Gulzar Saab : Life, Writings & Cinema Author: Yatindra Mishra

The creative genius of Gulzar is that of a nomad in spirit. He will walk holding a poem by the hand for a distance, only to suddenly wander into the writing of a story. Imperceptibly, he will, while writing songs for films, shift to writing dialogues, and no one can discern the moment of change. He sources the screenplays for films from the field of poetry and picks stories from literature to make films.
Innumerable poems, ghazals, and lyrics for film songs make up Gulzar’s universe giving us glimpses of his life. Even as this expression reveals the intricate weave of the poet’s inner voice, the Sufi overtones of spiritualism inherent in his poems convey to us shades of melancholy and regret. Thus, Gulzar’s poetry touches upon the pain of separation in love, indifference to worldly attachments, the growing gaps in relationships and a scrutiny of the growing insensitivity to most issues that beset our times. Though this journey we get insights into some of the most personal moments in the poet’s life.
To try to capture the magic and enticing mesmerism, the simplicity and the mood of his spiritual quest that permeates his work is a task akin to that of a child attempting to catch a butterfly. The fragrance of his journey through life, writings and cinema, has been the reason for who knows how many sleepless nights.
The result of those sleepless nights is offered here to his countless fans. Come then, let us delve into the chapters of this litterateur’s life, turn some pages, listen to him speak.
We can look at and examine our times in this way too, through the prism of literature and cinema.