Gulzar (wizard of words)
The melodious chords of ‘Dil dhoondta hai, Phir wohi fursat ke raat din’ fill the air and the name that automatically springs to mind is Gulzar. Aside from being a prolific writer and voracious reader, the first thing that comes to mind about Gulzar is his crisp white kurta and golden mojris. In due course I discovered that the celebrated poet and filmmaker has been sewing the Kurtas, for the past three decades, for Ashok Tailor’s in Santacruz. Gulzar was just 14 years old when he came to Mumbai to experience a completely new episode in his life that later turned out to be a voyage of discovery.
Early life
Sampooran Singh Kalra, better known by his pseudonym Gulzar, was born on August 18, 1936 into a Sikh family of Sardar Makhan Singh Kalra and Sujaan Kaur in Dina (now in Pakistan). The family had to suffer great mental turmoil during the partition and eventually moved to Amristar. Gulzar, an avid reader of poetry and literature, always loved meeting authors whose books he had read and this gave him immense motivation. He was absolutely clear and determined to become a poet or author. He was so inclined that he made a rubber stamp with his name and stamped it on a book just to get an idea of what the book would look like with his name as the author. His family was of the opinion that he should become a Certified Public Accountant. When his father realized his son’s ambition, he dissuaded him from becoming a writer, saying, “As a writer, you will have to depend on your brothers all your life.” Such caustic comments hardly influenced his burning passion for pursuing writing as a full-time career. One day, while traveling from Delhi to Mumbai by Frontier Mail, he got off at Mumbai Central Train Station. While in Mumbai, Gulzar joined Khalsa College, but spent only one year there because the university did not offer Urdu or Persian literature. The following year, he transferred his base to the National College in Bandra, which offered both subjects to his liking and interest. His first years in Mumbai were tough and he had to face many difficulties. He worked with Vichare Motors as a spray painter to make ends meet. Although some of his friends were related to the film industry, writing for movies was the last thing on Gulzar’s mind.
At home, Gulzar was considered the black sheep of the family. They considered writing an absolute waste of time that did not provide financial stability. He was often given the example of a distant relative, a poet who was popular within his circle but never made any money and always ended up borrowing from others. The relative had labeled him “Nikamma” and “Anpadh”. One day when his older brother broached the same topic, Gulzar, completely upset, replied, “There will come a day when his own children will read my books.” He left his brother’s house and settled in Four Bungalows, sharing a room with Debu Sen, a renowned Bengali-language journalist who worked with prominent filmmaker Bimal Roy.
Man of many identities
Gulzar has a reputation for being a man with many identities. An extraordinary poet, accomplished filmmaker, script and dialogue writer, eminent author, and award-winning lyricist. His collaboration with Sachin Dev Burman on Bandini started his career as a songwriter which continues to this day. Mora gora ang layee le, more shaam rang dayee’s song was highly appreciated and he went on to write songs for films such as Kabuliwala, Sannaata, Do Dooni Chaar, Biwi Aur Makaan, Khamoshi, Guddi, Anand. If he won awards and critical acclaim for writing dialogue for films such as Anand and Namak Haram, he also directed films such as Mere Apne, Koshish, Parichay, Mausam, Kinara, Khushboo, Angoor, Namkeen, and Ijaazat that garnered rave reviews.
His association with composer RD Burman turned out to be very fruitful. Together they created a melodious ocean and released numerous scores that are appreciated to this day. Either “Musafir hoon yaaron”, “Tere Bina Zindagi se”, “Tum Aa Gaye Ho”, “Is Mod Se Jate Hain”, “Aanewala pal”, “Tere bina jiya jaye na”, “O majhi re”, ” Bechara dil kya kare “,” Roz roz aakhon tale “,” Mera kuch samaan “or” Tujhse naraaz nahin zindagi “, each one is a timeless classic that has the remarkable Gulzarish feel. Another hallmark of Gulzar’s genius is that he has effortlessly adapted with composers and music of late. In today’s age of social media, one has seen the pattern of music change rapidly and so does the grammar of song writing. But Gulzar has embraced this change and has written hits of hits such as “Chaiyya chaiyya”, “Beedi jalaile”, “Kajra re”, “Jai ho” or “Dhan te nan”.
He received the Padma Bhushan in 2004 for his contribution to the arts and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002. Gulzar has won several national film awards and Filmfare awards. In 2009, he won the Academy Award for Slumdog Millionaire’s “Jai Ho”, which later earned him a Grammy Award. Encapsulating his passion for music and writing songs, the veteran says: “Music has a natural place in our lives. From the shlokas you recite in your morning puja and the milkman who comes whistling in his cycle, to the fakir singing while pleading. . alms and your mother humming while doing the kitchen chores. Music fills our spaces naturally. It will always be dear to us. “
Don’t alter my words
For this septuagenarian, whether at home or in his office, the place that is very dear to him is his desk and his armchair that surrounds him with piles of books and papers. She loves to start early in the morning followed by yoga and she goes to play tennis at Bandra Gymkhana. Reading in the morning every day is mandatory for him as much as his cup of tea. At 10:30 am he begins his day at his office. Gulzar has been known to read multiple books at once and has the discipline of putting them back on the shelves only after he’s finished reading them.
He admits that he was unable to complete his intermediate level (class 12) due to various factors and eventually had to come to Mumbai to look for work. Today things have changed and so have the expectations of the parents. Parents need to spend more time with their children and help them understand that academic failure is not the end of the world. He is very possessive and careful with the words he uses and does not allow a single word of his letters to be altered. There have been several times when you have chosen not to participate in the project when you are not comfortable with the words that you are being asked to replace or write. He firmly admits that “this is not how I work. I never will.” In short, it is his deep thinking that brings out the best in this Wizard of Words named Gulzar.