Celebrating Gulzar’s 91st Birthday, here are some facts you didn’t know about him

A Painter Before A Poet: Before entering films, Gulzar dreamt of becoming a painter. He used to paint signboards and car paint jobs to make a living. It was his love for words that eventually pulled him into writing poetry, leading to his entry into Indian cinema. (Source: Photo by Express Photo Archives )

The Name 'Gulzar': His birth name is Sampooran Singh Kalra, but he adopted Gulzar as his pen name after joining a progressive writers’ association. The word “Gulzar” means a blooming garden, reflecting the richness and freshness in his poetry. (Source: Photo by Express Photo Archives )

Started with Bimal Roy's Team: Gulzar began his film journey as part of director Bimal Roy’s team. His first break as a lyricist came with the film Bandini (1963), where he wrote the iconic song Mora Gora Ang Layle, sung by Lata Mangeshkar. (Source: Photo by Express Photo Archives )

A National Award Winning Director: Apart from being a poet and lyricist, Gulzar is also a successful filmmaker. His films like Mausam (1975) and Aandhi (1975) earned critical acclaim, and he won the National Award for Best Director for Mausam. (Source: Photo by Express Photo Archives )

Global Recognition: Gulzar co-wrote the lyrics for Jai Ho in Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. This brought his poetry to the global stage, making him one of the few Indian lyricists to hold both an Oscar and a Grammy Award. (Source: Photo by Express Photo Archives )

A Children's Writer By Heart: Few know that Gulzar has written extensively for children. His creations like Ek Tha Bachpan, Ghalib, and TV shows such as Potli Baba Ki introduced young audiences to poetry and storytelling in the most magical way, proving his versatility beyond cinema. (Source: Photo by Express Photo Archives )