Shiv Kumar Batalvi and B.M. Bhalla

Shiv Kumar Batalvi (1936–1973) was a Punjabi poet and playwright celebrated for the intense romantic pathos of his verse. He became the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967 for Luna (Loona), an epic verse play that reworks the ancient legend of Puran Bhagat. The work is regarded as a masterpiece of modern Punjabi literature. B.M. Bhalla rendered the play into English for the Sahitya Akademi edition.