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 Bollywood, being the country’s largest film industry with a global reach, is privileged with adroit and consummate literary artists, whose words add a complete expression and meaning to the indispensable songs of Hindi films. The lyrics composed by these master litterateurs make up the multifarious myriad songs of Bollywood, along with their music.
The primitive era of Hindi films witnessed the works and compositions of renowned poet Kavi Pradeep, who got his first break from the founder of the erstwhile film studio Bombay Talkies, Himanshu Rai. Pradeep penned the lyrics of 4 songs of ‘Kangan’ (1939), all of which became very popular. The era of the 50s and the 60s gave Hindi films the noted lyricist Bharat Vyas and accomplished Urdu poet Shakeel Badayuni. Other renowned Urdu poets, Kaifi Azmi and Sahir Ludhianvi, are remembered for their work in Hindi films during late 50s and 60s. Azmi’s lyrics for Guru Dutt’s cult ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’ (1959), such as "Bichade Sabhi Bari Bari" and "Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Situm" are unforgettable. Also, his greatest feat as a writer-cum-poet was for Chetan Anand’s ‘Heer Ranjha’ (1970), wherein the entire dialogue of the film is in verse, the only of its kind in Hindi cinema. Ludhianvi reached the creative zenith with Guru Dutt’s classic ‘Pyaasa’ (1957), alongside composer S. D. Burman.
 Golden Era of Hindi Cinema also saw literary genius Shailendra pen the lyrics of famous songs like "Mera Joota Hei Japani" and "Dost Dost Na Raha". Majrooh Sultanpuri, an established Hakim wrote over 4000 Hindi film songs with a success rate of 95 per cent, for films like ‘Dosti’, ‘Teesri Manzil’, ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’ and ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’. The period of late 60s and 70s saw the rise of lyricist Anand Bakshi, whose work for films ‘Milan’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Ek Duuje Ke Liye’ and ‘Amar Prem’ are considered musical milestones.
The lyricists of the bygone century who still reign in prominence today are the immensely famed Gulzar and Javed Akhtar. Gulzar’s award winning songs include "Aanewala Pal Jaanewala Hai", "Tujhse Naraz Nahin Zindagi", "Chal Chaiyyan Chaiyyan" and "Kajra Re", while Javed Akhtar’s most popular compositions include "Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar", "Ek Do Teen", "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To", "Sandese Aate Hain", "Dil Chahta Hai" and "Kal Ho Naa Ho".
The other prominent and recognised lyricists of contemporary times include Sameer, who has penned the tracks of ‘Saajan’, ‘Raja Hindustani’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Devdas’, ‘No Entry’, ‘Dhoom:2’, while multiple awarded Prasoon Joshi has written the lyrics for ‘Hum Tum’, ‘Fanaa’, ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Delhi 6’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, and Irshad Kamil whose repertoire encompasses ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Love Aaj Kal’, ‘Rockstar’ and ‘Tamasha’.
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