As an author, poet, lyricist, director and screenwriter, he wears many hats. But Gulzar says that the Jnanpith – India’s highest literary award – is a special one, since an honour for literature is always close to his heart. Excerpts from a chat:

Gulzar feels that despite a literary body of work that goes back nearly 50 years, he has received more accolades for his film songs.

“I have got appreciation for film songs, but a literary award is special. I felt that maybe my literary work wasn’t reaching people. But then, this award proves that perception wrong, and I accept it with all humility. Literature has always been my principal fascination. In fact, I didn’t want to move to films, but it was (filmmaker) Bimal Roy who held my hand while I was working in a motor garage and brought me to write for films. I did not have much work in the garage so I would spend a lot of time reading. Even after I started working in cinema, I kept writing books.”

Even today, the 89-year-old spends a lot of time reading the works of other writers and is aware of latest developments in contemporary Indian literature. He has translated contemporary Indian poetry from 34 languages and the works of nearly 300 poets.

“In recent years, the most dynamic and assertive poetry has come out of the Northeast. I’ve also been reading authors Ashok Vajpeyi, Dilip Chitre and Kishor Kadam, who writes under the pseudonym Saumitra in Marathi. As for writers and poets in Hindi cinema, Javed Akhtar has written poignant poetry in Urdu. Nida Fazli, who left us recently, has a wonderful body of work. Prasoon Joshi is also an important name in the field.”

Gulzar’s appreciation and love for the works of Rabindranath Tagore are well documented, and he has translated two volumes of the Nobel laureate. “Tagore is a classic poet like Ghalib. The more I delved into his works the more fascinated I was.”

Gulzar has given the film industry some of its most iconic romantic songs. “People associate me with romance because of my work in films but I see romance in everything, even in the pain and struggle, and in my love for the nation. I would like to tell people, have an affair with life, you will enjoy it.”