January 2011

Hailed as shahenshah-e-mausiqi (emperor of music) and acclaimed as the ghazal king, K.L. Saigal became a legend in his own lifetime. His music continues to delight music lovers the world over, and his melodies are now a part of our musical heritage. The first ever singer–superstar of Indian cinema is also now a subject of study by several scholars.

The author presents multiple facets of K.L.Saigal—singer, actor, poet, composer and person—beginning with Puran Bhakat in 1933 up to his premature death at the age of forty-three. Interspersed with historic photographs, K.L. Saigal provides a fascinating portrayal of the phenomena that was Saigal.

I chose a gold foiled classical look for the cover evoking the retro look with the type matching to the kinds we used to have in LP record covers!