Prem Dhawan was a lyricist, music director and choreographer in the Hindi film industry. Born in Ambala, he learnt classical music from Pandit Ravi Shankar whom he met in Mumbai while he was with the Indian People’s Theatre Association.

As a lyricist, he debuted with "Dharti Ke Lal" (1946) and went on to write song lyrics till the 1980s. Some of the notable films he worked for, as lyricist, are "Aaram" (1951), "Tarana" (1951), "Aasman" (1952), "Taangewali" (1955), "Shola Aur Shabnam" (1961), "Kabuliwala" (1961), "Ek Phool Do Mali" (1969) and "Purab Aur Pachhim" (1970). With songs like "Aye Mere Pyaare Watan" ("Kabuliwala", 1961) and "Chodo Kal Ki Baatein" ("Hum Hindustani", 1961), Prem Dhawan came to be associated with patriotic songs.

It was around the mid 1960s that his association with Manoj Kumar started. With "Shaheed" (1965), both started a new phase of their careers - Manoj Kumar, as the patriotic hero and Prem Dhawan as the music director/lyricist. The fim "Shaheed" and its songs, specially "Ae Watan Ae Watan" and "Mera Rang De Basanti Chola" were very successful and paved the way for many more collaborations between the two.

Prem Dhawan continued to compose songs and write lyrics till 1981, but did not see much success in the last few years of his career.