SRINAGAR: Eminent Dogri and Hindi writer, screenwriter and filmmaker Ved Rahi died at his residence in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Sunday morning. He was 93.
A recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, one of the highest distinctions in Indian literature, Rahi made significant contributions to literature, Hindi cinema and television, earning recognition across the country.
Born into the family of Lala Mulk Raj Saraf, regarded as the Father of Journalism in Jammu and Kashmir, Rahi was the fourth of his five sons and the last surviving member of the family’s second generation. The family played a prominent role in the social, literary, media and political life of the region.
Raised in Jammu, Rahi established himself as a writer in Dogri and Hindi before moving to Mumbai, where he built a career in the Hindi film industry as a screenwriter, director and producer.
He wrote scripts for around 25 films, including Pavitra Papi, Paraya Dhan, Pahchan, Be-Imaan, Sanyasi, Kathputli, Unche Log, Charas and Mom Ki Gudiya. He also directed five films, several of which were based on his own literary works, including Darar, Prem Parbat, Andhi Surang and Raat Aur Toofan.
His first film as a producer was Kali Ghata, featuring Rekha, Shashi Kapoor and Danny Denzongpa. His final directorial venture, Veer Savarkar, attracted national attention for its portrayal of the revolutionary’s life and philosophy. A special screening of the film was attended by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and almost the entire Union Cabinet at Delhi’s Siri Fort Auditorium.
Rahi also made a significant contribution to Indian television. His Doordarshan serial Gul, Gulshan, Gulfam, centred on a Kashmiri family living in houseboats, became widely popular across the country. The Sahitya Akademi, in its citation for his fellowship, acknowledged the serial’s nationwide appeal.
Among his other television works were Katha Sagar, which brought acclaimed short stories from world literature to the screen, and serials such as Zindagi, Ehsas and Rishte.
Despite his achievements in cinema and television, Rahi remained an accomplished literary figure. The Sahitya Akademi observed in its fellowship citation that his work in films, short stories and novels had overshadowed his standing as a poet, although his poetry reflected his depth of thought and intellectual engagement.
His literary achievements included the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for Ale, a collection of Dogri short stories. He subsequently received several other honours, including the Maharashtra Gaurav Award, the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Award in 1971, the Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Puruskar from the Central Institute of Hindi in 2011 and the Sahitya Akademi Award for Translation in 2015.
He was also honoured with the Dinu Bhai Pant Award for his contribution to Dogri poetry and the Kusumagraj Rashtriya Sahitya Puruskar in 2018.
His election as a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi placed him among a select group of distinguished literary figures. The fellowship is restricted to 21 living recipients at any given time and is regarded as one of the academy’s highest recognitions.
