Ved Rahi, the Dogri writer and filmmaker born in Jammu, died on 1 November 2026 at his home in Thane, Maharashtra. He was 93. His last rites were held at Thane's Kopari cremation ground, GKToday reports.
From Jammu to the screen
He was born in Jammu on 22 May 1933, the son of Lala Mulk Raj Saraf, whom Outlook describes as a pioneering journalist. Rahi won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his Dogri short-story collection Aale.
In cinema, both outlets say he wrote for about 25 Hindi films. Outlook names Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi, Aap Aaye Bahaar Aayi, Beimaan, Mome Ki Gudiya and Bezubaan. He also directed films including Prem Parbat, Kali Ghata and Veer Savarkar (2001), and the Doordarshan serial Gul Gulshan Gulfam. GKToday lists several honours, among them the Maharashtra Gaurav Award and the Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan Award.
Why it matters to young Jammu
Dogri entered the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003, and it was historically written in Takri, now mainly in Devanagari. A writer who carried it from Jammu to national screens is a good reason for students to pick up Aale or watch an old episode of Gul Gulshan Gulfam. We have also looked at whether Dogri can survive if young Dogras stop speaking it.
The reports name two daughters, Geetanjali and Poonam. Details of Dogri organisations' tributes were not available in the sources we read.
Sources: GKToday; Outlook India. Photo: file photo of Jammu.
%2Fgreater-kashmir%2Fmedia%2Fmedia_files%2F2026%2F11%2F12%2Fjammu-award-2026-11-12-07-29-09.png&w=3840&q=75)
