'Surajmukhi badalo ke ghere me'.. Krishna Sobti makes Hindi literature orphan..!

New Delhi, January 25: The renowned, influential and an eminent hindi fiction writer Krishna Sobti waves the world off today. The literature writer and essayist passes away at the age of 93. Sahitya Akademi awardee is known for several novels including Mitro Maharajani, Daar Se Bichchuri, Surajmukhi Andhere Ke and Yaaron Ke Yaar.

 

 

The author breathed her last in a Delhi hospital this morning, where she was admitted for the last two months, said Ashok Maheshwari, a friend and managing director of Rajkamal Prakashan. 

 

"She was about to complete her 94 years in February, so an age factor was there no doubt. For the last one week she was in the ICU. Even after being extremely sick, she was very much aware about her thoughts, about what was happening in the society," Mr Maheshwari added.

 

 

 

"She died at a hospital here today. Her health had deteriorated in the last few months and she had been in and out of the hospital," said actress Ekavali Khanna.

 

"She launched her new book in the hospital last month. Despite her ill health, she was always discussing arts, creative processes and life," Khanna, her grandniece added.

 

 

 

Born in 1925, Krishna Sobti was known for writing about issues of female identity and sexuality. She received prestigious awards like Sahitya Akademi, Jnanpith and was also offered Padma Bhushan, which she had declined saying, “As a writer, I have to keep a distance from the establishment. I think I did the right thing”.

 

Considered the grande dame of Hindi literature, Sobti was born in Gujrat, Punjab (now in Pakistan). She also wrote under the name ‘Hashma’ and has published ‘Hum Hashmat’, a compilation of pen portraits of writers and friends. Her other novels constitute Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Badalom ke ghere.