Pakistani author Bapsi Sidhwa, whose novel "Ice Candy Man" was adapted by Deepa Mehta as "Earth-1947", says Delhi and Mumbai have provided her with lush landscapes and some great characters for her works.
Born to Zoroastrian parents in Karachi, she spent five years of her life in Mumbai and India has been an inspiration for her works.
"I loved being in Delhi when Deepa Mehta made my novel 'Ice Candy Man'/'Cracking India' into the film 'Earth-1947'. I realised how hard the good natured actors and crew worked - Deepa barely slept. Almost everyone I met in Delhi was in some way connected to Lahore. Delhi and Bombay have provided me with lush landscapes and some great characters," 75-year-old Sidhwa told PTI in an interview.
One of the first Pakistani writers in English, she is the author of popular novels like "An American Brat", "The Pakistani Bride" and "The Crow Eaters" besides "Ice-Candy-Man". She also edited the anthology "City of Sin and Splendour: Writings on Lahore".
Now based in Houston, she has come out with a brand-new collection of stories "Their Language of Love", published by Penguin, in which she chronicles the lives and loves of those on both sides of the Indo-Pak border.
Now based in Houston, she has come out with a brand-new collection of stories "Their Language of Love", published by Penguin, in which she chronicles the lives and loves of those on both sides of the Indo-Pak border.
She always enjoyed being in Mumbai.
Asked if she ever felt like returning to the city, she says, "If I could afford to I'd live in Bombay. To be in Bombay is to be imbedded in my Parsi community. I've always enjoyed being in Bombay."
Writing has been her "passion and friend".