Gulzar

Poet, script writer, lyricist, film director Gulzar Sahaab, aka Sampuran Singh, is one of the most versatile artists to leave his mark on cinema as well as literature. He is a winner of five National Awards and 17 Filmfare trophies besides the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Bhushan. As a lyricist, Gulzar is best known for his association with music directors Rahul Dev Burman, A. R. Rahman and Vishal Bhardwaj and has also worked with other leading Hindi cinema music directors including Sachin Dev Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Hemant Kumar, Madan Mohan, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Anu Malik. Gulzar Sahaab is one of the most respected and talented names in the Indian film Industry. He is well-known for making brilliantly sensitive portrayals of subjects ranging from human relations, biographical profiles and often controversial social issues. For his contributions to Indian cinema, Gulzar Sahaab was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2004, the third highest civilian award in India. His movies have won numerous awards at the National level including awards for best director and best lyrics. He also won the 2002 Sahitya Akademi Award for Dhuan (Urdu short stories). Gulzar Sahaab has developed a new style of writing poems called Triveni, which comprises stanzas of three lines rhyming with each other. His private album, Koi Baat Chale, with Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh has all the songs written in Triveni. One can get an insight into the life of Gulzar Sahaab though a book called ‘Because He Is’, a biography written by his daughter Meghna Gulzar.