In Remembrance of Bapsi Sidhwa: Pakistan’s Literary Legend
- Bapsi Sidhwa, a renowned Pakistani-English author, enriched modern literature with novels like Cracking India and The Crow Eaters, reflecting history, culture, and personal experiences.
- Her collaboration with filmmaker Deepa Mehta led to adaptations like Earth and Water, gaining international recognition.
- Sidhwa's writings, awards, and contributions to literature inspire generations, cementing her place as a literary legend.
Last night I jumped out of my skin after hearing the heart-wrenching news of the demise of a well-known, or perhaps the greatest, Pakistani writer in English, Bapsi Sidhwa, who bade adieu to this transitory world in Houston, Texas, USA, on the 26th of December 2024 at the age of 86. To me, it feels nearly impossible to talk about today’s modern English literature, which has been enriched by Asian authors like R.K. Narayan, Aravind Adiga, Vikram Seth, and Arundhati Roy, and forget to mention the name of renowned Pakistani literary icon Bapsi Sidhwa, who was a celebrated author and a novelist of the modern age and has left an inedible mark on the modern literary landscape through her inimitable writings and positive ideas. Just like every legend, her passing too is doubtlessly a huge loss for Pakistan and, of course, for her Zoroastrian community as well.
Born to Parsi Zoroastrian parents, Peshotan and Tehmina Bhandara, in Karachi, on the 11th of August 1938, Bapsi was of Gujarati Parsi Zoroastrian descent. Her life was no less than a rollercoaster ride, even from the initial days of her birth. Roughly three months after her birth, she moved to Lahore with her family, where she contracted polio when she was merely 2 years old and underwent severe surgeries as a young child, which left an impact throughout her life.
Sidhwa completed her education after graduating from Kinnaird College for Women University in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1957. Shortly after graduating, she was married at the young age of 19 and moved to Bombay with her husband, Gustad Kermani, where she gave birth to a daughter and then a son. She experienced many things throughout her time in Bombay, but, unluckily, peace was virtually never one of them. Unfortunately, her marriage with Kermani could not last a lifetime and came to an end after five years, and Bapsi then moved back to Lahore to her parents after her separation.
After coming back to Lahore, Sidhwa eventually remarried with Noshir, who was also a Zoroastrian. With Noshir, she had three children and began her career as an author. One of her children is Mohur Sidhwa, who is a candidate for state representative in Arizona.
Later Bapsi shifted to Houston, USA, where she insisted on calling herself a “Punjabi-Parsi.” Although her mother tongue was Gujarati, she was best at reading and writing in English and was more comfortable talking in Gujarati or Urdu, for Urdu was her second language.
Bapsi rose to international fame and recognition for her collaboration with the Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta. It was her novel “Ice Candy Man,” which she wrote in 1991, that was the basis of Mehta’s award-winning film “Earth” in 1998. Her other novel, “Water,” was the basis of the film “Water” by Mehta, which was nominated for the Academy Awards. It was through her deeply evocative and popular writings that she managed to spin tales combining history, culture, and her personal experiences, making her one of the most celebrated authors of her time. A documentary about Sidhwa’s life called “Bapsi: Silences of My Life” was released on the official YouTube channel of “The Citizens Archive of Pakistan” on 28 October 2022 with the title ” First Generation—Stories of Partition: Bapsi Sidhwa.”.
Bapsi’s love for Lahore, where she grew up and received her education, is quite evident in her writings. Lahore happens to be at the center of her four books: Their Language of Love, Jungle Wala Sahib, City of Sin, and Splendor and Writings on Lahore. Her other works are her masterpieces, like An American Brat and Bapsi Sidhwa Omnibus. Her five novels: Cracking India, The Pakistani Bride, The Crow Eaters, An American Brat, and Water have been translated and published in several languages. Her novels reflect her personal experiences of witnessing the Indian subcontinent’s partition and mistreatment of women.
Bapsi received a number of awards, citations, and accolades for her distinctive writings amid her career. To list down major ones, include: The Bunting Fellowship at Radcliffe/Harvard In 1986, her appointment as a visiting scholar at the Rockefeller Foundation Centre Bellagio, Italy, in 1991; Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan in 1991; Lila Wallace Readers Digest Award in 1994; and her induction in the Zoroastrian Hall of Fame in 2000.
Bapsi Sidhwa, a priceless gift from God for Pakistan, was a muse for countless readers worldwide. She, through her distinctive and innovative yet intriguing style of writing, inspired generations to value the importance of reading and writing. Her evocative writings will remain fresh forever in the hearts of her admirers who hold her in very high esteem. Though Bapsi is not with us in this world anymore, she will never be forgotten and will always be missed by her admirers. Bapsi has left behind five children and a treasure of books for her readers. May the departed soul rest in peace. Amen!
The author is a writer based in Lahore.
