K. L. Saigal Quotes (1904-1947)

“Think of K.L. Saigal and a form emerges. Recall the voice, his distinctive personality and slowly, mysteriously, you can hear the inimitable "Nain heen ko raah dikha prabhu, pug pug thokar khaoon main" (show the way to the blind oh Lord, I stumble helplessly), combining both corporeality and spirituality.”

“Saigal was a born singer with a perfectly tuned voice and his seemingly effortless talent was the result of a deep, meditative training style nurtured not by any gharana but by intense riyaz and mad passion for the ‘inner world’.”

“Even if the childlike, ignorant and careless Saigal committed any blunder, it was hard to get irritated with him. Often it happened that the set was ready…But he would not been seen anywhere. Weary and tired of waiting for him, everybody would prepare for “pack-up’, Suddenly someone would inform us that he had been singing songs at the tune of broken harmonium in a small room at the farthest end, forgetting the world around. After coming so late he would try to make light of the situation by his innocent antics so that no one could ever get angry with him.”