What do you think?
Rate this book
In the Company of a poet: Gulzar in Conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir
Poet, storyteller, director, scriptwriter and lyricist, Gulzar is a towering figure of contemporary Indian literature and cinema. Ever since he wrote his first song the unforgettable Mora gora ang lai le for Bimal Roys Bandini (1963) he has won countless admirers with his nuanced, sensitive and quietly innovative work. From the endearing Lakdi ki kaathi, that a generation grew up singing, to the Oscar-winning Jai ho his songs have enthralled millions. His unique and much acclaimed contribution to the world of poetry continues to reflect our changing times, with fresh idiom and delicate turn of phrase. In this book of conversations with Nasreen Munni Kabir, Gulzar speaks with insight, candour and gentle humour about his life and work: his school days in Old Delhi, where he wrote his early poems; working in a garage in Mumbai before entering films; his association with legends such as Bimal Roy, Balraj Sahni, Sahir Ludhianvi, Meena Kumari, Shailendra, S. D. Burman, Hemant Kumar, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Lata Mangeshkar and R. D. Burman among others; his love of tennis; and his deep connection with his wife, the legendary Raakhee, his daughter Meghna and his grandson Samay.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2012
43 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Nasreen Munni Kabir
28 books33 followersBorn in India, Nasreen Munni Kabir is a renowned UK-based documentary film-maker who has produced and directed over 80 TV programmes on Hindi cinema for Channel 4 TV, UK, including the series Movie Mahal, In Search of Guru Dutt, Lata in Her Own Voice, and the two-part documentary The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. She has also directed a profile on Ustad Bismillah Khan and on the making of Bombay Dreams, the musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber for BBC Television, UK. She continues to curate Channel 4’s annual Indian film seasons.
Author of 16 books on Hindi cinema, Nasreen has served on the board of the British Film Institute for a six-year term. She enjoys subtitling, and has has subtitled over 500 Hindi films. Her last book was Conversations with Waheeda Rehman. She is most remembered for her Guru Dutt biography, titled Guru Dutt: A Life in Cinema (OUP, 1996). Nasreen continues live in London.
Author of 16 books on Hindi cinema, Nasreen has served on the board of the British Film Institute for a six-year term. She enjoys subtitling, and has has subtitled over 500 Hindi films. Her last book was Conversations with Waheeda Rehman. She is most remembered for her Guru Dutt biography, titled Guru Dutt: A Life in Cinema (OUP, 1996). Nasreen continues live in London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 27, 2020
A must-read for all the fans of Gulzar Saab. The author has a unique way of approaching tougher subjects. Read the complete review here https://wp.me/p6rxcY-bp.
April 27, 2021
উর্দু কবিরা তাখাল্লুস তথা ছদ্মনামে লিখতে ভালোবাসতেন। নিজেকে উর্দু সাহিত্যের নামজাদা লেখক হিসেবে দেখতে চেয়েছিলেন সমপূরণ সিং কালরা। তাই তাখাল্লুস নিয়েছিলেন গুলজার। গুলজার নামের খ্যাতির ভারে লুপ্ত হয়েছে সামপূরণ সিং। প্রখ্যাত ভারতীয় গীতিকার ও নির্মাতা গুলজারের সাথে দীর্ঘ আলাপচারিতার গ্রন্থ হলো ' In The Company Of A Poet'. নাসরিন মুন্নি কবির ও গুলজারের কথোপকথন পাঠককে এই খ্যাতনামা ব্যক্তি সম্পর্কে অনেক তথ্য জানার সুযোগ দেবে।
পাকিস্তানের এক শিখ পরিবারে জন্মেছিলেন গুলজার। মা জন্মের মাসতিনেক পর মারা যান। তাই নিজের জন্মদাত্রীকে কোনোদিন দেখেননি তিনি ; সংসারে সৎ মা তাকে বিশেষ সমাদর করতো এমনও নয়। তার পিতা কাপড়ের ব্যবসাদার ছিল। মাত্র নয় বছর বয়সের গুলজারকে রেখে যেদিন দিল্লিতে দোকানের জন্য তার বাবা চলে যাবেন, সেদিন রেলস্টেশনে অঝোরে কাঁদছিলেন শিশু গুলজার। এই কান্না স্পর্শ করেছিল পিতাকে। দিল্লিতে দোকানের কাজ দেখাশোনার পাশাপাশি স্কুলে পড়াশোনা শুরু করলেন। রাতে থাকতেন একটি স্টোর রুমে। বিদ্যুৎহীন পুরো রাত কাটানোর কোনো উপায়ন্তর না পেয়ে বই পড়া শুরু করলেন। তখন দিল্লিতে মাত্র চার আনায় এক সপ্তাহের জন্য যত খুশি বই ভাড়া পাওয়া যেত। গুলজার সেই সুযোগের সদ্ব্যবহার করেন। দোকানের প্রায় সকল বই পড়ে ফেলে কিশোর গুলজার। দোকানি ত্যক্ত-বিরক্ত হয়ে উর্দুতে অনূদিত রবিঠাকুরের 'গীতবিতান' ধরিয়ে দেয় গুলজারকে। সেই প্রথম বড়ো মাপের কবির সাথে মোলাকাত গুলজারের। রবিবাবুর কাব্য গুলজারের জীবনকে বদলে দিল। সেই ঘটনার অসাধারণ একটি বর্ণনা দিয়েছেন গুলজার।
বাংলার প্রতি গুলজার অকৃত্রিম মমত্ববোধ রয়েছে। তার স্ত্রী মিনাজি পূর্ববঙ্গ তথা বাংলাদেশের মানুষ। গুলকার বাংলা বলতে ও পড়তে পারেন। বাংলা সাহিত্যের শরৎচন্দ্রের প্রতি মুগ্ধতার বহিঃপ্রকাশ একাধিকবার লক্ষণীয়। এমনকি নিজেদের একমাত্র সন্তানের নাম রেখেছেন বাংলাদেশের একটি বড়ো নদী মেঘনার নামে! এসবই গল্পচ্ছলে বলে গিয়েছেন গুলজার।
লেখালিখি করে এই অঞ্চলে জীবিকানির্বাহ করা সম্ভব - এই তত্ত্বে কোনোকালেই লোকে আস্থাশীল নয়। তখনো ছিল না। গুলজারের বাবা ভাবতেন তার সব সন্তানের একটা হিল্লে হলো। অথচ লেখালিখির ভূতে পাওয়া গুলজারটারই কিচ্ছু হবে না জীবনে! সম্ভবত বাবাকে এই মানুষটি খুব পছন্দ করতেন। তাই গুলজারের সাফল্য তার বাবা দেখার আগে মারা যাওয়ার দুঃখ তার কখনো দূর হবে না।
ফিল্মের জগতে আসার আগে দিল্লির মটর গ্যারেজে কাজ করতেন। তাতে জীবন চললেও স্বপ্ন অধরাই রয়ে যায়। তখন পরিচয় হলে পরিচালক বিমল রায়ের সাথে। গুলজারকে তিনি সহকারী পরিচালকের কাজ দিলেন এবং পথ দেখালেন গীতিকার হওয়ার।
বিমল রায়ের সহায়তায় সেই যে সিনেমা জগতের সাথে সম্পর্ক গড়ে উঠলো তা আজও অবিচ্ছেদ্য।
বিখ্যাত নির্মাতা ও সংগীতজ্ঞদের নানান ঘটনা ছোট্ট ছোট্ট করে স্মৃতিচারণ করেছেন গুলজার। যেমন- শচীনদেব বর্মণ পকেটে একটি পানদান ও মুখে সর্বদা পান নিয়ে ঘুরতেন। কিন্তু ভুলেও কখনো কাউকে পান অফার করতেন না। আবার, কিশোরকুমারের গান রেকর্ড করার অনেক হ্যাপা ছিল। কেননা এই কিংবদন্তি গানের মাঝেই হেসে উঠতেন। বিশেষত, পঞ্চাশ ও ষাটের দশকের বলিউডের ইতিবৃত্তের একটি খণ্ডাংশ গুলজারের স্মৃতি থেকে পাই। বড়ো মনোহর ও আলোকমাখা সেইসব স্মৃতি।
আমি মূলত বাংলাদেশের মানুষ এবং বলিউডের অতীত কাহিনি নিয়ে বিশেষ আগ্রহী নই। গুলজার সাহেবের অনেক জনপ্রিয় চলচ্চিত্র ও গান আমার অদেখা ও অশ্রুত রয়ে গেছে। নিজের জ্ঞানগত সীমাবদ্ধতার দরুন বইটিকে সম্পূর্ণ উপভোগ করতে ব্যর্থ হয়েছি। বলিউড নিয়ে ওয়াকেবহাল যে কোনো মানুষের এই অনবদ্য আলাপচারিতা ভালো লাগবে। যারা আমার মতো অজ্ঞ, তাদের বইটি পড়ার আগে দ্বিতীয়বার ভাবতে অনুরোধ করব।
পাকিস্তানের এক শিখ পরিবারে জন্মেছিলেন গুলজার। মা জন্মের মাসতিনেক পর মারা যান। তাই নিজের জন্মদাত্রীকে কোনোদিন দেখেননি তিনি ; সংসারে সৎ মা তাকে বিশেষ সমাদর করতো এমনও নয়। তার পিতা কাপড়ের ব্যবসাদার ছিল। মাত্র নয় বছর বয়সের গুলজারকে রেখে যেদিন দিল্লিতে দোকানের জন্য তার বাবা চলে যাবেন, সেদিন রেলস্টেশনে অঝোরে কাঁদছিলেন শিশু গুলজার। এই কান্না স্পর্শ করেছিল পিতাকে। দিল্লিতে দোকানের কাজ দেখাশোনার পাশাপাশি স্কুলে পড়াশোনা শুরু করলেন। রাতে থাকতেন একটি স্টোর রুমে। বিদ্যুৎহীন পুরো রাত কাটানোর কোনো উপায়ন্তর না পেয়ে বই পড়া শুরু করলেন। তখন দিল্লিতে মাত্র চার আনায় এক সপ্তাহের জন্য যত খুশি বই ভাড়া পাওয়া যেত। গুলজার সেই সুযোগের সদ্ব্যবহার করেন। দোকানের প্রায় সকল বই পড়ে ফেলে কিশোর গুলজার। দোকানি ত্যক্ত-বিরক্ত হয়ে উর্দুতে অনূদিত রবিঠাকুরের 'গীতবিতান' ধরিয়ে দেয় গুলজারকে। সেই প্রথম বড়ো মাপের কবির সাথে মোলাকাত গুলজারের। রবিবাবুর কাব্য গুলজারের জীবনকে বদলে দিল। সেই ঘটনার অসাধারণ একটি বর্ণনা দিয়েছেন গুলজার।
বাংলার প্রতি গুলজার অকৃত্রিম মমত্ববোধ রয়েছে। তার স্ত্রী মিনাজি পূর্ববঙ্গ তথা বাংলাদেশের মানুষ। গুলকার বাংলা বলতে ও পড়তে পারেন। বাংলা সাহিত্যের শরৎচন্দ্রের প্রতি মুগ্ধতার বহিঃপ্রকাশ একাধিকবার লক্ষণীয়। এমনকি নিজেদের একমাত্র সন্তানের নাম রেখেছেন বাংলাদেশের একটি বড়ো নদী মেঘনার নামে! এসবই গল্পচ্ছলে বলে গিয়েছেন গুলজার।
লেখালিখি করে এই অঞ্চলে জীবিকানির্বাহ করা সম্ভব - এই তত্ত্বে কোনোকালেই লোকে আস্থাশীল নয়। তখনো ছিল না। গুলজারের বাবা ভাবতেন তার সব সন্তানের একটা হিল্লে হলো। অথচ লেখালিখির ভূতে পাওয়া গুলজারটারই কিচ্ছু হবে না জীবনে! সম্ভবত বাবাকে এই মানুষটি খুব পছন্দ করতেন। তাই গুলজারের সাফল্য তার বাবা দেখার আগে মারা যাওয়ার দুঃখ তার কখনো দূর হবে না।
ফিল্মের জগতে আসার আগে দিল্লির মটর গ্যারেজে কাজ করতেন। তাতে জীবন চললেও স্বপ্ন অধরাই রয়ে যায়। তখন পরিচয় হলে পরিচালক বিমল রায়ের সাথে। গুলজারকে তিনি সহকারী পরিচালকের কাজ দিলেন এবং পথ দেখালেন গীতিকার হওয়ার।
বিমল রায়ের সহায়তায় সেই যে সিনেমা জগতের সাথে সম্পর্ক গড়ে উঠলো তা আজও অবিচ্ছেদ্য।
বিখ্যাত নির্মাতা ও সংগীতজ্ঞদের নানান ঘটনা ছোট্ট ছোট্ট করে স্মৃতিচারণ করেছেন গুলজার। যেমন- শচীনদেব বর্মণ পকেটে একটি পানদান ও মুখে সর্বদা পান নিয়ে ঘুরতেন। কিন্তু ভুলেও কখনো কাউকে পান অফার করতেন না। আবার, কিশোরকুমারের গান রেকর্ড করার অনেক হ্যাপা ছিল। কেননা এই কিংবদন্তি গানের মাঝেই হেসে উঠতেন। বিশেষত, পঞ্চাশ ও ষাটের দশকের বলিউডের ইতিবৃত্তের একটি খণ্ডাংশ গুলজারের স্মৃতি থেকে পাই। বড়ো মনোহর ও আলোকমাখা সেইসব স্মৃতি।
আমি মূলত বাংলাদেশের মানুষ এবং বলিউডের অতীত কাহিনি নিয়ে বিশেষ আগ্রহী নই। গুলজার সাহেবের অনেক জনপ্রিয় চলচ্চিত্র ও গান আমার অদেখা ও অশ্রুত রয়ে গেছে। নিজের জ্ঞানগত সীমাবদ্ধতার দরুন বইটিকে সম্পূর্ণ উপভোগ করতে ব্যর্থ হয়েছি। বলিউড নিয়ে ওয়াকেবহাল যে কোনো মানুষের এই অনবদ্য আলাপচারিতা ভালো লাগবে। যারা আমার মতো অজ্ঞ, তাদের বইটি পড়ার আগে দ্বিতীয়বার ভাবতে অনুরোধ করব।
August 18, 2013
I bought this book at The Times Literary Carnival 2012 where Gulzar was in conversation with the author about this book in particular and other general topics. He came across as a humble and easy-going person despite his stellar achievements. He was patiently signing autographs for all those who pushed forward their books at him. I, too, managed to obtain it.
The book’s blurb reads: “In this book of conversations, Gulzar speaks with insight, candour and gentle humour about his life and work: his school days in Old Delhi, where he wrote his early poems; working in a garage in Mumbai before entering films; his association with legends such as Bimal Roy, Balraj Sahni, Sahir Ludhianvi, Meena Kumari, Shailendra, S. D. Burman, Hemant Kumar, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Lata Mangeshkar and R. D. Burman, among others; his love of tennis; and his deep connection with his wife, the legendary actor Rakhee, his daughter Meghna and his grandson Samay.”
The book is written in the form of conversations between Nasreen Munni Kabir (NMK) and Gulzar where the author also lets us know if, during their conversation, Gulzar has laughed or smiled at a particular sentence or if something has irritated him. I found this quite unique compared to the other biographies which are more of a monologue by the author.
The book, interviews for which were done mostly by Skype as NMK is based out of London, tells us, in Gulzar’s words, his birth at a place called Dina in current Pakistan, his coming to Delhi and subsequently Mumbai, how he used to read books by a lantern rented from a second-hand bookseller, his association with Bimal Roy as an assistant, his gradual movement to lyrics, screenplay writing and eventually direction. Since the book is in a conversational style, it does not follow any particular format or chronology. One can peruse just about any page of the book at will without having to read it from start to finish in one go. However, I managed to complete it within a day; such is its allure - I kept on turning the pages wishing to unearth some more gems :)
Though most of the information mentioned in the book is publicly available, what makes it interesting and eminently readable is the tidbits that Gulzar adds to it. For instance, we learn that Lata Mangeshkar found the line “Aap ki badmaashiyon ke ye naye andaaz hain” from the film Ghar most interesting. As a result, we can hear her laugh when she sings this line in the song. We also learn the origin of his daughter's name as Bosky and why he took on a pen-name Gulzar (his real name is Sampooran Singh Kalra).
Gulzar shared a wonderful relationship with Meena Kumari. She would make him sit by her side and ask him to read the scene to her while they were making Mere Apne. In fact, Gulzar started fasting during Ramzan for the full thirty days as Meena Kumari was very unwell and unable to fast. Gulzar told her he would fast on her behalf and they would share the blessings. Gulzar considered Bimal Roy as his mentor and learnt a great deal from him. It was because of him that he dared to venture into direction. He also fondly remembers his associations with RDB and Asha Bhosle, his tennis friends whom he meets every morning and his other online friends who maintain a website on his behalf.
Interspersed through the book are examples of his poetry such as: “Roz akeli aaye roz akeli jaaye, Chaand katora liye bhikhaaran raat, Roz akeli aaye roz akeli jaaye”, “Lagta hai kamzor sa peela chaand bhi shayad, Peepal ke sukhe patte sa, Lehraata lehraata mere lawn main aa kar utrega” and “Aankhon ko visa nahin lagta, Sapnon ki sarhad hoti nahin, Bandh aankhon se roz chala jaata hoon, Sarhad paar main milne Mehdi Hassan se”.
The book also brings forth the involvement Gulzar has as a lyricist in the making of a film including giving suggestions where he feels a song’s placement is not suitable. There’s also quite a bit of philosophy in the book which is quite natural considering it is Gulzar who is talking. For instance, he says, “Mood and temperament are different things. Temperament is a combination of personality and attitude, and moods are lived moments.”
Gulzar comes across as an extremely well-read person with an immense interest in literature and theatre which continues to be his first love. He often liberally quotes other authors and poets throughout the book including Rabindranath Tagore, Ahmad Faraz, Mirza Ghalib, etc.
Gulzar holds the record of having received the greatest number of Filmfare Awards for a combination of Screenplay, Dialogue, Direction and Lyrics. Talk about multi-tasking!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I learnt quite a lot about the lyricist with whom I have been fascinated for a long time. But more than the information, what stands out vividly is the humility of this great individual – his easy approachability, his gratefulness for the friends he has and his love for literature. He started writing lyrics in the early 1960s and continues to this day; it is to his credit that he has evolved and changed to suit the modern times and has made himself relevant even today. Though most of his fans, including yours truly, remember his earlier compositions with fond nostalgia (Read about my top five favourite songs here: http://pallosworld.blogspot.in/2013/0...).
Reading the book now makes me want to listen to every song ever penned down by him, watch every movie for which he has written the screenplay and/or dialogues and also the movies which he has directed. It also makes me want to read all the poetry books he has written including his translations of other poets such as Tagore. So much to do, so little time! Sigh.
I leave you with this explanation of Gulzar of why he wakes up at five: "I wake up at five when it is still dark. I want the sun to look for me instead of my looking for the sun. Just as the first serve in tennis can be advantageous., so the first serve must be mine. The second goes to the sun."
This review first appeared on my blog www.pallosworld.blogspot.in.
The book’s blurb reads: “In this book of conversations, Gulzar speaks with insight, candour and gentle humour about his life and work: his school days in Old Delhi, where he wrote his early poems; working in a garage in Mumbai before entering films; his association with legends such as Bimal Roy, Balraj Sahni, Sahir Ludhianvi, Meena Kumari, Shailendra, S. D. Burman, Hemant Kumar, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Lata Mangeshkar and R. D. Burman, among others; his love of tennis; and his deep connection with his wife, the legendary actor Rakhee, his daughter Meghna and his grandson Samay.”
The book is written in the form of conversations between Nasreen Munni Kabir (NMK) and Gulzar where the author also lets us know if, during their conversation, Gulzar has laughed or smiled at a particular sentence or if something has irritated him. I found this quite unique compared to the other biographies which are more of a monologue by the author.
The book, interviews for which were done mostly by Skype as NMK is based out of London, tells us, in Gulzar’s words, his birth at a place called Dina in current Pakistan, his coming to Delhi and subsequently Mumbai, how he used to read books by a lantern rented from a second-hand bookseller, his association with Bimal Roy as an assistant, his gradual movement to lyrics, screenplay writing and eventually direction. Since the book is in a conversational style, it does not follow any particular format or chronology. One can peruse just about any page of the book at will without having to read it from start to finish in one go. However, I managed to complete it within a day; such is its allure - I kept on turning the pages wishing to unearth some more gems :)
Though most of the information mentioned in the book is publicly available, what makes it interesting and eminently readable is the tidbits that Gulzar adds to it. For instance, we learn that Lata Mangeshkar found the line “Aap ki badmaashiyon ke ye naye andaaz hain” from the film Ghar most interesting. As a result, we can hear her laugh when she sings this line in the song. We also learn the origin of his daughter's name as Bosky and why he took on a pen-name Gulzar (his real name is Sampooran Singh Kalra).
Gulzar shared a wonderful relationship with Meena Kumari. She would make him sit by her side and ask him to read the scene to her while they were making Mere Apne. In fact, Gulzar started fasting during Ramzan for the full thirty days as Meena Kumari was very unwell and unable to fast. Gulzar told her he would fast on her behalf and they would share the blessings. Gulzar considered Bimal Roy as his mentor and learnt a great deal from him. It was because of him that he dared to venture into direction. He also fondly remembers his associations with RDB and Asha Bhosle, his tennis friends whom he meets every morning and his other online friends who maintain a website on his behalf.
Interspersed through the book are examples of his poetry such as: “Roz akeli aaye roz akeli jaaye, Chaand katora liye bhikhaaran raat, Roz akeli aaye roz akeli jaaye”, “Lagta hai kamzor sa peela chaand bhi shayad, Peepal ke sukhe patte sa, Lehraata lehraata mere lawn main aa kar utrega” and “Aankhon ko visa nahin lagta, Sapnon ki sarhad hoti nahin, Bandh aankhon se roz chala jaata hoon, Sarhad paar main milne Mehdi Hassan se”.
The book also brings forth the involvement Gulzar has as a lyricist in the making of a film including giving suggestions where he feels a song’s placement is not suitable. There’s also quite a bit of philosophy in the book which is quite natural considering it is Gulzar who is talking. For instance, he says, “Mood and temperament are different things. Temperament is a combination of personality and attitude, and moods are lived moments.”
Gulzar comes across as an extremely well-read person with an immense interest in literature and theatre which continues to be his first love. He often liberally quotes other authors and poets throughout the book including Rabindranath Tagore, Ahmad Faraz, Mirza Ghalib, etc.
Gulzar holds the record of having received the greatest number of Filmfare Awards for a combination of Screenplay, Dialogue, Direction and Lyrics. Talk about multi-tasking!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I learnt quite a lot about the lyricist with whom I have been fascinated for a long time. But more than the information, what stands out vividly is the humility of this great individual – his easy approachability, his gratefulness for the friends he has and his love for literature. He started writing lyrics in the early 1960s and continues to this day; it is to his credit that he has evolved and changed to suit the modern times and has made himself relevant even today. Though most of his fans, including yours truly, remember his earlier compositions with fond nostalgia (Read about my top five favourite songs here: http://pallosworld.blogspot.in/2013/0...).
Reading the book now makes me want to listen to every song ever penned down by him, watch every movie for which he has written the screenplay and/or dialogues and also the movies which he has directed. It also makes me want to read all the poetry books he has written including his translations of other poets such as Tagore. So much to do, so little time! Sigh.
I leave you with this explanation of Gulzar of why he wakes up at five: "I wake up at five when it is still dark. I want the sun to look for me instead of my looking for the sun. Just as the first serve in tennis can be advantageous., so the first serve must be mine. The second goes to the sun."
This review first appeared on my blog www.pallosworld.blogspot.in.
January 25, 2019
Listening from Gulzar (through words) is always a pleasant experience.
January 17, 2021
A very simple, light read. If you’re a Gulzar fan, you ought to read this book.
November 29, 2024
A Bard’s Eye View
What can be said about Gulzar that hasn’t already been said. Nearly every conversation among friends around poetry, the Urdu language or Hindi film songs—and sometimes even mundane details of life—tends to bring Gulzar’s name to our mind. It makes sense thus, that the story of Gulzar’s life unfolds before us in the form of a series of conversations with the author of this volume, Nasreen Munni Kabir.
With his trademark humour and artful candour, Gulzar tells us about his early life during the Partition, about the time when he worked in a garage, takes us through the days when he borrowed books from a second-hand bookseller and read by the light of a lantern, hands out anecdotes about his close associates and influences in the film industry – from Bimal Roy, Balraj Sahni, Sahir Ludhianvi to Meena Kumari, Lata Mangeshkar, and S.D. Burman, among others.
Central to his life are certainly the daily writing hours, but also the games of tennis that he plays religiously every day and the time he gets to spend with his daughter and grandson. One of the most poignant things we learn is when he’s asked about his wife – famous yesteryear actor, Raakhee (whom he refers to as “Raakheeji” throughout). “We talk about the details of our lives every single day,” he says. She lives in her house and he lives in his, but she visits every now and then, sometimes cooks at his home, asks for his driver to take her around, celebrates important occasions with him and the family. “Living together, separately,” is how he describes it. When one knows how to find the right words, they are usually this simple.
It’s an extraordinary life, but each episode is narrated with such wistfulness and easy charm that the book reads like a breeze. Fusing Gulzar’s memory with his wisdom and experiences, Kabir takes the readers inside the most intimate spaces of his home and mind. In Gulzar’s home, he’s surrounded by photographs of people who matter to him most – portraits of Raakhee, their daughter Meghna, their grandson Samay, and Gulzar’s father. Just how many of us surround ourselves with his words, especially when the night is dark and his is the only light we can see.
What can be said about Gulzar that hasn’t already been said. Nearly every conversation among friends around poetry, the Urdu language or Hindi film songs—and sometimes even mundane details of life—tends to bring Gulzar’s name to our mind. It makes sense thus, that the story of Gulzar’s life unfolds before us in the form of a series of conversations with the author of this volume, Nasreen Munni Kabir.
With his trademark humour and artful candour, Gulzar tells us about his early life during the Partition, about the time when he worked in a garage, takes us through the days when he borrowed books from a second-hand bookseller and read by the light of a lantern, hands out anecdotes about his close associates and influences in the film industry – from Bimal Roy, Balraj Sahni, Sahir Ludhianvi to Meena Kumari, Lata Mangeshkar, and S.D. Burman, among others.
Central to his life are certainly the daily writing hours, but also the games of tennis that he plays religiously every day and the time he gets to spend with his daughter and grandson. One of the most poignant things we learn is when he’s asked about his wife – famous yesteryear actor, Raakhee (whom he refers to as “Raakheeji” throughout). “We talk about the details of our lives every single day,” he says. She lives in her house and he lives in his, but she visits every now and then, sometimes cooks at his home, asks for his driver to take her around, celebrates important occasions with him and the family. “Living together, separately,” is how he describes it. When one knows how to find the right words, they are usually this simple.
It’s an extraordinary life, but each episode is narrated with such wistfulness and easy charm that the book reads like a breeze. Fusing Gulzar’s memory with his wisdom and experiences, Kabir takes the readers inside the most intimate spaces of his home and mind. In Gulzar’s home, he’s surrounded by photographs of people who matter to him most – portraits of Raakhee, their daughter Meghna, their grandson Samay, and Gulzar’s father. Just how many of us surround ourselves with his words, especially when the night is dark and his is the only light we can see.
July 2, 2013
Once while listening to recitatons of Gulzar's poems, I happened to express my awe for Gulzar by telling a friend, "Gulzar is God of Poetry". Today, years later, when I completed reading this book "In company of a Poet" which is actually Gulzar's biography written in format of an interview, that statement came to visit me all over again. When a man breathes poetry in every moment that he lives in; In what other words do I describe such a man? God of Poetry, ofcourse.
Nasreen Munni Kabir does a noteworthy job of capturing the spirit of a living legend. A must read for all Gulzar fans.
Nasreen Munni Kabir does a noteworthy job of capturing the spirit of a living legend. A must read for all Gulzar fans.
October 31, 2014
A biography ( or should I say autobiography since it is a set of conversations ) on Gulzar Saab, one of the multifaceted personalities of Indian cinema. He has been a song, script and dialog writer, director with many brilliant movies to his credit besides being a poet and short story writer. Interesting conversations on his life and works ( with some beautiful poems interspersed )
December 11, 2015
There could have been no better way to peek into the mind of a genius like Gulzar than to engage him in an intimate conversation. and that's what Nasreen Munni Kabeer has been able to do. The book format and hence the info flowing from it is simply outstanding.
January 7, 2016
Can't be a better way to kick off new year, New reading challenge.
Wonderfully written that feels like watching the conversation. Many places Gulzarsaab makes us smile with his own speciality : words.
Wonderfully written that feels like watching the conversation. Many places Gulzarsaab makes us smile with his own speciality : words.
May 10, 2020
I admire Gulzar Saab, he is someone who would be idolized by anyone who had any affection for Urdu, Hindi, Bollywood, Hindi Songs etc.
I am rating this book as 3/5 for a very simple reason that, I felt that the author NMK, could have done a better work with the conversation.
The conversation indeed gives an insight on the life of The Gulzar, but the writing of the book didn't do justice.
There was this constant monotone in the book, which was sad; sad because the book is about someone who is a master of words.
There were instances where it looked as if the author just wanted answers to her questions, what was missing was taking it forward from where Gulzar left in previous question (just the way a conversation should be), that would have maintained that rhythm.
I am rating this book as 3/5 for a very simple reason that, I felt that the author NMK, could have done a better work with the conversation.
The conversation indeed gives an insight on the life of The Gulzar, but the writing of the book didn't do justice.
There was this constant monotone in the book, which was sad; sad because the book is about someone who is a master of words.
There were instances where it looked as if the author just wanted answers to her questions, what was missing was taking it forward from where Gulzar left in previous question (just the way a conversation should be), that would have maintained that rhythm.
January 3, 2025
A lovely start to 2025 with this well-paced long-form interview turned into a book. To anyone with even a faint interest in Urdu poetry, Gulzar is a well-known name. In this conversation, Nasreen Munni Kabir asks the man himself about his stint in cinema and his greater contribution to Urdu literature through poetry and prose. Gulzar's point of view is thought provoking, humble and filled with a calm that leaps out of the book and into the reader's mind.
While the book was a very interesting read peppered with relevant poems from Gulzar himself and other poets that have influenced him, it would have been even better if the author had taken some liberty to add some of her own observations. With that, it would have been a 5-star read for me.
While the book was a very interesting read peppered with relevant poems from Gulzar himself and other poets that have influenced him, it would have been even better if the author had taken some liberty to add some of her own observations. With that, it would have been a 5-star read for me.
September 27, 2021
This book is a treat for all the fans of Gulzar Saab. The questions posed by the author lead to a beautiful conversation where Gulzar Saab reflects on his life and experiences. It's amazing to see how one of the most revered and popular Indian poets thinks about the life he had lived and the work he had done.
December 5, 2024
This book had been lying on my Indian fiction shelves for the longest time since I had possibly picked it up from my favorite second hand book seller at Mumbai's Kings Circle, after I had read the book with Javed Akhtar in the same series. Once again my work in re-arranging my shelves made me realize that here lay a non-fiction book and not one of poems and short stories as I had originally thought. This delicious discovery got me to read NMK's breathlessly long conversation with one of cinema and Hindi literature's greatest heroes.
In this go deep or go home book, NMK manages to converse with Gulzar and bring out depths from the journey of his life which otherwise even a televised interview or a documentary might not have been able to. Her coverage of his early days in life with his father and brother, early days struggling in Bombay and subsequent quest to establish himself are particularly poignant. The section of the conversation where she probes on him missing formal college education and how he took longer to feel established cause of the lack of it was a moment any teacher will resonate with.
Gulzar saab's detailed take on language and literature across India is perhaps a relic of a bygone era where most of wide reading and publishing in major cities is in English. I was heartened to read about his work on translating poems from other Indian languages to bring them to new audiences.
His description of his very early reading journey devouring books evokes envy and is uncannily similar to what I remember Javed Akhtar mentioning of his own reading journey. The similarity underscores that to have great output one must first have voracious intake. As a mere mortal, slow reader I feel envious of both the great songsters and their abilities.
Beyond his work its heartening to see NMK explore his personal interests whether it is playing tennis or his attachment and support for a nonprofit, Koshish which helps children with disabilities and also covering his relation with his personal staff. The latter is credits both to NMK and Gulzar saab for speaking about the role of those behind the scenes whether its his typist or even driver to keep his household and professional work running. In India we tend not to give enough credit to our domestic support and huge props to NMK for bringing this up.
Coincidentally a few days after finishing the book I had the opportunity to get it signed by the man himself at Mumbai LitLive 2024. I don't know whether I will revisit the book at a later stage but there is something which tugs the heart about this book-perhaps the format, some of the content or just the sheer stature of the man which made me hesitate for three weeks before writing this review. I don't think I have used as many alliterations before in a review. I won't reflect why on this but just listen to Chappa chappa charkha chale instead.
In this go deep or go home book, NMK manages to converse with Gulzar and bring out depths from the journey of his life which otherwise even a televised interview or a documentary might not have been able to. Her coverage of his early days in life with his father and brother, early days struggling in Bombay and subsequent quest to establish himself are particularly poignant. The section of the conversation where she probes on him missing formal college education and how he took longer to feel established cause of the lack of it was a moment any teacher will resonate with.
Gulzar saab's detailed take on language and literature across India is perhaps a relic of a bygone era where most of wide reading and publishing in major cities is in English. I was heartened to read about his work on translating poems from other Indian languages to bring them to new audiences.
His description of his very early reading journey devouring books evokes envy and is uncannily similar to what I remember Javed Akhtar mentioning of his own reading journey. The similarity underscores that to have great output one must first have voracious intake. As a mere mortal, slow reader I feel envious of both the great songsters and their abilities.
Beyond his work its heartening to see NMK explore his personal interests whether it is playing tennis or his attachment and support for a nonprofit, Koshish which helps children with disabilities and also covering his relation with his personal staff. The latter is credits both to NMK and Gulzar saab for speaking about the role of those behind the scenes whether its his typist or even driver to keep his household and professional work running. In India we tend not to give enough credit to our domestic support and huge props to NMK for bringing this up.
Coincidentally a few days after finishing the book I had the opportunity to get it signed by the man himself at Mumbai LitLive 2024. I don't know whether I will revisit the book at a later stage but there is something which tugs the heart about this book-perhaps the format, some of the content or just the sheer stature of the man which made me hesitate for three weeks before writing this review. I don't think I have used as many alliterations before in a review. I won't reflect why on this but just listen to Chappa chappa charkha chale instead.
August 18, 2017
Always just a pleasant experience to hear/read Gulzaar saab speak. Since the book is a collection of conversation and mostly personal life and his views of his and other's work so its a lot more interesting to know.
July 4, 2018
It is a good book. Gives as a good view of Gulzar's life but there is no discussion about how he met Rakhee. Although the book is a must read if you are looking for something about his poetry, short stories, direction and songs.
September 25, 2018
Nice insights into the world of a poet. The book is very interesting in the initially, but slows down a bit in the middle. Some of his song lyrics compelled me to know more about the maestro and hence I got interested in reading this.
March 8, 2022
The author knows how to extract information smoothly, without making this interview sound like an interview. The chapterless novel is much like Neelesh Mishra's slow interviews. It's a fun read, peering into the head that produced lyrics which will outlive us all.
May 27, 2017
Amazing book for Guzar Saab lovers. Gulzar saab in his unique style has been very open in sharing everything about his life from childhood to current activities.
May 19, 2018
Good conversation
Good casual read. One need to be aware of Gulzar saab 's work to enjoy this. Not an autobiography, but guves good insight about the person and poet .
Good casual read. One need to be aware of Gulzar saab 's work to enjoy this. Not an autobiography, but guves good insight about the person and poet .
December 2, 2018
Candid insight of a poet
A candid insight of a poet and writer. Always admired his songs and the book brought me much closer to him.
A candid insight of a poet and writer. Always admired his songs and the book brought me much closer to him.
March 17, 2019
It's a beautiful book
December 17, 2020
Must read.. I’m a Gulzar fan ..I love his poetry
April 25, 2023
Just amazing how the book is written as its an interview but doesnt flow like a typical one. Anyone who is curious to know more about Gulzar and the amazing creative mind that he is, should read it
September 11, 2025
Fantastic. Full of memories, incidents from his rich experience !
August 5, 2016
This book is written as a conversation between Nasreen and Gulzar. Nasreen is a historian on Hindi films and has many books to her credit. Interviews were setup over Skype as Nasreen is based in London. Throughout the book she lets us know if a particular question or answer made Gulzar smile, laugh, irritated etc. These notes makes you feel like and audience and not just a reader. Throughout the book you will be meeting and knowing about the pioneers of film industry like Bimal Roy, Meena Kumari, R D Burman, Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar etc. You would come to know why Gulzar’s preferred style of writing is blank verse and how that brings out the genius of composers like RD Burman and AR Rehman. Gulzar comes across as very pragmatic and well-read person. This reflects in his ease of adaptability to write for today’s music taste. The book contains many insights on his personal life and day to day activities. His views on music, singers and directing is very refreshing. Many books have been written about Gulzar and this one is a good start to start knowing about him. I enjoyed reading this book for its ease of style and areas it covered. I was left wanting though on creation and making of TV series Ghalib, which to this date is perhaps the best association in poetry, acting, music and direction. Other than that it’s an interesting read. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to know about the making of Gulzar, his poetry and any Hindi film aficionado. I’ll leave you with my favorite line of Gulzar “Mukhtasar si baat hai, tumse pyar hai, tumhara intezaar hai” Read what Gulzar has to say about Hemant Kumar’s voice which makes these words unforgettable.
December 23, 2015
I feel blessed sometimes that I’ve been breathing in the era of Gulzar Saab, literally it is hard to imagine the Indian music and poetry world without him. The way he expressed every emotion, the charm he weaved while directing movies, the magic he sprinkled while writing lyrics, speechless is the only word I’m left with.
I have already read “Conversation with Waheeda rahman by Naseen Munni Kabir” and I was in awe how she indulged with the artist while conversing them.. Sometimes It felt like we were in front of the respective person and trying to know their lives.
“In the Company of Poet” covers the most of the life events of Gulzar Saab in his own words. NMK doesn’t exaggerate things. She portrayed the person as he/she are. And that’s the beauty of NMK’s books!
This Book reveals the highs and lows of the life of Gulzar Saab, in an expressive manner. As The India-Pak Partition time, when his family had left the Dina(Pakistan) and come to Delhi. How he suffered in initial days... How he fell in love with books, how he started working with Bimal Da, How he got his first song as lyricist and so on… The success story, the relation between many characters related to Classical Indian Cinema.
Full Review : http://soundingwords.blogspot.in/2015...
I have already read “Conversation with Waheeda rahman by Naseen Munni Kabir” and I was in awe how she indulged with the artist while conversing them.. Sometimes It felt like we were in front of the respective person and trying to know their lives.
“In the Company of Poet” covers the most of the life events of Gulzar Saab in his own words. NMK doesn’t exaggerate things. She portrayed the person as he/she are. And that’s the beauty of NMK’s books!
This Book reveals the highs and lows of the life of Gulzar Saab, in an expressive manner. As The India-Pak Partition time, when his family had left the Dina(Pakistan) and come to Delhi. How he suffered in initial days... How he fell in love with books, how he started working with Bimal Da, How he got his first song as lyricist and so on… The success story, the relation between many characters related to Classical Indian Cinema.
Full Review : http://soundingwords.blogspot.in/2015...
July 31, 2014
This is a small book about Gulzar-saab, the much-admired poet, lyricist and director. It is in the form of an interview. It can be read as a part-biography, part opionion. It is very readable anyway!
Gulzar is very simple and down-to-earth with his responses to the questions about his early life. This makes the book even more endearing. He touches upon his early days with stalwarts of that era, of how he came to be a film lyricist, how he learnt his film craft from the great Bimal Roy...
He gave up directing movies in the nineties. The reason for this is not clearly explained. Also, he touches upon the great music directors of the time, including RD Burman, with whom he had a great professional relationship. Unfortunately, not much is mentioned about RD - I wish he had given more details about the type of man RD was and their jelling together... But anyway, this is a book about Gulzar, not RD!
All in all, a great read, a must read for Hindi film music and Gulzar fans!
Gulzar is very simple and down-to-earth with his responses to the questions about his early life. This makes the book even more endearing. He touches upon his early days with stalwarts of that era, of how he came to be a film lyricist, how he learnt his film craft from the great Bimal Roy...
He gave up directing movies in the nineties. The reason for this is not clearly explained. Also, he touches upon the great music directors of the time, including RD Burman, with whom he had a great professional relationship. Unfortunately, not much is mentioned about RD - I wish he had given more details about the type of man RD was and their jelling together... But anyway, this is a book about Gulzar, not RD!
All in all, a great read, a must read for Hindi film music and Gulzar fans!
April 30, 2015
Gulzar is such a sweet-heart. Such a straight-forward and down-to-earth person and yet doesn’t come across as somebody who would be rude or harsh even while being straight-forward.
His lyrics would always be fresh like dew-drops, never get old or weary on this (referring to myself) unassuming, benign and incognizant mind
I already loved him for his various hues of work specially his songs and now I feel that I should go read every poem, song, story, play or translation that he has worked on. Wish I could learn the language that he always writes in. Would definitely try and get his books on poems and short stories that are in Hindi or English. Wish I could understand all that he writes
Now my love for this amazing person has grown to a greater extent.
And kudos to Nasreen Munni Kabir for getting Gulzar saab speak so much about his life and work. It was as if he was speaking directly to the readers
His lyrics would always be fresh like dew-drops, never get old or weary on this (referring to myself) unassuming, benign and incognizant mind
I already loved him for his various hues of work specially his songs and now I feel that I should go read every poem, song, story, play or translation that he has worked on. Wish I could learn the language that he always writes in. Would definitely try and get his books on poems and short stories that are in Hindi or English. Wish I could understand all that he writes
Now my love for this amazing person has grown to a greater extent.
And kudos to Nasreen Munni Kabir for getting Gulzar saab speak so much about his life and work. It was as if he was speaking directly to the readers
February 4, 2017
Author of the book was way off the topic. People want to know about Gulzar Sahab, what Gulzar Sahab is from inside. What is his thought process,way of thinking. The book is like question and answers. But most of the questions asked to Gulzar Sahab were about his work experiences with other renowned personalities of bollywood. Sorry to say but focus was not on Gulzar Sahab in most of the book. Also book is written in very dry manner and hardly invokes any interest among readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews