A unique voice and singing style that could not possibly be emulated, and an acting prowess that complemented the gifted throat, earned Kundan Lal Saigal a distinct place in the annals of Indian cinema. A bi-lingual actor, he commenced his cinematic sojourn with New Theatres, and touched the zenith with Devdas in 1935, that was to become an all-time classic. With each successive venture – President, Dharti Mata, Street Singer, Zindagi, Bhakt Surdas, Tansen, Shahjahan, et al – he kept soaring to reach the zenith. With the release of his maiden Bengali film, Didi, he captured the hearts of Bengal’s cognoscenti. And his songs in Bangla received approbation of the Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore: “Ki shundar gala tomar! Aage jaane le katayi na anand petam.”No non-Bengali singer had been conferred such praise before or after Saigal.

Here was an artiste, nonpareil, in past or future, as he became a legend in his lifetime. His

With five decades dedicated to the electronic media, the 1946-born Sharad Dutt is a famed, versatile producer. A former Deputy Director General of Doordarshan, his contribution to the Public Service Broadcaster has been phenomenal, indeed. Among his foremost notable productions are his sixty-five documentaries on the Indian Armed Forces, besides the World of Nature, that was anchored by writer-journalist Khushwant Singh.

Dutt is also credited with bringing Indian literature and litterateurs on the small screen and introducing the universe of books to common viewers. Being a cinephile, Dutt ensured that celluloid celebs appeared on television, and he also documented the celebrated stars, which was an innovative move in docu-features.

A man of letters, his biography of music maestro Anil Biswas, RituAaye Ritu Jaaye,
was conferred the National Award (Swarna Kamal 2003) for best book on Indian cinema, and it was an encore for his biography,Kundantoo, winning the National Award (Swarna Kamal 2005). He has co-edited five volumes of the selected works of Saadat Hasan Manto, Dastavez, with Balraj Manra; been on the jury of National Film Awards;and also been a member of the Governing Council of Lalit Kala Akademi and Sahitya Akademi Committee for documentaries on literarylegends.