it, the Indian government has shown scant regard for preservation of Saigal's music despite several reminders to the Information and Broadcasting ministry. ``Leave aside preservation, All India Radio does not even play his songs, which are all-time favourites. I have often heard his tunes on BBC but not on AIR or Doordarshan,'' Ali said. He said Saigal's tunes like Hum Jee Ke Kya Karenge or Babul Mora Naihar Chhute Na Jai still evoke a popular response from fans all over India and as far as Kabul, Thailand and Canada.

Veteran music composer Naushad Ali, a trustee who is equally irked by the government's negligence toward Saigal's contribution, says the trust will hold similar functions in memory of Saigal every year. ``Peopleremember Saigal in New York but not in Mumbai. That's why we decided to hold this music show.''

In order to perpetuate Saigal's music, the trust plans to erect a museum which will exhibit rare photos, paintings and memorabilia, including the singers's awards, honours, musical instruments and items of daily use. It is currently collecting this material, along with films, stills, video/audio cassettes and paper clippings. Some items of the Saigal memorabilia, like his harmonium, are being brought from the New Delhi home of his daughter. Some of them will be displayed, along other rare artefacts, at the January 21 musical evening. The proposed museum will be located at Matunga in a building which was owned by Saigal.

Most of the memorabilia was recently retrieved from a bank locker by Abdul Ali in the presence of Saigal's children. Interestingly, the locker did not contain much cash, but had a gold cigarette case, medals, trophies, a diamond ring and original handwritten letters, private correspondence. AsSaigal's daughter Neena Merchant says, ``I am so happy these Saigal fans have come together to preserve his music. It was a difficult task to form the trust and get the necessary permissions. However, now that the formalities are over, people will get an inside look into Saigal's world.''