Gulzar turns 90 today!
It is scarcely believable, since he wears his nine decades so lightly. Born Sampooran Singh Kalra on 18 August 1934, in Dina, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Gulzar is a national treasure. A celebrated poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director, his contributions to Urdu poetry and Hindi cinema have made him a beloved figure in the literary and entertainment worlds and to audiences of every stripe.
Gulzar’s early life was marked by the upheaval of Partition when he was entering his teens, forcing his family to move to India. Adversity and hardship accompanied his migration across the new border. Settling in Mumbai, he took up various odd jobs to support his family. His passion for literature and poetry, however, remained undiminished. Influenced by the works of Rabindranath Tagore, he began writing poetry and adopted the pen name "Gulzar".