Bapsi Sidhwa, a distinguished Pakistani novelist, passed away at 86 in Houston, Texas. Known for her seminal work ‘Ice Candy Man’, her brother Feroze Bhandara reported that her funeral rites are planned in Houston after three days of memorials.
Born into a notable Parsi family in Karachi on August 11, 1938, Sidhwa moved to Lahore three months later, where she lived most of her life. Her acclaimed novel ‘Ice Candy Man’ became globally celebrated, enhancing the profile of Pakistani literature worldwide. It portrays the partition of the Indian sub-continent in 1947, reflecting the turmoil Sidhwa witnessed as a child in Lahore. BBC listed the novel among the 100 most influential novels.
Indian-Canadian director Deepa Mehta adapted ‘Ice Candy Man’ into the film ‘Earth’, mirroring Sidhwa’s childhood experiences, including her battle with polio during the partition. Sidhwa, who chose to remain in Pakistan post-partition, first gained fame with ‘The Crow Eaters’. Her contributions earned her Pakistan’s Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
