India's first superstar came from noble family, battled addiction, sold typewriters, died at his peak suddenly when...

When we use the word superstar, the image of Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, or Rajinikanth come to mind. These are, after all, among the biggest superstars from Indian cinema. But decades before these heroes were even born, there was an actor, who had first come to define the word in the Indian context. In pre-independence India, the films and songs of Kundan Lal Saigal were all the rage, making the man Indian cinema’s first superstar

The rise of KL Saigal, India’s first superstar

Saigal, known popularly as KL, was born to Amarchand Saigal, a tehsildar in the court of Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir. KL was brought up in Jammu where his mother Kesarbai introduced him to classical music, taking him to bhajans, kirtans, and shabad recitals. Saigal dropped out of school in his teens to work as a railway timekeeper before working as a typewriter salesman. During his travels in his new job, he became friends with Mehrchand Jain, who encouraged Saigal’s singing talents. In the 1930s, when he was in his late 20s, Saigal moved to Calcutta and began working for New Theatres for a salary of Rs 200 per month. In 1932, his first songs were released and the same year, he made his film debut with Mohabbat Ke Aansu

When KL Saigal ruled Bollywood

Till 1932, Saigal was using the screen name Saigal Kashmiri but his first three films tanked at the box office. In 1933, he began using his real name – KL Saigal – and with that change, first tasted success with the film Yahudi Ki Ladki. The same year, his songs for the film Puran Bhagat created a rage nationwide. In 1935, he starred in his biggest hit, playing the role that would define his career – Devdas. Through the 30s, Saigal continued to act in Hindi films and did a few Bengali films as well, having learnt the language.

In 1941, Saigal moved to Bombay and acted in a number of blockbusters such as Bhakta Surdas and Tansen. By now, other young actors like Ashok Kumar and Karan Dewan had begun to challenge his throne and Saigal found refuge in alcohol. By the mid-1940s, it was said that Saigal could not sing a note unless he was drunk. He was constantly spotted in drunken stupour on sets too. However, his films continued to work despite this.

KL Saigal’s sudden death

By 1947, Saigal’s alcoholism had become so advanced that abstinence could kill him. In January, he went to his ancestral city of Jalandhar, where he fell ill and died suddenly on January 18. He was 42. In his 15-year-long career, Saigal had starred in 36 movies and sung over 180 songs. Through the 1930s and 40s, he had been the biggest name in the Indian entertainment industry, inspiring people like Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, Ashok Kumar, and many more. Later in 1947, Saigal’s final film – Parwana – was released posthumously. It was a huge hit, stamping his legacy on the history of Indian cinema.