
K.L. Saigal
Acting
Biography
Kundanlal Saigal, often abbreviated as K. L. Saigal, was an Indian singer and actor who is considered the first superstar of the Hindi film industry, which was centred in Kolkata during Saigal's time, but is currently centred in Mumbai. Saigal's unique voice quality which was a mixture of baritone and soft tenor was the benchmark for most of the singers who followed him. In fact it remains the gold standard even today shining through a very early and practically primitive recording technology.
Known For

A railway employee, Kalicharan, would like Usha, the Station Master of Rangpur Railway Station's daughter, to get married to Niranjan, the DTS of Indian Railways, but Usha has fallen in love with Arun, a Guard with the Railway, wants to marry him, and refuses to marry Niranjan, who is twice as old as her and a widower as well.
Station Master

Shahjehan (a raw Rehman in one of his first releases) is approached by a Rajput chieftain, Jwala Singh, narrating the plight of his foster daughter, Ruhi (Ragini), who is blessed with unheard of beauty. This gives rise to an army of suitors, who indulge in violence to prevent her from getting married by scaring her to-be grooms. Her beauty, confined to four walls of Jwala's haveli becomes part of folklore, and street gossip, through the poetry of Sohail (Saigal) who accidentally catches her glimpse, and falls in love with her.
Shahjehan

The legend of Prince Puran, born under King Silwan of Sialkot's curse which binds his parents never to set eyes on him until he is 16. Accused of leading a debauched life by an evil general and by the king's second wife, Puran is sentenced to death. Rescued by the mystic Gorakhnath, he becomes an ascetic. When the king is overthrown, Purna rises from his meditations to depose the general who has seized power, before returning to his life of renunciation.
The Devoted

Devdas, the son of a zamindar, and Parvati, his neighbour's daughter, are childhood sweethearts. However, class and caste differences prevent their marriage. Devdas is sent off to Calcutta, while Paro is married off to an aged rich widower. In Calcutta, as remorse drives him to alcohol, Devdas meets Chandramukhi, a prostitute. All Indian prints of this Bengali version were destroyed in a fire that ravaged New Theatre’s studios. Today, only one copy of the film survives which belongs to the Bangladesh Film Archives. Of that copy almost forty percent is destroyed.
Devdas
Inder is from a well-educated family but spends his life to help people in need which causes many misunderstandings
Parwana

A man's birth is foretold by an astrologer: he will follow a prostitute, wield a knife, and face the gallows. These prophecies come true in unexpected ways, as he finds salvation through a sacrificing prostitute, becomes a surgeon, and battles personal demons, all while grappling with destiny.
Tadbir

Devdas, the son of a zamindar, and Parvati, his neighbour's daughter, are childhood sweethearts. However, class and caste differences prevent their marriage. Devdas is sent off to Calcutta, while Paro is married off to an aged rich widower. In Calcutta, as remorse drives him to alcohol, Devdas meets Chandramukhi, a tawaif.
Devdas

Mansoor, a feared bandit who falls for Husn Pari, the sister of a tyrannical caliph. After taking shelter with a merchant, he’s pursued by the merchant’s daughter Meher. Torn between love and guilt, Mansoor faces betrayal, loss, and a final choice between his past and redemption.
Daku Mansoor

For the first time in Indian cinema, flashback was used for storytelling.
Roop Lekha

The story revolves around the 15th century poet-saint Chandidas who acts out against the deep-rooted bigotry against caste, untouchability and the hypocrisy of society, as he falls in love with a washer woman.
Chandidas
A famous Saigal musical narrating a strange love story set against 1930s industrialization and worker-management relations. The 16-year-old Prabhavati inherits a mill and turns it into an extremely profitable enterprise. Prakash is a worker who designs a more efficient machine for the factory for which he first gets sacked and then is re-employed. He falls in love with Prabhavati's sister Sheila, who later makes way for Prabhavati who is also in love with Prakash. Her withdrawal distresses Prakash, causing him to bully the workers who then go on strike.
Didi

This costume drama, adapted from Agha Hashar Kashmiri's classic Urdu play, unfolds a tale of rivalry, revenge, and love set against the backdrop of Roman persecution of Jews. The story centers on the Jewish merchant Prince Ezra, whose young son is tragically lost due to the cruel Roman Priest Brutus. In an act of vengeance, Ezra's slave kidnaps Brutus's infant daughter, Decia, bringing her to Ezra. Unable to harm her, Ezra raises Decia as his own, renaming her Hannah. Years later, Hannah falls in love with Marcus, a Roman prince (played by K. L. Saigal), leading to a complex web of mistaken identities, betrayal, and a dramatic confrontation that exposes the intertwined fates of both families and challenges notions of religion and lineage.
Yahudi Ki Ladki

Renowned, talent singer Tansen is settled in a small village. He has a lover whom he loves madly namely Tani. His singing talent pampers everyone in his village namely the animals, the Maharaja's and other living organisms.
Tansen

Set against the backdrop of WW II in Calcutta, "Meri Bahen" is the story of a schoolteacher and his young sister. The film followed his rise to fame as a singer and the changes in his relationships following a bomb-raid.
My Sister

Badi Bahen aka President is a 1937 Hindi social romantic drama film (the Bengali version was called Didi and starred several different actors). The story according to the credit roll of the film is "A tale of love and greater love" developed on an idea by M. M. Begg. It was a love triangle with a social content that highlighted the conditions of the mill workers. It was also the first film to show a liberated educated woman managing her own factory
President

Two street urchins dream of singing and making it big in the glamorous world of theatre in Calcutta.
Street Singer

Two friends, a singer and a wrestler-in-training, fall for two sisters while navigating job hunts and comical living arrangements in the city.
Bhanwara

A combination of the epic story of the Mahabharata with contemporary social issues. It starts with a focus on a new social order, featuring three social workers, including Suvarnarekha, dedicated to eliminating idleness. The main narrative then unfolds by incorporating well-known mythological events like the Draupadi Swayamvar and the Sabha (Court) incident, progressing toward the Kurukshetra war. Throughout the film, these epic sequences are mixed with modern "social sequences" and philosophical lessons from the Bhagavad Gita in an attempt to address and provide solutions for national problems.
Kurukshetra

Surdas, a blind poet, embarks on a spiritual journey. He transforms into a revered saint, dedicating his life to crafting devotional poetry for Lord Krishna.
Bhakta Surdas

Harish who's a poet who falls in love with Kusum, a singer he mentors. But Kusum sees him only as a guru and ends up marrying a wealthy admirer. Years later, misunderstandings resurface, leading to a bittersweet realization that love and respect don’t always mean the same thing.