Literary giant Kiran Nagarkar passes away at 77 in Mumbai

Veteran author Kiran Nagarkar, best known for his books Ravan And Eddie, Cuckold and Saat Sakkam Trechalis (published in English as Seven Sixes Are Forty Three),

Veteran author Kiran Nagarkar, best known for his books Ravan And Eddie, Cuckold and Saat Sakkam Trechalis (published in English as Seven Sixes Are Forty Three), passed away on Thursday evening. The 2001 Sahitya Akademi award recipient was 77.

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Nagarkar was a powerhouse in literary circles and was known for his playful use of language, cinematic storytelling, criticisms of the establishment and for bringing alive the chawls and everyday street life in Mumbai.

Anil Dharker, writer and longtime friend, said Nagarkar’s passing leaves a void in Indian literature. “Not too many people know that he was ill and had dietary restrictions for much of his life. He never talked about it; he brushed it off with humour,” said Dharker.

Dharker hired Nagarkar in the early 1980s to write edgy film reviews in Debonair, a magazine Dharker edited. “He’d written Saat Sakkam Trechalis in Marathi and I could see the inventiveness in his writing. In English, he was a great storyteller. In Marathi, he did wondrous things with the language.”

Nagarkar’s most recent work, The Arsonist, was published this year and it re-imagined the life of saint-poet Kabir. Germany had awarded him The Order of Merit, which is given to Germans and foreigners for achievements in various walks of life.

As allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced under #MeToo last year, Nagarkar was among those named by three women. Dharker said the allegations surprised and upset him. “Among those who’ve known him for years, there was disbelief,” he said.