In a career spanning 42 years, Gulshan Bawara has to his credit about 240 songs, he collaborated with noted music directors like Kalyanji Anandji, Shankar Jaikishan, and R D Burman composed almost half of songs in films like Khel Khel Mein (1975), Kasme Vaade (1976) and Satte Pe Satta (1982). Apart from R.D. Burman hits, he is most remembered for his songs like, Mere Desh Ki Dharti in Upkaar (1968), and Yaari Hai Imaan Mera, Zanjeer (1974), both of which got him the Filmfare Best Lyricist Award.
The latter also top the Binaca Geetmala annual list of 1973. As a character actor, he also appeared in a small number of Hindi films. He wanted to come into films and applied for a job with the Railways. He was posted to Kota which was then in Rajasthan but when he arrived there, the vacancy was filled. His next call was luckily that for the post of a clerk at Mumbai and he arrived in the city in 1955.
Gulshan struggled to get a film break, initially keeping his job on. Kalyanji (-Anandji), then on his own as Kalyanji Virji Shah, gave him his first opening in Chandrasena (1959) in the song 'Main kya jaanu kahan laage yeh saawan matwala re' sung by Lata Mangeshkar. K-A's first joint film, the Meena Kumari-Balraj Sahni starrer Satta Bazar later the same year marked his first brush with success with hits like 'Tumhein yaad hoga kabhi hum mile the' (Lata-Hemant), 'Aakde ka dhanda' (Rafi) and 'Chandi ke chand tukdon ke liye' (Hemant Kumar).It was during the making of this film that the film's distributor Shantibhai Patel christened him 'Bawra'. Almost half of his songs have been with R.D.Burman.
His last release was Zulmi (1999) and his last hit was 'Le pappiyaan jhappiyaan paale hum' for Haqeeqat/1995, which landed him in his only controversy - of writing a vulgar song. As always, Bawra is selective and is doing two films only today. He finds today's filmmakers, music barons and composers musically illiterate and thus is even choosier than before, as he lives a secure, relaxed life. 'Why should I torture myself or waste my lyrics and talents on those who will ask me to do all sorts of compromises?' he asks. His films in the '90s include, besides Haqeeqat and Zulmi, Qurbani Rang Jaayegi, Tehkiqaat, Laat Saab, Maidan-E-Jung, Indrajeet and Chor Pe Mor.
Contributed by :-Shri. Mitul Kansal , kansalmitul@gmail.com