Sampooran Singh Kalra, better known by his stage name Gulzar, was born on August 18, 1934, in India. He is an Urdu poet, lyricist, playwright, screenwriter, and director best renowned for his contributions to Hindi cinema. He is recognised as one of this generation's outstanding Urdu poets. In Dina, Jhelum District, British India, to Makhan Singh Kalra and Sujan Kaur, Gulzar was born into a Sikh household.

He recalled reading translations of Tagore's works in school as one of several life-changing experiences. He was first scolded by his father for being a writer. He used the pen name Gulzar Deenvi, subsequently changing it to just Gulzar. He discussed how much he enjoyed his employment as a painter in a Rajyasabha TV interview, saying that it gave him plenty of time to read, write, go to college, and be active in the PWA (Progressive Writers Association). Raakhee is an actress who is wed to Gulzar. Meghna Gulzar, the couple's daughter, was born.

He began his career writing lyrics for the 1963 movie Bandini, working with music director S.D. Burman, and later collaborated with R. D. Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Vishal Bhardwaj, and A. R. Rahman. Gulzar also writes screenplays, poetry, and conversation. In the 1970s, he directed movies including Aandhi and Mausam, and in the 1980s, he directed the TV show Mirza Ghalib. 1993 saw him directing Kirdaar as well.In addition to various additional languages including Braj Bhasha, Khariboli, Haryanvi, and Marwari, Gulzar predominantly works in Urdu and Punjabi. His verse uses Triveni-style stanzas For various Doordarshan TV programmes, including Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Hello Zindagi, Guchche, and Potli Baba Ki with Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar wrote the music and dialogue. More recently, he wrote and provided narration for the Karadi Tales children's audiobook series. Gulzar is also connected to Aarushi, an NGO that works in the field of education and is located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He has produced poems and short tales for the Chakmak journal. Gulzar has also contributed to a number of Bollywood films, including Anand, Mere Apne, Omkara, and others.

He has also won 22 Filmfare Awards, one Academy Award, one Grammy Award, and five Indian National Film Awards, including two for best lyrics, one for best screenplay, one for second best feature film (director), and one for best popular film (director). He received the Sahitya Akademi Honour for Hindi in 2002, the third-highest civilian award in India, the Padma Bhushan, in 2004, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the top honour in Indian film, in 2013. Gulzar was chosen to lead Assam University as its chancellor in April 2013.