The lost legend

There's hardly any Punjabi on the face of the earth who hasnt grown up listening to his songs.

City’s Narinder Pal Singh’s biography on the legendary singer,Ustad Lal Chand Yamla Jatt makes it to the Spinning Wheel Festival

There’s hardly any Punjabi on the face of the earth who hasnt grown up listening to his songs. Even years after his death,his famous single stringed Toombi resonates in the brick lanes of Punjab,while fans world over remember him fondly by organising grand festivals and meets in his name. Yet,if one goes in search of the legendary Ustad Lal Chand Yamla Jatts legacy,all they get is a handful of dust and disappointment. The family of this National Award winner and recipient of the Sahitya Natak Academy now lives in ruins in Ludhiana…people used Yamla Jatt,ate up his money,never gave him any royalty,and today,his grandsons are working as labourers, citys independent filmmaker,Narinder Pal Singh who has shot a biography on the legend titled Ustad Lal Chand Yamla Jatt,paints a tragic picture,one thats riddled with neglect and ignorance.

Ustad Lal Chand Yamla Jatt,a renowned Punjabi folk-singer was born in village Tobha Tek Singh,now in Pakistan,in 1906,and it was he who invented the famous single stringed instrument,the Toombi. He died on December 20,1991 at his dera in Ludhiana where his family now resides, it was out of sheer curiosity and a desire to tell the story of one of Indian musics most respected singers that made Singh pick his camera and zoom in. The hour-long biography is in two parts,first which sees the rise of Yamla Jatt,and second,which narrates his fall, a veteran documentary filmmaker,Singhs work has been accepted at the prestigious Spinning Wheel Film Festival in Canada,and he has sent the same for Kara Film Festival in Pakistan. While the former will be held from September 25 to 27,the latters scheduled for December.

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The biography,which was wrapped in about six months,has Yamla Jatts son,Jasdev Singh essaying the role of his father. Weve also used footage from the archives,put in his songs,history et al, tells Singh as he mentions one of Yamla Jatts most famous songs,Whisky Di Botal. Interestingly,Singh also roped in 70 of Yamla Jatts disciples and people who performed with him. There was one female singer,Mahendri Sekhon,and his dholak player for 32 years,Om Prakash Pashi…they are both living on rent now, he narrates their sorry state.

While you can view his feature on youtube,you can also check out his other works including a childrens book and four on different plays. Ive made documentaries on Shaheed Bhagat Sigh,Udham Singh,Sobha Singh,Kartar Singh Sarabha,the Nihang Sikhs and Shaheed Sukhdev among others, he rewinds. But its Yamla Jatt for now,and the Spinning Wheel Festival.

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The lost legend

There's hardly any Punjabi on the face of the earth who hasnt grown up listening to his songs.

There's hardly any Punjabi on the face of the earth who hasnt grown up listening to his songs.