Caged: Memories Have Names, written by Gulzar and translated into English by Sathya Saran is not a traditional memoir. It is a collection of poems remembering the people who have affected him and inspired him. From Pablo Neruda to Rabindranath Tagore and from Sanjeev Kumar to his grandson, Gulzar has penned his feelings for everyone in a captivating manner.

The words, the memories, the myriad emotions form a cage of love not only in his heart but also in the book that we as readers are very lucky to have found and read.

“I was trying to catch a butterfly. She escaped, but left her colours on my fingers.”

As he paints the picture of each individual important to him with his words, we get a glimpse of Gulzar’s relationship with them, his admiration for some and his all encompassing love for others.

In his true style, he writes for Shakespeare,

मकामले हिफ़्ज़ हैं सभी को
कि चार सौ साल बाद भी ज़िन्दगी के
सारे तज़ाद अब भी उसी तरह हैं
अभी तलक कशमकश वहीं है,
To be or … not to be!

I have loved the songs written by him. The play of words, the feelings he portrays and most of all, his songs are never limited by use of words from one language. He uses Hindi, Urdu and English as he sees fit and that is the charm of his writing.

This book gives the same pleasure while reading it. You will find yourself lost in his words. Every poem is heartfelt and leaves an imprint of Gulzar’s life.

It is not only about  his love for people in his life or those he was affected by; it is a homage to those who have passed away. The void left by their absence but also filled with their thoughts, words and their work.

It is a bilingual book with Hindi and English versions both printed side by side which also adds to the charm of Caged: Memories Have Names. I found myself reading both Hindi and English versions together.

While reading you will find a lot of famous names; artists, actors, musicians and his family members. His love for them has been portrayed beautifully in verse and it was a treat to read the book.

My rating: 5/5

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