Gulzar

Biography:

Gulzar, born Sampooran Singh Kalra on August 18, 1934, is a distinguished Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director, renowned for his contributions to Hindi cinema. Often hailed as one of the finest Urdu poets of his time, Gulzar began his illustrious career as a lyricist for the 1963 film Bandini, collaborating with music director S.D. Burman. Over the years, he has worked with prominent music directors such as R.D. Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Vishal Bhardwaj, and A.R. Rahman.

In addition to his lyrical prowess, Gulzar has penned poetry, dialogues, and scripts. He directed critically acclaimed films like Aandhi and Mausam in the 1970s and helmed the TV series Mirza Ghalib in the 1980s, followed by Kirdaar in 1993.

Gulzar’s impressive accolades include five Indian National Film Awards, encompassing categories like Best Lyrics, Best Screenplay, Second Best Feature Film (director), and Best Popular Film (director). He has also won 22 Filmfare Awards, an Academy Award, and a Grammy Award. His literary and cinematic contributions have earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award in Hindi (2002), the Padma Bhushan (2004), and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2013). In 2024, he was honored with the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary accolade. Additionally, he served as the Chancellor of Assam University starting in April 2013.

Born in Dina, Jhelum District, British India (now Pakistan), Gulzar’s early education was influenced by the works of Tagore. The partition forced his family to relocate to Mumbai, where he took up various jobs to support them, including one at a garage where he painted cars. His father initially disapproved of his writing aspirations, but Gulzar persisted, adopting the pen name Gulzar Deenvi, later shortened to just Gulzar. Despite challenges, he found joy in painting, which afforded him time to read, write, attend college, and engage with the Progressive Writers Association.