Sampooran Singh Kalra, known professionally as Gulzar, is a multifaceted artist, credited as a writer, lyricist, director, and poet at heart. His films, characterized by their sensitivity, lyricism, and success, provided a welcome respite from the violent films that dominated the 1970s and 1980s.
Born in Deena, Jhelum District, Pakistan, Gulzar migrated to Delhi after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. He began his career as a poet and eventually joined Bimal Roy Productions in 1961. His breakthrough as a lyricist came with the film Bandini (1963),which led to him becoming a full-time assistant to Bimal Roy and collaborating with acclaimed directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Asit Kumar Sen.
Gulzar's notable works as a writer include films like Anand (1971),Guddi (1971),Bawarchi (1972),and Namak Haraam (1973),all directed by Mukherjee, and Do Dooni Char (1968),Khamoshi (1969),and Safar (1970),directed by Sen.
As a director, Gulzar made his debut with Mere Apne (1971),a film based on Tapan Sinha's novel "Apanjan." He then went on to direct Parichay (1972),Koshish (1972),and The Season (1975),which featured a deaf and dumb couple played by Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar. This partnership with Kumar resulted in several critically acclaimed films, including Angoor (1982),Namkeen (1982),and Aandhi (1975),which was banned for a while.
Gulzar also worked with other notable stars of the time, including Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, and Hema Malini, in films like Achanak (1973),Khushboo (1975),and Kinara (1977).
As a lyricist, Gulzar collaborated with film composers, including Rahul Dev Burman, to create high-quality music for his films. He also worked on television, directing the acclaimed serial Mirza Ghalib (1988) and documentaries on Amjad Khan and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.
In addition to his work in film and television, Gulzar has also ventured into other creative fields, writing screenplays for films like Masoom (1983) and Rudaali (1993),and penning lyrics for films like Dil Se.. (1998) and Saathiya (2002).
