Veteran journalist and author Anil Dharker passes away
Veteran journalist and writer Anil Dharker, who was reportedly suffering from a cardiac illness, passed away on Friday.
Veteran journalist and writer Anil Dharker, who was reportedly suffering from a cardiac illness, passed away on Friday. Dharker underwent a bypass procedure at a Mumbai hospital on Thursday and died there Friday morning, PTI reported.
Dharker, the founder and director of the Mumbai International Literary Festival, donned many hats in a career spanning over five decades.
He was also responsible for opening the Akashwani Auditorium in South Bombay as an art movie theatre. Dharker was also the author of "The Romance of Salt", a book on Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March.
He also headed the Film Finance Corporation, which later became the National Film Development Corporation. He has also been the editor of several publications, including Mid-Day, The Independent and The Illustrated Weekly of India.
Dharker was also a member of the advisory board of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Doordarshan and the Children's Film Society of India. He had also worked as a TV show producer and anchor, and head of a news television channel.
After the news of his demise, several journalists and personalities paid tribute to Dharker.
Saddened to hear about @anildharker passing away. Will miss and cherish the discussions we had about life . A stimulating mind, nurturer of literature and art who thrived on ideas. — Prasoon Joshi (@prasoonjoshi_) March 26, 2021
Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Prasoon Joshi tweeted, "Saddened to hear about Anil Dharker passing away. Will miss and cherish the discussions we had about life. A stimulating mind, nurturer of literature and art who thrived on ideas."
"Goodbye dearest Anil. An elegant mind, a stylish writer, and a loyal friend. You will be missed by all those whose lives you touched. RIP," tweeted journalist and author Shobhaa De.
Goodbye dearest Anil. An elegant mind, a stylish writer, and a loyal friend. You will be missed by all those whose lives you touched. RIP
@anildharker pic.twitter.com/Xu2OaDWiz5 — Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) March 26, 2021
"Extremely saddened by the passing of the many talented Anil Dharker. I can safely say no other Indian Litfest curator had his deep, emotional commitment or drive. Knew him for well nigh 50 years. Flourish as much up there, dear Anil," tweeted senior journalist and columnist Bachi Karkaria.