Veteran lyricist Maya Govind, who wrote the words to more than 350 films' songs, died at her Mumbai home on Thursday. She was 82. Her last rites were held at Pawan Hans Crematorium in Mumbai yesterday.
According to her son, Ajay, Govind's condition had been critical for the past four months. "She wasn't keeping well and was also hospitalized twice — in December for about four days and then later in January. Since then, she was getting treated at home. She had a blood clot in her brain which created a lot of other health issues. So she wasn't keeping well for a long time. She passed away around 9.30 am today," Ajay told news agency Press Trust Of India on Thursday.
The veteran, who was among the handful of female lyricists in a male-dominated field, was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and married to poet-author-lyricist Ram Govind.
She started working in the industry in the early 1970s, and penned memorable numbers and chart-toppers such as 'Main Khiladi Tu Anadi' from Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), 'Gutur, Gutur' from Dalal (1993) and 'Aankhon Mein Base Ho Tum from Takkar (1995).
She also bagged the coveted Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Best Actress in 1970 for her performance in Vijay Tendulkar's play Khamosh! Adalat Jari Hai!
Her last credited work is a 2014 film titled Bazaar E Husn.