‘An excellent book that treats the Hindi film song with the seriousness and respect it deserves… It marks the birth of a new genre—the Hindi film songbook that combines anecdote, line translations and serious discussion on craft and song vocabulary.’—Hindustan Times
A legend of Hindi cinema, Gulzar is among South Asia’s finest poets and lyricists, whose songs have touched millions. He remains as popular today, and as sensitive a chronicler of our emotions, as he was over half a century ago. In this book of conversations with the acclaimed author and documentary filmmaker Nasreen Munni Kabir, Gulzar speaks about the making of his most enduring songs—from ‘Mora gora ang lai le’ (Bandini; 1963) and ‘Dil dhoondta hai’ (Mausam; 1975) to ‘Jiya jale’ (Dil Se; 1998) and ‘Dil toh bachcha hai ji’ (Ishqiya; 2010). He also discusses the songs of other greats, like Shailendra and Sahir Ludhianvi; his favourite music directors, like SD and RD Burman, Hemant Kumar and AR Rahman; and playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Vani Jairam, Jagjit Singh and Bhupinder Singh.
Full of insight, anecdote and analysis—and containing over 40 songs, in roman script and English translation—this book is a treasure for students and lovers of Hindi cinema, music and poetry.