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Synopsis From 'Mora gora ang lai le', his first film lyric written for Bimal Roy's Bandini in 1963, to the haunting 'Dil dhoondta hai' (Mausam) and 'Naam gum jayega' (Kinara), the unforgettable 'Humne dekhi hai un ankhon ki mehekti khushboo' (Khamoshi) and 'Is mod se jaate hain' (Aandhi), and the extraordinary 'Mera kuchh samaan' (Ijaazat) and 'Chupke se lag ja gale' (Saathiya), Gulzar has brought a rare poetic sensibility to popular Hindi film music over a fivedecade- long career. His sensitive portrayal of the many nuances of human relationships, his sophisticated insights into psychological complexities, his ability to capture the essence of nature's sounds and spoken dialects in written words, and above all his inimitable—and often surprising—imagery have entertained his legions of fans over successive generations.

The 100 lyrics in this volume, published to coincide with Gulzar's seventy-fifth birthday, are handpicked by Gulzar himself, and represent his most memorable compositions of all time. Included here are a selection of lyrics from his non-film albums as well as chartbusters like 'Chhaiyya chhaiyya' (Dil Se), 'Kajra re' (Bunty Aur Babli) and 'Jai ho' (Slumdog Millionaire). A bilingual volume containing the original lyrics in Devnagari script alongside lucid and evocative English translations, and featuring anecdotes about the composition of the lyrics, as well as a wonderful introduction by Gulzar himself, this collection is full of nostalgic charm and poetic finesse, and will delight readers for hours on end.