Well-known Gujarati poet (shaayar) and Gujarati film writer-producer-director Khalil Dhantejvi passed away today (4th April) in Baroda. He was 82. He was cremated earlier in the day and his cremation namaaz was held at the Minara Masjid at Yakutpura in Baroda. He is survived by three sons and a daughter.
Khalil Dhantejvi was basically a film journalist who also wrote poetry and made films. He had made around 20 films in Gujarati and was a star name in Gujarat. His original name was Makrani Ibrahim. He used to write under the pen name of Khalil Dhantejvi, which then got adopted as his name. His shair, Ab main raashan ki qataron mein nazar aata hoon, apne kheton se bichhadne ki sazaa paata hoon, is extremely popular for its deep meaning.