There are some names in the world of Hindi cinema and literature that do not fade with time, but rather keep on shining. Gulzar is one such name. His poems, stories and songs, be it in Urdu, Punjabi, Khariboli or Hindi, go straight to the depths of the heart. Today he is celebrating his 91st birthday. On this occasion let us know some special things related to his life and journey.
Born on 18 August 1934 in Jhelum, Pakistan, Gulzar's real name is Sampooran Singh Kalra. Simplicity, sensitivity and depth of words give him a distinct identity even today. But the way to understand his life most deeply is his daughter Meghna Gulzar, who is fondly called 'Boski'. Gulzar married actress Rakhee in 1973. But the two separated when Meghna was just one year old. After this, Gulzar took the full responsibility of Meghna's upbringing. At the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2019, Meghna emotionally said that her father never scolded her, but taught her to live in discipline. He himself would prepare her for school, braid her hair, polish her shoes and pick her up from school at 3:30 in the afternoon.
Gulzar always gave Meghna freedom, but never compromised on her studies. He had only one rule: “Complete your studies, then do whatever you want to do.” Perhaps this is the reason why today Meghna has become a successful director of films like 'Raazi', 'Chhapaak' and 'Sam Bahadur'.
In Gulzar's poems and Shayari, we find the pain of Partition, the fragrance of the streets of Delhi and the shadow of Ghalib. He considers himself a "cultural Muslim" because his thinking is irrigated by both Hindi and Urdu. His film journey began in 1963 with Bimal Roy's Bandini, where "Mora Gora Rang Laile" still sounds as fresh as ever. After this, songs like "Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa Nahin", "Kajra Re" and "Chaiya Chaiya" showed different colors of his pen.