By M Syed Alam on K. L. Saigal

“Even I used to make fun of Saigal when I was younger, saying naak mein gaata hai (he sings through his nose) because I didn't know better.”

“I was told when he died he was listening to Jab Dil Hi Toot Gaya, which I thought was far-fetched, because Saigal never liked his film songs, just his Ghalib compositions. But it was dramatic, so we used it. So imagine my surprise, when after a show in Delhi, a lady came up to me and said she was the niece, Durgesh, seen in that death scene, and her uncle had indeed listened to that song on his deathbed.”