With new generations ignoring the works of its literary masters and governmental neglect destroying their homes and remnants, India has failed to preserve its phenomenal literary legacy, laments poet-filmmaker Gulzar.

"Somehow we have not been able to give the respect that the legends deserved," tells Gulzar, one of most prominent lyricists of Bollywood pointing to the theft of the Nobel Prize medallion of Rabindranath Tagore, the ruins of the homes of legendary poets like Mir and Iqbal, and dimming popularity of even the immortal verses of Mirza Ghalib.

For someone who says that he is a poet because of Rabindranath Tagore and calls himself the "servant" of Ghalib, the neglect hurts Gulzar deeply.

"I am amazed that people are so ignorant about the contributions of these legends. Each of them is such bright star that without them this country wouldn't have been what it is."

Born Sampooran Singh in 1934 at Deena village, now in Pakistan, Gulzar began his film career as assistant to the legendary director Bimal Roy.

In fact, the first song he ever wrote was for Roy's "Bandini" and has since then penned the storylines of 60 films and directed 17 movies, including the widely acclaimed "Maachis" and "Hu Tu Tu".

He also made a television serial on the life of Mirza Ghalib that is widely recognized as one of the finest TV series ever made in India.

But Gulzar said he was still just poet at heart. "I believe in poetry, I believe that there is nothing in this world to match the sheer beauty of poetry."

That's why he is worried about falling numbers of poetry lovers. "Somehow people have less time to read fine literature nowadays. Actually reading needs time and no one seems to have time anymore.

"What particularly distresses me is that young people don't seem to be that interested in reading and poetry," said the white haired poet, who usually wears white kurta-pajamas and a slight snow-white stubble.

"For instance, how many young people write in Hindi or Urdu, or even in the regional languages? Very unfortunate, but not too many," sighed the man who has won five national awards, 17 Filmfare trophies and the Padma Bhushan.

"But what can you expect in a country where sometimes toilets are built on the houses of great poets?"