Gulzar receives Jnanpith Award – Rediff.com movies

IMAGE: Gulzar with Bharatiya Jnanpith Trustee Mudit Jain. Photograph: Kind courtesy Mudit Jain

Gulzar on Thursday, May 22, 2025, received the 58th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour, at his home Boskyanna in suburban Bandra.

The 90-year-old poet was not able to attend the ceremony in New Delhi last week due to health-related issues.

Gulzar was given a citation plaque, a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh and a bronze replica of Vagdevi Saraswati by Bharatiya Jnanpith Trustee Mudit Jain, former secretary Dharmpal and General Manager R N Tewari.

‘We met Gulzar sahab at his residence today afternoon to honour him with the Jnanpith Award. Gulzar sahab’s son-in-law Govind Sandhu, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, his wife Rekha, and a few writers were present on this occasion,’ Tewari said.

Gulzar is the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002, the Padma Bhushan in 2004, the Academy Award and Grammy for the song Jai Ho in 2008 for Slumdog Millionaire, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2013 for his contribution to the Indian film industry.

Born Sampooran Singh Kalra, Gulzar is celebrated for his works in Hindi cinema and considered one of the finest Urdu poets of this era. He has also helmed critically acclaimed films like Parichay, Koshish, Aandhi, Maachis, and Hu Tu Tu among others.

Some of his most notable songs are Maine Tere Liye in Anand, Dil Dhundhta Hai in Mausam, Chhaiya Chhaiya in Dil Se.. and Ay Hairathe Aashiqui in Guru.

Instituted in 1961 by Shanti Prasad Jain and Rama Jain, the Bharatiya Jnanpith award has been given to noted litterateurs of Indian languages, including Firaq Gorakhpuri, Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’, Ashapoorna Devi, Mahadevi Varma, Girish Karnad, Nirmal Verma, and Damodar Mauzo.

Photograph: Sahil Salvi, curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff