August 7 is the noted story, screenplay and dialogue writer Vrajendra Gaur’s death anniversary. I have followed the career of Gaur closely as I was the assistant of this kind-hearted, gifted and magnanimous writer for a number of years. Though Gaur wrote more than 75 films, he was essentially a literary person who started writing at the tender age of 15.
He wrote many dramas, stories and books like Calcutta ka Qatleaam and Parole Par (both banned by the then British Government for their anti-British sentiments), Manzil, Jagte Raho, Sindoor Ki Laaj, Aadhi Raat ka Suraj, etc.
It was actor Motilal who urged Gaur to write for films after listening to one of his radio plays. The result was the super-hit Motilal starrer ‘Sawan’. In the 35 years that Gaur was associated with the film industry he wrote films like Bimal Roy’s ‘Parineeta’, ‘Sangram’, ‘China Town’, ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Kati Patang’, ‘Sharmeelee’, ‘Anuraag’, ‘Lal Pathar’, ‘Geet Gaata Chal’, ‘Saraswatichandra’, ‘Ankhiyon Ke Jharokon Se’, ‘Teen Deviyaan’, ‘The Great Gambler’, ‘Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaye’, etc.
For ‘Dulhan Wohi…’ he won the Filmfare awards for best screenplay and dialogue.
The lack of genuinely gifted writers like Vrajendra Gaur, has been a great loss to the Hindi film industry.
— Ajay Rajput, Santacruz
The year 1980 was a black year in the annals of the Hindi film industry. On three consecutive Thursdays beginning July 24, the film industry lost three great personalities to the cruel hands of death. On July 24, the great Bengali actor Uttam Kumar passed away followed by Mohd Rafi on July 31 and lastly famous script writer Vrajendra Gaur died on August 7. Rafi, Vrajendra Gaur and Uttam Kumar were 55 years old at the time of their untimely demise.
The three immensely talented personalities will always be remembered for their great contribution to Indian cinema for they are the pillars of Bollywood.
— Saira Akhtar, Mahim
The script is the foundation of any film and when the script is strong the film excels and becomes popular. There have been some prominent writers of Hindi films but one name that cannot be ignored is Vrajendra Gaur’s, whose death anniversary falls on 7th August. His prominent films have been ‘Kati Patang’, ‘Anuraag’, the ‘Great Gambler’, ‘Sharmeelee’, ‘China Town’, ‘Saraswatichandra’, ‘Geet Gaata Chal’ and a host of Dev Anand films like ‘Teen Deviyaan’, ‘Warrant’ (Dev’s last hit), ‘Pyar Mohabbat’, ‘Duniya’, ‘Baat Ek Raat Ki’, ‘Mahal’, etc. etc. When we talk of the standard of Hindi films nosediving, we forget that gifted writers like Vrajendra Gaur are sadly no longer with us. May he R.I.P.
— Danny Jacob, Thane