17 Facts About Bapsi Sidhwa

Bapsi Sidhwa was a Pakistani novelist who wrote in English and was resident in the United States.

Sidhwa was best known for her collaborative work with Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta: Sidhwa wrote both the 1991 novel Ice Candy Man which served as the basis for Mehta's 1998 film Earth as well as the 2006 novel Water: A Novel, on which Mehta's 2005 film Water is based.

Bapsi Sidhwa was born to Parsi Zoroastrian parents Peshotan and Tehmina Bhandara in Karachi, Bombay Presidency.

Bapsi Sidhwa was two years old when she contracted polio, requiring severe surgeries as a young child and leaving an impact throughout her life.

Bapsi Sidhwa grew up having to live through distressing events during Partition, producing experiences that would shape her writing in the future.

For example, a young Bapsi Sidhwa was walking with her gardener a few months before Partition when they came across a gunny sack, which hid a young man's corpse inside.

Bapsi Sidhwa uses her experiences living through Partition as a background for the novel and creating the main character, Lenny.

Bapsi Sidhwa received her BA from Kinnaird College for Women University in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1957.

Bapsi Sidhwa had a daughter and a son, though her marriage ended after five years, and she moved back to Lahore.

Bapsi Sidhwa's son remained in Mumbai with his father's family, and Sidhwa was unable to see him for many years due to heightened border restrictions.

Bapsi Sidhwa eventually remarried in Lahore to her husband, Noshir, who is a Zoroastrian.

Bapsi Sidhwa had three more children and began her career as an author.

One of her children is Mohur Bapsi Sidhwa, who is a candidate for state representative in Arizona.

Bapsi Sidhwa could read and write best in English, but she was more comfortable talking in Gujarati or Urdu and often translated literally from Gujarati or Urdu to English.

Bapsi Sidhwa died in Houston, Texas on 25 December 2024, at the age of 86.

Bapsi Sidhwa left Columbia after one academic term and started living in Houston, teaching at the University of St Thomas before eventually teaching at Rice University's School of Continuing Studies.

Bapsi Sidhwa taught at the University of Houston, Mount Holyoke College, and Brandeis University.