Gul Gulshan Gulfam director Ved Rahi passes away at 93; Sahitya Akademi pays tribute

Veteran filmmaker and writer Ved Rahi has died at the age of 93. He directed the popular Doordarshan serial Gul Gulshan Gulfam and he died at his residence in Thane district of Maharashtra on Sunday morning. He had a long career spanning Dogri and Hindi literature, films and television.

Rahi's last rites were performed at the Kopari cremation ground in Thane on Sunday afternoon. He is survived by his two daughters, Geetanjali and Poonam, and their families.

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Sahitya Akademi pays tribute

Remembering Rahi, Sahitya Akademi said, "Sahitya Akademi mourns the demise of eminent Dogri writer, thinker and filmmaker Ved Rahi Ji, a distinguished figure in modern Dogri literature."

It added, "Honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his story collection Aale and the Akademi’s Fellowship, his invaluable contribution to Indian literature will be remembered for generations. Sahitya Akademi extends its heartfelt condolences. Om Shanti."

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Ved Rahi's career

Rahi was born in Jammu in May 1933 and began his literary career in his hometown. He established himself as a leading writer in Dogri before moving to Mumbai.

In 1983, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his Dogri short-story collection Aale, which earned him wide recognition in the area of literature. He later received the Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Puruskar in 2011, the Sahitya Akademi Award for Translation in 2015 and the Kusumagraj Rashtriya Sahitya Puruskar in 2018.

He was elected as a Fellow (Mahattar Sadasyata) of Sahitya Akademi in 2024.

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Dogri Sanstha Jammu also paid tributes to his demise. According to The Tribune, its president, Prof Lalit Magotra, said, "His creative genius, literary vision and multifaceted contributions to literature, cinema and television earned him a distinguished place in the national cultural landscape.”

He further added, “His literary legacy will continue to inspire generations of writers and creative artists. His demise has created a void that will be difficult to fill.”

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Apart from his literary achievements, Rahi has also contributed to the Hindi film industry. He worked on the screenplays and dialogues of more than 25 films, including Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi, Pavitra Paapi, Aap Aaye Bahaar Aayi, Be-Imaan, Mome Ki Gudiya, Sanyasi, Charas and Bezubaan.

He later ventured into filmmaking, directing projects such as Prem Parbat, Kali Ghata, Andhi Surang and Raat Aur Toofan. His final directorial venture was Veer Savarkar (2001).

Coming to his work on television, Rahi directed the much-loved Doordarshan serial Gul Gulshan Gulfam, which followed the lives of a Kashmiri family living on houseboats. His other television projects included Katha Sagar, Meera, Zindagi, Ehsaas and Rishtey.