Him And His Reflection

There is no end to the number of books written about Gulzar. But there is something unique about the latest release. Because He Is. It's penned by the one who is part of his being.

- Nidhi Raj Singh

Gulzar is undisputedly the most soulful lyricist of our time. He is also one of the most intuitive filmmakers the industry has seen. A few of you may know that he was born Sampooran Singh Kalra and sported a turban in his adolescence, but how many of you know that he used to tie his daughter’s shoe laces? You might have observed his obsession with white kurtas, but did you know that for a brief period of time, he wore a dhoti too? You must have read about the love he shared with actor Rakhee, but you might like to know that there is serious confusion between the former couple about the place they first met. These are not just trivia we have collected but facts revealed by his daughter, Meghna Gulzar… Bosky to him. But, this book is not about scandals and titillating details of his life.

Her book, by her own admission, is not an exploration of her childhood either. It is about him, his life, her Papi. She feels that her childhood was a stage in his life and his love for her mother is the longest short story of his life. The subject is always him.

The book is also about a changing India, from the eyes of a bewildered Sikh boy. And about a changing Pakistan, the country he was born in, from the eyes of an ageing poet.