Renowned journalist and writer Anil Dharker left the world on March 25. He was reportedly suffering from a cardiac illness.
Dharker was the founder and director of the 'Mumbai International Literary Festival', which is held in November every year. He was also the founder and director of 'Literature Live!', which holds literary evenings through the year in different locations in Mumbai. He was also responsible for opening the Akashwani Auditorium in South Bombay as an art movie theatre.
Anil had been the editor of a variety of publications.
He was also an invited member of '100 Citizens of Bombay', a member of the advisory boards of the 'Indian Council for Cultural Relations' (ICCR), 'Doordarshan', the 'Children`s Film Society of India' and several film funds for the production of films in India. He has also been the recipient of several awards for journalism.
Paying tributes to the late journalist, Shobhaa De tweeted, "Goodbye dearest Anil. You were an elegant mind, a stylish writer and a loyal friend. You will be missed by all those whose lives you touched. RIP!"
Poet, lyricist and Chairman of the 'Central Board of Film Certification' (CBFC) Prasoon Joshi also tweeted, "I'm saddened to hear about Anil Dharker passing away. I will miss and cherish the discussions we had about life. He had a stimulating mind, was a nurturer of literature and art who thrived on ideas."