Gulzar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gulzar
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Gulzar in 2008
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| Born |
Sampooran Singh Kalra
18 August 1934 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1956–present |
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Works
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Filmography |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Meghna Gulzar (daughter) |
| Awards | Sahitya Akademi Award (2002) Padma Bhushan (2004) Academy Award (2009) Grammy Award (2010) Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2013) Jnanpith Award (2024) |
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Gulzar (born Sampooran Singh Kalra on August 18, 1934) is a famous Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, and film director. He is also a talented author and screenwriter. Many people consider him one of the greatest Urdu poets of our time.
Gulzar began his career in 1963 as a lyricist for the film Bandini. He worked with many well-known music directors like R. D. Burman and A. R. Rahman. Besides writing songs, Gulzar also writes poetry, movie dialogues, and scripts. He directed popular films such as Aandhi and Mausam in the 1970s. He also directed the TV series Mirza Ghalib in the 1980s.
He has won many awards for his work. These include 5 Indian National Film Awards, 22 Filmfare Awards, an Academy Award, and a Grammy Award. In 2004, he received the Padma Bhushan, which is India's third-highest civilian award. In 2013, he was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the top award in Indian cinema. In 2024, Gulzar received the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor.
Gulzar's Early Life
Gulzar was born into a Sikh family in Dina, which is now in Pakistan. His birth name was Sampooran Singh Kalra. He loved reading, and the works of Tagore greatly inspired him.
When India was divided in 1947, his family faced difficulties. He had to stop his studies and move to Mumbai (then called Bombay). To support his family, he took on various small jobs. One of these jobs was at a garage, where he mixed paints to fix damaged cars. He often said he had a special talent for colors.
His father was not happy about him wanting to be a writer at first. Sampooran later chose the pen name Gulzar Deenvi, and then simply Gulzar. He enjoyed his painting job because it gave him time to read, write, and attend college. He was also involved with the Progressive Writers Association.
A Look at His Career
Becoming a Lyricist
Gulzar was encouraged to join the film industry by people he met at writing meetings. He started working with famous film directors like Bimal Roy and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His first song as a lyricist was for the movie Bandini in 1963.
In 1968, Gulzar wrote dialogues and lyrics for the film Aashirwad. His lyrics added a poetic touch to the film. His songs became very popular after the 1969 film Khamoshi. One of his famous songs from that movie was "Humne Dekhi Hai Un Aankhon Ki Mehekti Khushboo." For the 1971 film Guddi, he wrote "Humko Man Ki Shakti Dena," a prayer still sung in many Indian schools.
Gulzar worked closely with music director Rahul Dev Burman. He also collaborated with other great music composers. These include Sachin Dev Burman, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, and A. R. Rahman.
One of his biggest achievements was for the Hollywood film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). He and A. R. Rahman won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Jai Ho." This song became famous worldwide. He also won a Grammy Award for "Jai Ho" with Rahman.
Directing Films
After writing for films like Aashirwad and Anand, Gulzar directed his first film, Mere Apne, in 1971. This movie was about an old widow caught between fighting young people.
He then directed Parichay and Koshish. Koshish told the story of a deaf-mute couple's struggles. In 1973, he directed Achanak, which was inspired by a real-life murder case.
His film Aandhi (1975) was based on a Hindi novel. It was believed to be about a former Indian Prime Minister. Another film, Mausam, won a National Award. In 1982, he directed Angoor, which was based on Shakespeare's play The Comedy of Errors.
Gulzar's films often explored human relationships and social issues. For example, Maachis showed a young boy getting involved in terrorism. Hu Tu Tu dealt with corruption in India.
He often used "flashbacks" in his stories to tell them effectively. Gulzar also worked repeatedly with certain actors. His partnership with Sanjeev Kumar led to many great films. He also directed TV series like Mirza Ghalib in 1988.
His Poetry
Gulzar mainly writes in Urdu and Punjabi. He also writes in other languages like Braj Bhasha. His poetry is known for its unique style called Triveni. His poems are collected in books like Chand Pukhraaj Ka. His short stories are published in Raavi-paar and Dhuan.
He has also written ghazals (a type of poem) for famous singers. For a peace campaign between India and Pakistan, Gulzar wrote the anthem "Nazar Main Rehte Ho."
Other Contributions
Gulzar has written songs and dialogues for many TV series. These include Jungle Book and Alice in Wonderland. He has also written and narrated stories for children's audiobooks. Gulzar is involved with an NGO called Aarushi, which works in education. He writes stories and poems for their magazine.
Academic Role
In April 2013, Gulzar was appointed as the Chancellor of Assam University. This is a high position in a university.
His Personal Life
Gulzar is married to actress Raakhee. They have a daughter named Meghna Gulzar. Meghna grew up to become a film director herself. She has directed films like Raazi and Sam Bahadur. She also wrote a book about her father, Gulzar, in 2004.
Awards and Honors
As of 2019, Gulzar has won many awards. These include 5 National Film Awards and 22 Filmfare Awards. He also received the Rashtriya Kishore Kumar Samman. His international awards include an Academy Award for Best Original Song (2008) and a Grammy Award (2010).
He was honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in 2002. In 2004, he received the Padma Bhushan. The highest award in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was given to him in 2013. In 2024, he received the prestigious Jnanpith Award.
His Works
- Books
- Chand Pukhraaj Ka (Poetry)
- Raat Pashminey Ki (Poetry)
- Pandrah Paanch Pachattar (Poetry)
- Raavi-paar (Short Stories)
- Dhuan (Short Stories)
- Two (English Novel) - This was his first novel in English. It talks about refugees after the partition of India.
- Audiobooks
- Karadi Tales (Children's series)
- Comics
- Supremo (Script Consultant)
- Theatre
- Chakkar Chalaaye Ghanchakkar
See also
In Spanish: Gulzar para niños
- List of Indian winners and nominees of the Academy Awards
- List of Indian poets
- List of Indian writers
