Hyderabad: The Jnanpith selection committee on Saturday announced that legendary Urdu poet Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya have been named the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award.
Gulzar, known for his contributions to Hindi cinema, is recognised as a prominent Urdu poet of current times. His accolades include the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in 2002, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2013, the Padma Bhushan in 2004, and multiple National Film Awards.
Starting his career as a lyricist with music director SD Burman in the 1963 film Bandini, Gulzar collaborated with various music directors such as RD Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Vishal Bhardwaj, and AR Rahman. Apart from his poetic prowess, Gulzar is also known for his work in dialogues and film direction, directing notable films like Aandhi, Mausam, and the TV series Mirza Ghalib.
On the other hand, Rambhadracharya, the founder and head of Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, Madhya Paradesh, is a prominent figure in the realms of Hindu spirituality, education, and literary works. Despite being blind from infancy with no formal education until the age of seventeen, Rambhadracharya is proficient in 22 languages, showcasing his talent as a spontaneous poet and author in Sanskrit, Hindi, Awadhi, Maithili, and several other languages, without the aid of Braille or any external assistance.
The Jnanpith selection committee, in a statement mentioned that the recipients of the 2023 award are eminent writers from two distinct languages -Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and the renowned Urdu litterateur, Shri Gulzar. The 2022 Jnanpith Award was bestowed upon the Goan writer Damodar Mauzo.
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