Rajinder Singh Bedi Wiki, Age, Death, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Rajinder Singh Bedi (1915-1984) was an Indian novelist, radio broadcaster, screenwriter, playwright, producer, and filmmaker. Some of his well-known work as a screenwriter includes films like Anupama (1966), Satyakam (1969), and Abhimaan (1973).

Wiki/Biography

Rajinder Singh Bedi was born on Wednesday, 1 September 1915 (age 69 years; at the time of death) in Dhallewali, Sialkot, Punjab Province, British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan). His name is also spelt as Rajindar Singh Bedi. His zodiac sign is Virgo. He received an early education from a school in Lahore Cantonment, Punjab, Pakistan, where he studied till fourth class. He later joined S. B. B. S. Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Basiala, Punjab, where he passed with a first division in the matriculation examination in 1931. After that, he enrolled in DAV College but couldn’t complete graduation as his mother passed away from tuberculosis. In 1933, he joined the Sadar Bazar Post Office, Lahore, as a clerk.

Family

Rajinder Singh Bedi belonged to a Khatri Sikh family in Punjab. ^[1]The Digital South Asia Library

Parents & Siblings

Rajinder Singh Bedi’s father’s name is Hira Singh Bedi. He was a postmaster of Sadar Bazar Post Office, Lahore. His mother’s name is Seva Dai. He had two younger brothers and a sister. One of his brothers worked as an IAS officer and the other brother was in the army.

Wife & Children

Rajinder Bedi got married in 1934 at the age of 19 to Satwant Kaur. They had three sons Prem Bedi, Narendra Bedi, and Rajkumar Bedi and two daughters Surinder Bedi and Parminder Bedi. Prem Bedi died within a year after his birth. Narendra Bedi was an Indian filmmaker and Rajkumar Bedi was a scriptwriter.

Other Relatives

He has a granddaughter named Ila Bedi Dutta, who works in the Hindi entertainment industry as a writer and producer.

He has two grandsons named Manek Bedi and Rajat Bedi who work as actors and producers in the Indian entertainment industry.

Career

Radio

He left the clerk job and joined the Urdu section of All India Radio, Lahore, in 1941. After working there for two years he took a gap to work in Maheshwari Films Studios as a writer but later, he rejoined All India Radio and was posted to the Jammu and Kashmir Broadcasting Service as the Director.

 

Writer

Short Story & Play

Rajinder Bedi started his writing career by publishing his collection of short stories known as Daan-O-Daam (The Catch) in 1940. The story that readers liked the most in the collection was “Garam Coat” (Warm Coat).

Some of his other collections of short stories and plays are Grehan (1942), Kokh Jali (1949), Saat Khel (1981), and Apne Dukh Mujhe Dedo (1997).

Film

Dialogue Writer

In 1947, he left the All India Radio job and moved to Bombay to work as a dialogue writer in the Hindi film industry. Rajinder Bedi’s first film as a dialogue writer was Bari Behen (1949). Some of his other films where he worked as a dialogue writer were Mirza Ghalib (1954), Devdas (1955), Madhumati (1958), and Satyakam (1969).

Screenwriter

Rajinder Singh Bedi’s first film as a screenwriter was Garam Coat (1955). Some of the other films where he worked as a screenwriter were Mem-Didi (1961), Rungoli (1962), Mere Sanam (1965), and Mere Hamdam Mere Dost (1968).

Filmmaker

Rajinder Singh Bedi’s first film as a producer was Garam Coat (1955) under the production banner of Cine Co-operative Ltd. Some of the other films that he produced were Rungoli (1962) and Phagun (1973).

Rajinder Singh Bedi’s first film as a film director was Dastak (1970). Some of his other directed films are Phagun (1973), Nawab Sahib (1978), and Aankhin Dekhi (1978).

Awards & Honours

Film Accolades

• 1956 Filmfare Best Story Award – Garm Coat (1955)
• 1959 Filmfare Best Dialogue Award – Madhumati (1959)
• 1971 Filmfare Best Dialogue Award – Satyakam (1969)

Literary Accolades

• Sahitya Akademi Award – Ek Chadar Maili Si (1965)
• Ghalib Award – Urdu Drama (1978)

Death

He suffered a stroke in 1982 which left him paralysed. Later, he was diagnosed with rectal cancer and died because of its complications. Rajinder Singh Bedi died on 11 November 1984 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. ^[2]Jashn-E-Qalam – Facebook

Favourites

• Actor: Dharmendra

• Actress: Geeta Bali

Facts/Trivia

• He had his own publishing house known as Sangam Publishers Limited on Nesbit Road, Lahore, Pakistan before the partition of India.

• During the 1947 partition, Rajinder Singh Bedi’s house and office were burnt down due to which he and his family had to shift to Ropar, Punjab, and then to Shimla. He helped and rescued many Muslim families by shifting them to safe locations during the partition. ^[3]The Wire

• He liked reading books in his free time and was influenced by the writing of Anton Chekov.

• He got associated with the Progressive Writer’s Association before the independence of India.
  

  Rajinder Singh Bedi with the members of the Progressive Writer’s Association

• He liked having paan.

• He used to smoke and drink alcohol occasionally. ^[4]Dusted Off

• After his death, the ‘Rajinder Singh Bedi Award’ in the field of Urdu literature was started by the Government of Punjab in his honour.

• The Rajinder Singh Bedi Chowk in King’s Circle Mumbai was named after him after he died.