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| Home > Luminaries of the Indian Film Industry > Writers
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| | Writers of Indian Film Industry
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Sampoorna Singh Gulzar (1936):
 The famous director and writer and lyricist born in Deena, Jhelum district (now in Pakistan) began his career as a poet for the PWA. In 1963, he wrote the lyrics for Bimal Roy`s film Bandini, and went on to write scripts and lyrics for Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee, Asit Sen, Buddhadev Dasgupta, and Kumar Shahani. Gulzar directed his first film Mere Apne in 1968, and later produced and directed the films Khushboo (1975), Kitaab (1977) and Kinara (1977), Meera (1979), and Namkeen (1982). Other films that bear Gulzar`s trademark scripts and dialogues are Ashirwad (1968), Khamoshi (1969) on the unrequited love of a nurse at a mental hospital, Safar (1970) on the courage of a man dying of cancer, Gharonda (1977), Khatta Meetha (1977), Angoor (1981), Masoom (1982), Ijaazat (1987), and Lekin (1990). He also wrote for the television serial Mirza Ghalib (1988). His lyrics for the award-winning film Rudaali (1993) are as popular as those for Maachis (1994) - on the insurgency problem of Punjab. Hu Tu Tu (1998), on the making of a politician, is his last film, and equal to the others - superb in direction, dialogue, and performance. All of Gulzar`s films testify to the powerful, deft handling of this master of his art.
Kamal Amrohi (1918-93):
 A writer, director and poet, Kamal Amrohi is renowned as the man who wrote for the 1939 superhit Pukar and the 1971 megahit Pakeezah. Other films to his credit are Mahal (1949), Shankar Hussain (1977), Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi, and the 1983 film Razia Sultan. Be they historicals, costume dramas or socially relevant, the one thing the films had in common was a powerful delineation of character and dialogue. Amrohi (real name: Syed Amir Haider Kamal) himself remained an enigma.
Ismat Chugtai (1915-91):
 Born in Badaun, Ismat Chugtai was the only woman to rank among the important figures of the 40s Urdu literary scene. Her stories were often controversial, set in the middle class milieu and the characters pushed against convention. One, Lihaaf (1942), led to an obscenity trial at Lahore. Married to producer Shaheed Latif, she was involved in some of his films, for example Ziddi (1948). The film was Dev Anand`s first success. Chugtai worked as scenarist and producer on a few of Latif`s films - Arzoo (1950), Darwaza (1954), Society (1955), and Sone Ki Chidiya (1958). Also, she wrote for and co-directed Faraib (1953); directed the children`s film Jawaab Ayega (1968) and My Dreams (1975), a documentary. Chugtai wrote the dialogues for Junoon (1978), a Shyam Benegal film, and for Barkha Bahar (1973) as well as for Mehfil (1978); the story for Garam Hawa (1973) - a major film set in the turbulence of the Partition of India.
Rajinder Singh Bedi (1915-84): 
Director and short story writer, Rajinder Singh Bedi was the brain behind the renowned story Ek Chader Maili Si - set in rural Punjab. He authored the work and scripted the film (1986). Previously, he had written dialogues for Minerva Movietone`s Mirza Ghalib (1954), Bimal Roy`s Devdas (1955) and Madhumati (1958), Hrishikesh Mukherjee`s Anuradha (1960) and Anupama (1966). Bedi believed in the writer`s craftsmanship rather than mere creativity. His language was of the people - khari boli - rather than a high-flown style. The down-to-earth approach set him apart, whether in the earthiness of Ek Chader Maili Si or the acute sensitivity of Anuradha and Anupama.
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