The Zero Line Poem by Ravikumar C.P.

Gulzar was born in Dina, Pakistan, before the partition of India. His father had to abandon his home in Dina and move to Delhi during the turbulent times of partition. When Gulzar took to poetry, his father was unhappy about the decision. Gulzar moved to Bombay to work in the Hindi film industry. When his father died, Gulzar did not come to know about the tragic news until five days later. When he rushed to Delhi, the cremation had already been carried out. This left in him a sense of void.

Gulzar worked with the director Bimal Roy as an assistant. During the filming of the film 'Amrith Kumbh, ' Bimal Roy was hospitalized, where he succumbed to cancer. Gulzar, who saw his father in Bimal Roy, performed his last rites. 'I had to wait for five long years before I could cremate my father, ' he wrote.

More recently, Gulzar visited Pakistan. This visit was an emotional roller coaster for the poet. He had a chance to visit Dina, his village. A wing in the school where he studied has been named after him. Gulzar had a chance to see the house where his family lived, and the railway station that brought back memories of his father.

This poem was written during Gulzar's visit to Pakistan.