Never wanted to come in cinema, I was in love with books: Gulzar

MUMBAI: Veteran poet-lyricist and filmmaker Gulzar says he never really envisioned a career in cinema as his first love was always literature.

Speaking at the inaugural session of ‘Celebrate Cinema 2025’, held at filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s film institute Whistling Woods on Wednesday evening, the 91-year-old icon said he was deeply drawn to books, both as a reader and as someone who dreamed of being a writer.

“I never wanted to come to the cinema and I didn’t want to write for cinema, and I would refuse it (work offers). I was fascinated with books; I was in love with the books. I would read a lot of books, literature.

"I would rather put my name on the books of Vipassana short stories, and see how my name looks on a book? I would watch films but I didn’t have that love for cinema that wa