Anil Dharker, noted journalist, writer and founder of the Tata LitLive! Mumbai Litfest, passes away

In November 2020, Anil Dharker was geared up for the first-ever digital edition of the Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest; the festival he founded in 2010 had adapted, like most big events had over the past year, to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic. Dharker seemed excited about the new format the festival had adopted so that it could go on, especially the ‘coup’ in getting Sir Roger Penrose as one of the speakers. In sessions during the festival, he interacted with authors like Ian McEwan and Martin Amis. Just as he had on the real stage at the NCPA, Mumbai, for the past decade, he now interviewed Tata LitLive guests over Zoom. For fans of the festival, it is sad news indeed that they will no longer see Dharker moderating future sessions at the cultural event he founded and nurtured — online or offline. On 25 March, Dharker passed away, reportedly of a cardiac ailment. Tributes from longstanding colleagues, including Bachi Karkaria, Meenal Baghel and others poured in.

Extremely saddened by the passing of the many talented Anil Dharker. I can safely say no other Indian Litfest curator had his deep, emotional commitment or drive. Knew him for well nigh 50 years. Flourish as much up there, dear Anil.

— bachi karkaria (@bachikarkaria) March 26, 2021

Devastated to hear about Anil Dharker. He epitomised the caring & socially concerned Mumbai intellectual.He elevated every job he did from promoting art cinema to editing mags to running Lit Live.
In 1984 he gave me my first column. A great loss to India & to me personally. pic.twitter.com/sC1SaQg2sO

— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) March 26, 2021

Goodbye dearest Anil. An elegant mind, a stylish writer, and a loyal friend. You will be missed by all those whose lives you touched. RIP
⁦@anildharker⁩ pic.twitter.com/Xu2OaDWiz5

— Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) March 26, 2021

Very sad news. Anil Dharker, writer, poet, journalist, editor, curator of the wonderful Tata lit fest, cricket fanatic but most importantly, a caring humane citizen of Mumbai and India has passed away. Will be much missed . RIP my friend!🙏

— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) March 26, 2021

Terrible new about @anildharker . He has been a big influence in Mumbai journalism and was an unfailingly kind man.

— Meenal Baghel (@writemeenal) March 26, 2021

RIP Anil Dharker, kind and generous man and director of a great Lit Fest

— William Dalrymple (@DalrympleWill) March 26, 2021

Before his turn as director of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest, Dharker was a noted journalist, writer and poet. His columns appeared in various national and international publications, and he was the editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India, The Independent and Mid-day. Dharker’s was a multi-faceted career: he held degrees in Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering from the University of London, served as academic staff at the University of Glasgow, and took up a role as a senior consultant at the architecture firm Pheroze Kandianavala & Associates on his return to India. His other roles included a stint with the Censor Board and the Film Finance Corporation (later known as the National Film Development Corporation). Over the past 10 years, however, his dapper kurta-clad figure was a fixture at the NCPA during the month of November, when Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest would be held. He delighted in bringing celebrated guests to the festival for every edition, building a vibrant literary community in the city whose cultural scene he was such an impactful part of. Reflecting on Dharker’s contributions, noted novelist and columnist Shobhaa De told Firstpost: “Anil Dharker truly came into his own as the founder-director of the Mumbai International Literary Festival, and subsequently, Tata LitLive — he was indefatigable and utterly inspiring, as he worked round the year, to provide a platform to ‘voices’, not always in sync with his liberal thinking… He did so in the most inclusive way, encouraging debate and dissent in the best democratic traditions. Since I was on his Advisory Board, we interacted frequently, and I admired his single-minded commitment to create a world class lit fest in the city he loved — Mumbai. Anil, along with his partner Amy Fernandes, gave Mumbaikars a free Lit Fest to savour — we thank both of them for this treat. His writing was devoid of pretentious flourishes or pompous pronouncements. His prose was effortless and accessible. Anil was consistently readable, whether he was reviewing a book, movie, art exhibition or writing his chatty ‘Bombay Notebook’. He remained the quintessential Mumbaikar — a bon vivant who enjoyed rare malts as much as he liked dahi missal.”