Sampooran Singh Kalra or Gulzar is the most celebrated lyricist in the country. Born on August 18, 1934, he started his film career with the 1963 movie Bandini. Gulzar also writes poetry, dialogues and scripts. He has even directed movies and a TV series Mirza Ghalib.
In his illustrious career, he has won five National Awards, 22 Filmfare Awards, one Academy Award and one Grammy Award. In 2004, he was given the Padma Bhushan and in 2013, he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
On his 88th birthday, let us listen to some of his most popular songs
Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne chune:
This is one of the most loved songs from the Rajesh Khanna-starrer Anand (1971). It is an ode to love and its memory both.
Koi hota jisko apna: Sung by Kishore Kumar, this song from the 1971 movie Mere Apne perfectly describes the yearning to have someone special in life.
Musafir hoon yaaron: Composed by RD Burman and sung by Kishore Kumar, this turned out to be the most popular song from the 1972 movie Parichay. Even after so many years, it continues to remain one of the best journey songs.
Tere bina zindagi se koi: From the 1975 movie Aandhi, this song is an absolute gem. Sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, this song about lost love pierces through the heart.
Thoda hai thode ki zaroorat hai: Over the years, this song from the 1981 movie Khatta Meetha has become a popular saying. This bittersweet song brings forth the reality that we humans always crave more.
Raah mein rehte hain: The song is a life lesson. Composed by RD Burman and sung by Kishore Kumar, this was among the most celebrated songs of the 1982 movie Namkeen.
Tujhse naraz nahi zindagi: Sung by Lata Mangeshkar, this song was part of the critically acclaimed movie Masoom, which was released in 1983. The lyrics are so beautiful that the song easily makes it among his best philosophical works of all time.
Ae ajnabi tu bhi kabhi: Sung by Udit Narayan and Mahalaxmi Iyer and composed beautifully by AR Rahman, this song from the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dil Se is about how we sometimes feel incomplete without our better half.
Beedi jalaile: We don’t usually associate Gulzar with item songs but with Beedi jalaile, he penned one of the most striking item numbers of all time.
Dil to baccha hai ji: From the 2010 movie Ishqiya, this song has a muted excitement about love. It has inquisitiveness, wonder, and a never-ending zest for life. Again, the song became so popular that its signature line has become a saying.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Aug 18, 2022 8:11 AM IST
