The Genius Behind Bollywood's Beautiful Words

As a uniquely multi-hyphenated writer-director-lyricist-author, Gulzar has built a reputation across multiple spheres of film-making and literary creative endeavours.
Dinesh Raheja salutes the Master who turns 90 on Sunday.

A national treasure, Gulzar celebrates his 90th birthday on August 18 but as he himself would put it: Kaali Badri Jawani Ki Chatati Nahin, Dil Toh Achha Hai Ji.

His mind is still creatively fertile.

Gulzar's recently penned patriotic song Badhte Chalo from Sam Bahadur (2023) gets rotational airplay on Independence Day and the renowned wordsmith continues to have a clutch of upcoming assignments in hand.

Remaining relevant in your seventh decade in films is a rare achievement but then Gulzar's life and times have been studded with unusual milestones.

He has won a staggering 22 Filmfare awards and was also awarded the Jnanpith, India's highest award for literature in 2024. Instantly recognisable in his impeccable white kurta-pyjama, he is one of our foremost cultural icons.

As a uniquely multi-hyphenated writer-director-lyricist-author, Gulzar has built a reputation across multiple spheres of film-making and literary creative endeavours.

Gulzar first scaled creative heights as a screenplay writer with Guddi (1971) and Anand (1971). He had a flair for penning incisive dialogue.

Rajesh Khanna's delivery of Gulzar's line from Anand: 'Babu Moshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin' has been immortalised by innumerable reiterations.

When Gulzar moved on to film direction in the 1970s, he helmed several classics as varied as Koshish (on the lives and dreams of the differently abled), Aandhi (on the pull exerted by the road not taken, the alternate life not led) and Angoor (a merry mix up of mistaken identities). He has also penned highly regarded novels and poetry collections.

But arguably, Gulzar is most beloved for his numerous song lyrics crafted over 65 years; a treasure trove which speak of his deep humanity and sensitivity. Like the great Hindi film lyricists before him, Gulzar continued the tradition of treating song writing as an art.

In songs such as Aye Zindagi Gale Laga Le or Dil Dhoondta Hai, Gulzar's lyrics give expression to the nuances in our emotions which we are ourselves barely aware of, till we magically recognise them in Gulzar's words.

This sensitivity was integral to Gulzar's mental make-up right from his childhood.

Born Sampooran Singh Kalra in pre-Independence Punjab, he lost his mother at the age of one and this affected him deeply.

Reading the great litterateurs like Tagore was a passion and as he grew up, he began pouring out his feelings on paper.

The Partition of the country brought his family to India and Gulzar had to work odd jobs at a motor garage. But he did not give up on his creative pursuits.

As part of the Progressive Writers Association, he came in touch with renowned personalities like Lyricist Shailendra and Director Bimal Roy.

This led to Gulzar breaking through as a lyricist with such feelingly written songs as the deeply philosophical Ganga Aaye Kahan Se (from the Roy-produced Kabuliwala, 1961) and the romantic Mora Gora Ang Laile (in the Roy-directed Bandini, 1963) which is flush with imagery and had his favourite muse, the moon, as a motif.

He conceived the song while staring at the moon.

Gulzar was, however, not an instant success.

The lyricists of the golden age of Hindi film music were well established and only the occasional opportunity to write a song came Gulzar's way.

As the decade grew older, he worked as an assistant with Bimal Roy and then became a dialogue writer, most notably with Hrishikesh Mukherji's Aashirwad (1968). He moved on to scripting and writing the dialogue for Mukherji's twin 1971 triumphs, Anand and Guddi before becoming a director himself the next year.

Gulzar fashioned his own experimental directorial style, adjacent to the commercial film format, and festooned with memorable songs.

He directed his first film Mere Apne (1972), with the support of his close friend, Meena Kumari, who played the silver-haired Nanimaa, the beating heart of the film about two warring street gangs.

Koshish (1972) with Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri playing a deaf mute couple garnered National Awards for both Gulzar and Sanjeev Kumar, and Gulzar's star was rapidly on the rise.

Stars like Jeetendra (Parichay, Khushboo, Kinara) and Hema Malini (Khushboo, Kinara, Meera) now turned to his directorial ventures to gain histrionic validation.

In the midst of this directorially rewarding phase, Gulzar married popular film actress Raakhee in 1973 and fathered his daughter, Meghna. His marriage proved short-lived but Gulzar threw himself into his work and ignited a successful streak of classic films.

The auteur built on his acclaimed body of work with three films circa 1975: Aandhi, Khushboo and Mausam.

Each of these films featured Gulzar's fascination for characters watching life slip by, while waiting for their particular form of fulfilment.

Gulzar repeatedly employed the cinematic device of flashback as a narrative technique in Khushboo, Aandhi, Mausam, Achanak and Lekin but never allowed the complexities of life to be reduced to a formula.

His cinema tapped different genres, whether it was the rollicking comedy Angoor (1982) or the drama Maachis (1996), but his films were primarily psychologically adept examination of human relationships.

He could also be wickedly satirical.

In Guddi, Hindi film fangirl Jaya Bhaduri declares, 'Yeh shaadi nahin ho sakti. Mujhe majboor mat karo.'

And in Angoor, Sanjeev asks his double if he has a birthmark on his right shoulder.

'Nahin? Toh phir hum dono bhai huye.'

Even in his busiest phase in the 1970s, Gulzar continued to pen songs for other film-makers.

In the new millennium, after he hung up his boots as a director, he has emerged as an enormously successful lyricist. Gulzar's name on a soundtrack is recognised as a stamp of quality music.

Gulzar's poetry cover a wide spectrum.

It can be insightful (Tujhse Naaraaz Nahin Zindagi) or saucy (Kajra Re; Beedi Jalaile).

But there are certain familiar and much loved aspects to his lyrics. For instance, there are those characteristic flights of fancy (Jab Taare Zameen Par Chalte Hain, Bolo Dekha Hai Kabhi Mujhe Udte Huey, Chhaon Chham Ke Neeche Kudi Haske Boli Aaiye) and imaginative metaphors (Raat Ka Ghunghat Utrega, Dil Khali Khali Bartan Hai, Ik Chand Ke Takiye Tale).

Romantic lyrics by Gulzar are redolent with the awakening of all the senses (Geela Paani) but in particular, the evocative sense of smell (In Aankhen Ki Mehakti Khushboo, Aap Ki Aankhon Mein Kuch Mehke Huey Se Raaz Hai, Gili Mehndi Ki Khushboo, Woh Yaar Hai Jo Khushboo Ki Tarah).

And there are his favourite poetic leitmotifs: Time, tears, the moon, clouds, rains.

A delicate word like lamhe lights up different songs: Ik Baar Waqt Se Lamha Gira Kahin, Aankhen Mein Bheege Bheege Se Lamhe Liye Huey, Yeh Lamha Filhaal Jee Lene De.

One can tweak a famous song of Gulzar's for his signature: Mere Alfaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai.