Renowned author Bapsi Sidhwa passes away at 86

Bapsi Sidhwa, an internationally acclaimed author and literary icon, passed away in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday. She was 86.

Celebrated for her poignant novels, she made an invaluable contribution to global literature.

Her departure marks a profound loss for the literary world, Pakistan, India and the Zoroastrian community worldwide.

Sidhwa, best known for her collaborative work with Indo-Cana­dian filmmaker Deepa Mehta, authored Ice Candy Man (1991), which inspired the critically acclaimed film, Earth (1998). She also penned Water: A Novel (2006), which served as the foundation for Mehta’s Academy Award-nominated film Water (2005).

Her works, rich in historical and cultural context, have earned her a place among the most celebrated authors of her time.

A documentary about her life, Bapsi: Silences of My Life, was released in Oct 2022 by the Citizens Archive of Pakistan. It offers a glimpse into her journey as a writer and her experiences during the partition of India, which profoundly shaped her literary vision. Born to Zoroastrian (Parsi) parents in Karachi, Bapsi Sidhwa spent her early years in Lahore. She contracted polio at the age of two, a challenge that shaped her resilience and outlook on life.

Partition shaped writing

Her experiences during Partition, such as encountering a corpse hidden in a sack, later inspired key themes in her ground-breaking novel, Cracking India.

Sidhwa graduated from Lahore’s Kinnaird College in 1957 and began her career as a writer after her marriage and subsequent return to Pakistan. Her novels, including The Crow Eaters (1978), The Bride (1982), An American Brat (1993), and City of Sin and Splendour: Writings on Lahore (2006), vividly portray the cultural and historical fabric of South Asia.

Her accolades included the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1991, Pakistan’s highest national honour in the arts, and the Mondello Prize for Foreign Authors in 2007.

She was inducted into the Zoroastrian Hall of Fame, reflecting her status as a global literary ambassador for the community.

The Bapsi Sidhwa Literary Prize, under the sponsorship of the Zoroastrian Association of Houston and FEZANA Information Research Education System, was also set up to honour her legacy as the first recognized Zoroastrian writer with an international reputation.

Beyond her literary achievements, Sidhwa was known for her generosity and kindness. A close friend and former neighbour in Lahore fondly recalled how Sidhwa offered her garage as a painting studio in the 1970s, a gesture that helped launch an artistic career.

Sidhwa’s passing leaves an indelible void in the intellectual and literary world. Her work, characterised by its depth, empathy, and cultural richness, remains a testament to her remarkable legacy.

She is survived by her books and her three children: Mohur, Koko, and Parizad. Prayers for her departed soul would be held at the Bhandara Agiary in Houston, named after Tehmina Bhandara, the mother of Bapsi, Feroze, and Minocher Bhandara, a renowned Pakistani entrepreneur and politician.

Originally published in Dawn, December 26th, 2024