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From: surinder@eng.umd.edu (Surinder P. Singh)
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.misc
Subject: K.L. SEHGAL
Date: 26 Aug 1994 16:31:23 GMT
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Originator: surinder@state.eng.umd.edu


Inspired by some friends on rmim who have expressed concern
at the degeneration of rmim (and rightly so in my opinion), 
i thought i will express my opinions about Svargiye Kundan
Lal Sehgal. 

KL Sehgal was from his very childhood very interested in 
music. and had a very good voice to go with his talent. 
He went to Calcutta to try his luck in films (which was the
center at that time for the film industry). He was a salesman 
of Remington typewriters to make ends meet. He sang many
bengali songs there too. (I have tried to obtain his bengali 
songs without any success). He then came to Bombay and became 
very famous. Since in those days actors had to sing their own 
songs he started acting in films too. e.g. Devdas, my sister, 
tansen etc. ... He was a tall and good looking guy and was a 
superstar. Youth of those days used to climb trees and bring 
their hair to their forehead and and used to sing, "Babul mora
naihar chhooto na jaye ...". 

He was a cult hero and defined indian film music for a long time.
It is well known that many singers when they entered film industry
tried to ape his voice (which was very deep, emotional, and 
slightly nasal). Mukesh's earlier songs can sometimes be mistaken 
for Sehgal's. of others who have attempted to copy him are
C.H. Atma, Pankaj Mallick, Kishore Kumar (in his earlier songs), 
Surendra, Ashok Kumar.  Surendra (my name sake) was brought from 
Lahore to Bombay as a copy of Sehgal. He was also a good looking 
actor who could sing. But he was no match for KL Sehgal. Some 
of his better known movies are Anokhi Ada, Anmol Ghari. These 
films are from 1946 or so. Naushad Sahab was the composer for 
them and these movies did very well. (One song which i am sure 
most people will recall from Anmol Ghari is with Noorjahan,
"Awaaz dey kahaan hai, duniya meri jawaan hai ..."). 
Most great singers have often expressed their deep appreciation
for Sehgal. Lata in her shardhanjali does so. Talat Mahmood in a
TV interview i recall said that Sehgal was the best ghazal singer 
he has ever known ... King of Ghazals. Kishore Kumars son (his name 
escapes me) once said to KK that he didn't quite think much of Sehgal`s 
singing, so KK gave him a Sehgal song and asked him to
meet him after a few days 
and sing it. He then recognized his dad's idol. 

Sehgal was known to be a very modest man. Lived very simply and was 
very unassuming. Whenever people used to tell him that this particular 
song he sang very well, he used to say (in punjabi), "Chhadd yaar, 
gana hee gaya hai koi sher taa nahi marya ..". (come on, yaar, 
i've just sung a song, i haven`t killed a lion).  For reasons i do 
not know he took to drinking. Probably some friends of his had said 
that his voice and the `sooz' in his voice comes out better by drinking.
so he used to drink and then only sing his songs. 
I remember a radio program by Naushad sahab, he narrated an incident 
about Sehgal. He was trying to record Sehgal's song "Jab dil hee toot 
gaya, hum jee key kya karengey ...". Many takes were taken and Sehgal 
was getting more and more drunk. In the end when he sat down to listen 
to the recordings the best was when he had sung without drinking. 
So next day he played the recording for Sehgal. Sehgal didn't beleive 
that the not drunk version was the best, he said, "Naushad isme to aapka
koi kamaal hai." But when Naushad emphasized the fact, Sehgal became sad
and said, "Kaash aapney mujhey pahaley bataaya  hota, ab bahut der ho
chuki hai". (i wish you had told me earlier, i wouldn't have taken to 
drinking; now it is too late)

I don't much about his dying circimstances and whether he died a pauper.
(but definitely alchohol contributed to hi death). 
In his last days he was very ill and used to push himself to go for 
recordings. 
He has left us with some of the best ghazals (especially of ghalib), 
songs etc. His voice was deep and intense with emotions. No wonder they
used call the "Golden Voice of Kundan Lal Sehgal".  
(e.g. The most heart rending song i have ever heard is KL Sehgal's 
"Dukh key ab din beetat naahin ..." ...). 


-SURINDER