Decades later, Gulzar's words continue to define how Indian cinema captures the human condition across generations.

The Master Of All Trades

Iss Mod Se Jaate Hain

                      Kuch Sust Kadam Raste

                                    Kuchh Tez Kadam Raahen…

Waah! Such beautiful words, many of you might have heard this song from the movie Aandhi. The rest of the song is also beautifully written with so many efficacies by the great Gulzar Sa’ab. Gulzar Sa’ab is a master of many such poems and shayaris.  A literary gem, his songs confides the feelings of the humans from the innocence of a kid to the loss of a loved one and ultimately the acceptance of death.

Sampooran Singh Kalra was the given birth name of Gulzar. He was born on 18 August 1934 in Dina, Punjab, British India. His family moved to India after the partition. He used the pen name Gulzar Deenvi when he a became a writer and later shortened it to Gulzar.

The Many Works Of Gulzar

 The Academy Award winner is a world-renowned Urdu poet, lyricist and film director, with a career spanning over 50 years and with fans from all ages groups. He started his career as a lyricist for the movie Bandini in 1963, with music director S.D. Burman, and later went on to work for many music directors and is still writing songs in present time, the latest ones being the songs from the movie Raazi. He received the Academy Award for the song “Jai Ho” which he shares with A.R. Rahman. He also directed many movies such as Aandhi, Mausam etc. and TV series such as Mirza Ghalib. Gulzar also wrote dialogues and scripts for many movies. He is a recipient of many awards such as Padma Bhushan (2004), the third-highest civilian award in India, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award — the highest award in Indian cinema. He has won several Indian National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards, one Academy Award and one Grammy Award.

Not many know this but before joining the industry he used to work in a car garage and he also had interest in painting. He used to write then also and took part in writing events. His passion for writing was not supported by his family members but he still took on the challenge and is now at the heights of the literary world with his songs, poems, shayaris, Ghazals and Nazms, catering to hearts of people of all ages.

He married the famous actress Raakhee and has a daughter Meghna Gulzar, who is also a director.

His Work As A Lyricist

Now let’s see few of his works as a lyricist and the way his songs connect to the many emotions of human beings…

 ….Tujhse Naaraaz  Nahiin Zindagi, Hairaan Hoon Main

Tere Masum Sawaalon Se Pareshaan Hoon Main….

  With this song from the movie Masoom, Gulzar sa’ab brings out the innocence of a child and the dilemma of a father.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbchuCfqBls

…Hum ko mann ki shakti dena, mann vijay karen

              Dusaron ki jay se pahale, khud ko jay karen…

I remember my school days when we used to sing this song on Independence Day, this song would make us clear our conscience and boost our spirit.

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…Naam gum jaayegaa, cheharaa ye badal jaayegaa

              meri aawaaz hee pehachaan hai, gar yaad rahe..

A song with a deep impact, the lyrics are brought to life by the melodious voice of Lata Mangeshgkar ji. You need to listen to this song to feel it.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFRAFHtU-PE

…Aanewala Pal Jaanewala Hai

             Ho Sake To Iss Mein Zindagi Bitaado

                                        Pal Jo Yeh Jaanewala hai…

These words are self-explanatory; it tells us to live life to fullest in the present moment, lest it passes away.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjvLyBgv6Hg

…Musafir hoon yaaron na ghar hai na tikhana

                      Mujhe chalte jaana hai bas chalte jaana…

For all the people struck with wanderlust, this song is for you.

His Work As A Poet:

We have seen some of the songs penned by him; now let us go through some of his Nazms (Poetry)-

• Pehle se kya likha tha–

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1KExtRZ2NI

          Pehle se Kya likha tha ?

   Ek veeran jazeere par

   Chattanon se utarte jab sooraj uroog ho

   Surkh sunahari saahilon pe tum milo mujhe.

          Aur is tarah phisal ke giro tum mere kareeb

   Jaise samundaron ne abhi laake pheka ho

   Ye Pehle se navishta tha ya ittafaq tha.

            Sooraj ke baad chaand nikalne ke waqfe mein

  Taare ki jabki maut soongti hai har taraf

  Tumko tha intezaar ki manzhar se mein hattoon

  To khud ko uss garajte samundar mein phenk do

  Shaayad kisike dard visarjan ko aayi thi.

       Aur main ke iss khayal se thehra raha waheen

Tum is kadar nahin fubesahara si lageen

Ye kauf tha ki tumko samandar na kheech le

 Us raat Chand bhi to bahut der se uttha.

          Aur tum kitaabe dard ke safon ko kholkar

 Mujhko sunnati bhi raheen aur phaadti raheen.

 Paani pe door door tak purze se bich Gaye hain.

           Rukhsat ke waqt haath milaate magar

 Karwat Badal raha tha koi dard seene mein

 Aasoon tumhaari aankhon mein phirse navishta the

 Aur itefaaq meri bhi aankhen chalak gayi

 Pehle se kya navishta hai kya ittefaaq hai

• Rooh dekhi hai Kabhi?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aweSrFtXp3U

Rooh dekhi hai kabhi?

Rooh ko mahsus kiya hai?

Jagte jiite hue doodhiya kohre se lipat kar

saans lete hue us kohre ko mahsus kiya hai?

Rooh dekhi hai kabhi?

Ya shikare mein kisi jheel pe jab raat basar ho

aur paani ke chhpakon mein baja karti hain tullian,

subkiyan leti hawaon ke bhi bain sune hain?

      Chaudhvin-raat ke barfab se ik chand ko jab

      dher se saaye pakadne ke liye bhagte hain

      tum ne sahil pe khade girje ki divar se lag kar

      apni gahnati hui kokh ko mahsus kiya hai?

            Rooh dekhi hai kabhi?

      Jism sau baar jale tab bhi vahi mitti hai

      rooh ik baar jalegi to vo kundan hogi

       rooh dekhi hai kabhi, rooh ko mahsus kiya hai?

Some Of His Shayaris:

Gulzar sa’ab is also famous for his Shayari, few of his shayaris are-

• Sabr har baar iḳhtiyaar kiya

                  ham se hota nahin hazar kiya

     adatan tum ne kar diye vaade

                   adatan ham ne aetibaar kiya

      ham ne aksar tumhari rahon mein

                   ruk kar apna hi intizaar kiya

      phir na maangenge zindagi ya-rab

                  ye gunah ham ne ek baar kiya.

• Shaam se aaj saans bhari hai

                   beqarari si beqarari hai

      aap ke baad har ghaddi ham ne

                    aap ke saath hi guzari hai

      raat ko de do chandani ki rida

                    din ki chaadar abhi utari hai

     shakh par koi qahqaha to khile

                   kaisi chup si chaman mein taari hai

     kal ka har waqia tumhara tha

                   aaj ki dastan hamari hai

And hundreds of such Nazms, Shayaris, Songs and Ghazals have been written by this literary genius. Reading his work will definitely be an enriching and enlightening experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Gulzar and what is he famous for?

Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra) is an Academy Award-winning Urdu poet, lyricist, and filmmaker with over 50 years in Indian cinema. He’s renowned for crafting poetic lyrics that explore human emotions from childhood innocence to mortality, working with legendary music directors and directing acclaimed films.

What songs did Gulzar write for Indian movies?

Gulzar began his career with Bandini (1963) under S.D. Burman and has written countless memorable songs since. His notable works include songs from Aandhi, Mausam, and more recently Raazi. He won the Academy Award for “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire, co-composed with A.R. Rahman.

Did Gulzar direct films besides writing songs?

Yes, Gulzar is an accomplished director. He directed acclaimed films like Aandhi and Mausam, and created the television series Mirza Ghalib. His directorial work reflects the same poetic sensibility found in his lyrics and poetry.

When was Gulzar born and where is he from?

Gulzar was born on August 18, 1934, in Dina, Punjab, British India, under the name Sampooran Singh Kalra. His family migrated to India after partition. He adopted the pen name Gulzar Deenvi as a writer, later shortening it to Gulzar.

What awards has Gulzar won for his work?

Gulzar is an Academy Award winner, having received the Oscar for the song “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire in collaboration with A.R. Rahman. Beyond this international recognition, he has won numerous Indian film awards for his lyrical and directorial contributions to cinema.