Best non-film songs of KL Saigal

A tribute on his death anniversary January 18

If you grew up in the radio era and had an ear for music, Saigal-song-a day was a daily ritual – Radio Ceylon would end their programme of old film songs with a Saigal song every morning at 7.57 AM. So by the time I reached college I had fully soaked in Saigal magic. Later when I came across my first Saigal LP, all its iconic songs from films like Devdas, Street Singer, Chandidas, President etc I knew by heart. Yet the song which kept me spellbound and moved me like never before was a non-film song Jhulna jhulao ri. Soon after a friend lent me a whole cassette of his non-film songs. Its anchor song Main baithi thi in two parts mesmerised me. One after the other a whole new world of non-film songs of Saigal opened before me, some of which sounded quite like his film-songs, some others were very different, but they seemed to reach where his film songs could not.

Later I came to know many of these songs were composed and written by him. Saigal was an immensely talented person beyond his acting and singing for which he had become a legend in his life time. Non-film songs gave him a further avenue of expression of his creative energy beyond the confines of a film scene. When I think of Saigal (as also of Pankaj Mullick), I cannot think of his best without including several of his non-film songs.

Saigal sang only 185 songs (142 in films, 43 non-films) out of which Hindi songs are only 147 (110 films and 37 non-films). Later singers sang in thousands, but he remains the pole star. He was the idol of everyone. Every great singer copied his style in the beginning. The pathos in his voice, sweetness, effortless singing of classical Ragas without any formal training make him an unparalleled genius.  (Sudhir Kapur/Atul have done great service to Saigal lovers by putting all his non-film songs on Atul’s site with lyrics, excellent write-ups and translation of several songs).

Here are my 10 favourite non-film songs of KL Saigal as my tribute on his death anniversary, January 18.

1. Jhulna jhulao ri

This is Saigal’s first recorded song in 1932. Thus it precedes all his known songs, yet I came across this song much later than his famous film songs. And I have become enchanted with this song, set in Raga Asavari, ever since. When he repeats नन्हीं नन्हीं बूंदनियां his voice sounds like powerful plucking of a string instrument like the sitar. Then his aakaar taan towards the end makes you feel it went on forever. Here is Saigal’s earliest song which is unmatched after 80 years.

2. Main baithi thi, lyrics KL Saigal, music KL Saigal

Saigal’s creative urge finds the fullest expression in this song which is not only sung by him, but also written and composed by him. The song is about twice the normal length of a song which reflects his unhurried creation. As a matter of fact, each word and each syllable is pronounced in a deliberate and stretched manner; e.g. when he sings Main baithi thi you imagine a lady sitting in a garden in a pensive mood, when her sakhi comes upon her and asks her what is bothering her. The final stanza gives the profound message that you have to close your external eyes, and look inside you where you would find the one you are seeking.

मैं बैठी थी फुलवारी में
एक सखी आ गयी और बोली
क्या सोच है तुमको बोलो तो, हूं बहन तुम्हारी मुंहबोली
कुछ कह ना सकी मुंह तकत रही, नैनों से चली अंसुवन टोली
चलते चलते वो ही बोल गयी
सखी कौन देस राजे पियरा

वो सुनते ही खामोश हुई और नैन भए बौरान सखी
मैं चाहा उसको चेत करूं था जाने उसको मान सखी
जब होश हुई तब कहने लगी यही था मुझको भी ध्यान सखी
और ये ही मैं कहनेवाली थी
कौन देस राजे पियरा
सखी कौन देस राजे पियरा

कुछ ना समझी क्या कहे सखी, बिन जाने ढूंढ़न चल निकली
जंगल उपवन त्रिभुवन ढूंढ़ा, पर कहीं ना उसकी टेर मिली
आखिर थककर मैं बैठ गई और लगी पूछने कहो कोई
सुंदर छवि जिसकी कहते हैं, वो कौन देस राजे पियरा
सखी कौन देस राजे पियरा

तब मन ने मीठी बात कही, क्यों तूने इतनी बात गढ़ी
घर बैठे ही पा सकती थी, मैं विधि बताऊं वो क्या थी
बाहर के नैना मूंद सखी और नैन हृदय के खोल सखी
अब अपने मुंह से बोल सखी
सखी कौन देस राजे पियरा

3. Suno suno hey Krishna kala

This classic Krishna bhajan belongs to the strand of Bhakti tradition in which the poet imagines himself as a female lover. You find similar form of expression in Sufi tradition, such as songs of Amir Khusro (मैं तो पिया से नैना लड़ा आई रे, आज रंग है etc). The female lover surrenders herself unquestioningly and demands nothing in return. But there are societal mores which cast aspersion on such love. This bhajan depicts the pain and dilemma of such love. Only Saigal could sing with such profound emotion with effortless ease.

सुनो सुनो हे कृष्ण काला
आई तुम्हरे द्वार सुनो मेरी पुकार अब सुन ले बंसीवाला
सुनो सुनो हे कृष्ण काला
तुम जानते हुए जो ना जानो नाथ, अब का से कहूं दुःख सारा
सुनो सुनो हे कृष्ण काला

मेरे पाँव तो हों और मैं आ ना सकूं, हूं अधीन मैं हे दीनानाथ
जो मैं छल से आऊं, कहूं जल ले आऊं तो लोग करें बदनाम
जैसी जो चाहे बात उड़ाए, बात उड़ाए जैसी जो चाहे बात उड़ाए
कहे राधा जी मोहे कलंकिनी
राधा जी मोहे कलंकिनी तोसे चोरी जो मिलने आऊं
जैसी जो चाहे बात उड़ाए
मैं तो बोल सकूं मुंह ना खोल सकूं प्रभु जब ही तो अबला नाम
मोरा जीवन जाए ना दरस दिखाए, ना दिखाए दरस घनश्याम
ना दिखाए दरस, मोपे देखो सखी नाही खाये तरस
मोरे मन की रही मन में हाय
हाय मोरे नैनन ने देखा नहीं अभी श्याम

अबला का दुःख हे दीनानाथ मन का रहे है मन में
चण्डीदास कहे सखी हे
चण्डीदास कहे जिस तन लगे वही तन ये दुखड़ा जाने
वही तन ये दुखड़ा जाने

4. Hori ho Brajraj dulare

I have heard several Holi songs in the light classical Kafi Raga. In the folk tradition, Holi songs border on frivolity and stretch the boundaries of decency. Saigal lifts it to a higher plane and conveys a profound feeling of bliss while sticking to the purity of Kafi.

5. Jin jao ri gori paniya bharan

Saigal has sung a couple of more Holi’s in Kafi. Kafi is relegated to light classical genre and you do not normally hear it in classical concerts. Nevertheless for a lay listener it is an extremely delightful Raga. This is a traditional composition advising the gori (or gopi) not to go to the well for filling her pitcher because naughty Krishna would drench her in colours. Again Saigal gives his own interpretation to this Kafi and sings in a somewhat sombre style which creates a very profound impact.

6. Kaun bujhave tapat more man ki

This is Saigal’s forte – conveying deep pathos with his heavenly voice. You are reminded of Tadpat beete din rain from the film Chandidas.

7. Panchhi kahe hot udas, lyrics Kidar Sharma, music Pankaj Mullick

Saigal again at his best at pathos.

8. Duniya mein hun duniya ka talabgaar nahi hun, lyrics Seemab Akbarabadi, music KL Saigal

Saigal was the original ghazal king. Later stalwarts like Talat Mahmood, Mehadi Hasan have acknowledged their inspiration from him. When he sings ghazals you get an entirely different feeling from his classical or semi-classical songs an bhajans. A blasé detachment from this world in which the poet admits he lives, but proclaims he does not seek anything from it; and further he is passing by the bazaar but does not care for its goodies – this feeling is beautifully expressed by Saigal. Different sites mention variously Akbar Alahabadi and Seemab Akbarabadi as its lyricist. Saigal’s official website mentions the former as its lyricist. But confirmation from various authentic sources indicate the lyricist is Seemab Akbarabadi (Please see the string of comments at the end of the post).

9. Phir mujhe deed-e-tar yaad aya, lyrics Ghalib

Saigal almost worshipped Ghalib, and this shows in his loving rendition of his ghazals both in films and non-films. Readers would be more familiar with Talat Mahmood’s later rendition in the film Mirza Ghalib (1954). But the original Saigal version is a class apart.

10. Layi hayat aye kaza le chali chale, lyrics Zauq

Zauq was a contemporary of Ghalib and another great Urdu poet of the earliest era. This ghazal has such profound poetry – Life brought me here, death will take me away and I would leave.  I neither came of my free will nor I would leave on my will. Saigal gives perfect expression to the underlying philosophy and emotions.

Tagged as: My favourite songs, Non-film songs