Lyricist Gulzar turns 76 today!

Most people know him by his pen name but very know that the noted lyricist of the Indian film Industry, Gulzar, was born as Sampooran Singh Kalra.

Gulzar's contribution to poetry, films and music cannot be fathomed without mentioning his accolades that include the Padma Bhushan, the Sahitya Akademi Award, a Grammy (for Jai Ho) and several Filmfare and National Awards. He's a noted poet who writes in both Hindi and Urdu and a director whose films have been critically acclaimed including Aandhi, Mere Apne, Maachis and Hu Tu Tu to name a few. But his accomplishments do not stop here. Gulzar has also directed the popular TV series Mirza Ghalib that had Naseeruddin Shah play Mirza GhalibGulzar's collaboration with Vishal Bharadwaj and A R Rehman has gone on to create magic!

On His birthday today, we take a look at Gulzar's top ten hit songs penned by him that continue to enthrall listeners.

Tere Bina Zindageese Koi- This poignant song from the film Aandhi was picturised on Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar that still moves the hearts of listeners and the poignant lyrics make it an evergreen song!

Tujhse Naaraz Nahin Zindagi - This song was beautifully picturised in the movie Masoom that starred Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi. Through the lyrics, Gulzar conveyed the pain and betrayal of a wife feels, making it an all time favourite that is hummed by the older generation and youngsters alike!

Musafir Hoon Yaro- Penned by Gulzar, this song from the film Parichay is till date considered as one of Jeetendra's greatest songs.

Tere Bina-AR Rehman's music and Gulzar's lyrics wove some great tunes, making Guru a hit film, notably for its music too! Especially the song Tere Bina which was picturised on Bollywood's hottest celebrity couple, Abhishek and Aishwarya Bachchan.

Chaiyya Chaiyya- Gulzar once again teamed up with AR Rehman for the film Dil Se and his song Chaiyya Chaiyya went on to become a craze, with Shahrukh Khan and Malaika Arora Khan dancing on a train top. Beautifully written in Urdu, Chaiyya Chaiyya is one of Shahrukh's most memorable songs!

Jai Ho- Composed by AR Rehman and written by Gulzar, this song broke all records in the truest sense! Jai Ho won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. It also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and acclaimed international band The Pussycat Dolls did an English rendition of the song that became a huge hit abroad!

Tum Pukar Lo- Sung by the legendary singer Hemant Kumar in the Lyrics of Gulzar, Tum Pukar Lo is a heart wrenching song that has the same freshness as it did when it was first released. This song conveys the pain and feelings of a lover pinning for his love!

Dhan Te Nan- Gulzar's Dhan Te Nan rode the popularity charts when it was first released and was continuously dished out in nightclubs. The song was re-mixed and became an instant hit with the youth!

Dil Hoom Hoom Kare- Gulzar wrote this song for the film Rudaali and it continues to move listeners with its honest and intense lyrics that convey the pain of Dimple Kapadia in the film.

Beedi- This item number from the film Omkara is still played at weddings and parties and is largely popular because of its lyrics, "Beedi jalai lay, Jigar se piya, Jigar maa badi aag hai". This song also became a hit with the common masses and was played in most form of public transport.