Gulzar: From Mumbai garage worker to legendary Bollywood lyricist

Renowned lyricist and filmmaker Gulzar, born Sampooran Singh Kalra, rose to prominence in Hindi cinema despite a difficult early life. Born on August 18, 1934, in the Dina region of Punjab (now in Pakistan), he faced significant hardships following the partition of India and Pakistan.

Before his success in Bollywood, Gulzar worked in a motor garage in Mumbai, where he earned a living painting cars. His career trajectory changed when director Bimal Roy recognized his literary talent. Roy encouraged him to leave his garage job to pursue writing, leading to Gulzar's debut as a lyricist in the 1963 film ‘Bandini’.

Following his debut with the song ‘Mora Gora Ang Lai Le’, Gulzar expanded his career into screenplay and dialogue writing, eventually becoming a director with the 1971 film ‘Mere Apne’.