Long before he became one of Bollywood's most celebrated lyricists, Gulzar spent his days painting cars inside a small motor garage in Mumbai, just to make ends meet. His real name is Sampooran Singh Kalra, and he was born on August 18, 1934.
A Painful Partition and a Fresh Start in Mumbai
Sampooran Singh Kalra, who the world later came to know as Gulzar, was born in the Dina area of Punjab, then part of undivided British India and now located in Pakistan. The Partition of India and Pakistan upended his early life, separating him from his family and forcing him through an extremely difficult period. Despite the turmoil, he eventually made his way to Mumbai, where his real story would begin.
Painting Cars by Day, Reading by Night
Life in Mumbai wasn't easy, so he took up work at a motor garage, where his job was to paint cars. Money was tight in those days, but his love for reading and writing never faded. Once his shift ended, he would lose himself in books and writing, a habit that would eventually reshape his entire future.
Bimal Roy Spotted the Writer Hiding Behind the Garage Worker
Gulzar's fortunes changed when lyricist Shailendra introduced him to filmmaker Bimal Roy, who at the time was working on the film Bandini. During their conversations, Bimal Roy sensed the young man's exceptional command over words and thought, and advised him to quit the garage job entirely and focus on writing instead. In a later interview, Gulzar recalled that Bimal Roy had told him, “Don't go back to the garage, and don't ruin your life.” For Gulzar, it was a life-changing moment, the first time a major filmmaker had recognised the writer hidden inside him.
His Lyricist Career Began With Bandini
Gulzar soon began working alongside Bimal Roy, and 1963's Bandini marked his debut as a film lyricist. The film's music was composed by S.D. Burman, and Gulzar wrote the song Mora Gora Ang Lai Le for it, which was sung by Lata Mangeshkar. He never looked back after that, going on to build a reputation not just as a lyricist but also as a screenwriter and dialogue writer.
Stepping Behind the Camera as a Director
1971 brought another turning point in his career when he made his directorial debut with Mere Apne. He went on to direct films such as Koshish, Achanak, Mausam, Aandhi, Khushboo, Kitaab and Namkeen. What set his films apart was the simplicity with which he portrayed relationships, loneliness and the small, quiet emotions of everyday life, something audiences continue to connect with deeply even today.
Jai Ho Took Him to the World Stage
Over the decades, Gulzar worked with composers across generations, but his collaboration with A.R. Rahman was particularly loved by audiences. The song Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire pushed Gulzar onto the international stage. In 2009, he and A.R. Rahman won the Oscar for the song, and the following year, Jai Ho also won a Grammy.
Honours That Went Far Beyond Cinema
Gulzar's contribution has never been confined to films alone. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002, was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2004, and was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2013. In 2024, he was awarded the Jnanpith Award, one of the highest literary honours in the country. His list of accolades also includes several National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards.
Family Life and Daughter Meghna's Own Success
On the personal front, Gulzar married actress Rakhee. Their daughter, Meghna Gulzar, has herself become a successful film director, known for directing films such as Raazi, Chhapaak and Sam Bahadur, carrying the family's storytelling legacy into the next generation.
That a young man who once painted cars in a garage would go on to become one of the biggest names in Hindi cinema and literature stands as proof that talent and hard work can carve out an identity even without a film-industry background.
