'Emotionally overcome', Gulzar cuts short Pak visit
February 13, 2013  17:24
Renowned poet and lyricist Gulzar today abruptly cut short a visit to Pakistan and returned to India, with film director Vishal Bhardwaj, who accompanied him, saying there were no political or security reasons behind the decision. 

Officials of the Indian high commission in Islamabad dismissed reports in the Pakistani media that Gulzar had been advised to return for security reasons, saying no one from the mission had been in touch with the poet who was on a private visit. 

Bhardwaj, who accompanied Gulzar to Pakistan, said the poet had cut short his visit after being emotionally overcome by a visit to his ancestral village of Kalra near Deena in Punjab province. 

"Gulzar sahab visited the grave of his mentor, an eminent poet named Ahmed Nadeem Qasimi. After that, he visited his birthplace at Deena after 70 years. He was emotionally overwhelmed and stressed and felt uncomfortable after returning to his hotel in Lahore," Bhardwaj told the media.
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