100 Lyrics

In 2009, Gulzar, One of India's most respected poets and lyricists, became the first Indian lyricist to win an Oscar for the song `Jai ho'.

This collection of 100 lyrics, handpicked by Gulzar himself, is a treasury containing the most memorable lyrics from a five-decade-long career.

From `Moa gora ang lai le'. his first film lyric written for Bimal Roy's Bandini in 1963, to the haunting `Dil dhoondta hai' (Mausam) and `Naam gum jayega'(Kumara). the unforgettable `Humne dekhi hai in ankhon ki mehekti khushboo' (Khamoshi) and `Is mod se jaate hain'(Aandhi). and the extraordinary `Mera kuchh samaan' (Ijaazat) and `Chupke se lag ja gale' (Saathiya), Gulzar has brought a rare poetic sensibility to popular Hindi film music over a five-decade-long career His sensitive portrayal of the many nuances of human relationships. his sophisticated insights into psychological complexities. his ability to capture the essence of nature's sounds and spoken dialects in written words. and above all his inimitable---and often surprising imagery have entertained his legions of fans over successive generations.

The 100 lyrics in this volume. published to coincide with Gulzar's seventy-fifth birthday, are handpicked by Gulzar himself, and represent his most memorable compositions of all time. Included here are a selection of lyrics from his non-film albums as well as chartbusters like `Chhaiyya chhaiyya' (Dil Se). `Kajra re' (Bunty Aur Babli) and `Jai ho'(Slumdog Millionare) A bilingual volume containing the original lyrics in Devanagari script alongside lueid and evocative English translations and featuring anecdotes about the composition of the lyrics. as well as a wonderful introduction by Gulzar himself, this collection is full of nostalgie charm and poetic finesse and will delight readers for hours on end.

One of India's most respected film-makers, Gulzar has directed some of the enduring classics of Hindi cinema like Mere Apne, Parichay, Koshish, Aandhi, Mausam, Kinara, Ijaazat, Lekin and Maachis, remembered not only for their storytelling, but for their unforgettable songs. He continues to be one of the most popular lyricists writing for mainstream Hindi cinema, with numerous recent chartbusters to his credit.

Apart from the many National and Filmfare Awards for his films and lyrics, Gulzar has received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan in 2004. In 2009 he became the first Indian lyricist to win an Oscar for the song'Jai ho' from the film Slumdog Millionaire.

He lives and works in Mumbai.

Sunjoy Shekhar was born in Sahebganj, a sleepy town on the banks of the Ganga where part of Bandini, the motion picture for which Gulzar wrote his first song, was filmed, He tells stories for a living, and has more than three thousand hours of story-writing credits on a host of television channels across India and Indonesia. He divides his time between Mumbai, New Delhi and Jakarta.