December 25 holds significance for many reasons. However, in 2024, it brought the sorrowful news of another star fading from the already struggling intellectual and literary horizon of an increasingly materialistic society. The passing of Bapsi Sidhwa — a celebrated novelist, impactful author, and passionate advocate against social injustice — left her fans and admirers deeply grieved. Renowned for her campaigns against socio-political manipulation, gender discrimination, religious exploitation, and cultural biases, she passed away in Houston, US, where she had resided for the past three decades.
Widely recognised as an advocate for women’s rights in South Asian literature, Bapsi Sidhwa was born on August 11, 1938, in Karachi to Gujarati Parsi Zoroastrian parents, Peshotan and Tehmina Bhandara. At the age of three, her family relocated to Lahore, where she grew up and graduated from the prestigious Kinnaird College in 1957. Lahore, a city rich in art, culture, and literature, shaped Sidhwa’s life journey, which resonates with themes of humanity, resilience, creativity, and a profound sense of cultural identity.
Her early life was marked by challenges and transitions. At the age of two or three, she contracted polio, which required multiple surgeries and treatments, leaving a lasting impact on her life. At 19, Sidhwa married Gustad Kermani and moved to Bombay. However, the marriage lasted only five years, and after the birth of two children, she divorced and returned to Lahore.
Despite these personal trials, Sidhwa pursued her education and embarked on a literary career. She later married Noshir Sidhwa, a Parsi from Lahore, who provided her with the peace and support that allowed her to flourish both personally and professionally.
Bapsi Sidhwa’s works delve into the complexities of history, human civilisation, identity, and the human experience, seamlessly blending personal narratives with broader societal concerns. As a member of a religious minority in the Subcontinent — particularly in the predominantly Muslim Pakistani Punjab — she observed her surroundings through a unique lens. Her writing often explored themes of human identity, socio-cultural conflict, and societal transformation.
Belonging to the Parsi community, Sidhwa provided a rare and insightful perspective on this minority group, shedding light on their traditions, struggles, and resilience. Renowned for her evocative storytelling and poetic prose, she has left an indelible mark on global literature. Her works have been translated into multiple languages, including German, Russian, and French, reflecting her universal appeal.
Sidhwa’s early life experiences, especially witnessing the tumult of the Partition of the Subcontinent as a child, profoundly shaped her literary voice and thematic concerns.
Her most famous novel, Ice Candy Man, centres on a Parsi girl named Lenny, whom critics have often regarded as an autobiographical representation of Sidhwa herself. Through Lenny’s perspective, the novel recounts the harrowing events of the Partition of India as experienced by a minority religious community in Lahore.
The narrative exposes the chauvinism and patriarchal systems entrenched in society, while highlighting the resilience of women who rise to challenge their oppressors—kidnappers and abusers who exploit religion as a shield for their actions. Ice Candy Man remains a powerful exploration of gender, identity, and the human cost of socio-political upheavals.
The themes of identity and transition are deeply embedded in Sidhwa’s work, reflecting her ancestral roots and cultural evolution. Her forefathers were religiously Parsi and racially, as well as ethno-linguistically, Persian. After settling in the present-day Indian province of Gujarat — a predominantly Hindu region — in the 8th century, their ethno-linguistic identity gradually evolved into the Gujarati and Kathiawari Parsi community. She herself was raised in Lahore, where she proudly identified as a ‘Punjabi Parsi’. She, along with her husband, siblings, and relatives from the Lahori Parsi community, became culturally and ethnically rooted in Punjabi traditions.
However, the Partition brought about a wave of violence and bloodshed that deeply shook the very foundation of culture and community. As chaos erupted, with horrific riots tearing apart neighborhoods and communities on the basis of religion, the small Parsi minority witnessed the devastating clashes between Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that these communities had, for decades, struggled together as one nation against the British colonial rulers. On the very day they were liberated from their oppressors, they plunged into the depths of division, fractured by layers of religious and cultural identity.
In The Pakistani Bride, Bapsi Sidhwa introduces us to Zaitoon, a brave and resilient girl who is separated from her parents during the communal riots following the Partition of India. Rescued by a tribal man, Zaitoon is taken to Pakistan, where he raises her as his own daughter. Eventually, she is married off to one of his tribesmen. Unable to endure her husband’s cruel behaviour, Zaitoon embarks on a daring escape, facing countless hurdles and hardships along the way.
In The Crow Eaters, Sidhwa crafts a story centred on a Parsi family entangled in internal conflicts driven by fear and greed. Freddy Junglewalla relocates his family from their ancestral forest home to Lahore at the turn of the 20th century. The novel humorously highlights the incongruities and challenges faced by a Parsi family in the Indian subcontinent. As Freddy’s fortunes grow, tensions rise, particularly between him and his overbearing mother-in-law, leading to moments of mild yet tickling humour.
In An American Brat, Sidhwa introduces Feroza Ginwalla, a pampered 16-year-old Parsi girl who visits America for a short trip. Immersed in an entirely different culture, she begins to embrace the values of this new world. However, conflict arises when Feroza falls in love with a non-Parsi boy, challenging her identity and the expectations of her conservative family.
Many critics view Sidhwa solely as a feminist writer, but such a perspective understates her broader humanitarian vision, which transcended all forms of discrimination and prejudice. Sidhwa’s focus extended to humanity as a whole, emphasising themes of society, family, and the reciprocal bonds of love and peace among individuals. From the child brides in The Pakistani Bride to the widows in Water, Sidhwa’s female characters navigate oppressive social customs, emerging as symbols of strength and resilience. These portrayals underscore her deep concern for women, particularly South Asian women, and their struggles against societal constraints.
Sidhwa’s advocacy for women’s rights and empowerment wasn’t limited to her literary work. She actively contributed to social causes, serving as a secretary for a Destitute Women and Children’s Home in Lahore and working on former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s committee for women’s development. Through her writing and activism, Sidhwa left an enduring legacy of compassion and progress.
Another label often used by critics to describe Sidhwa is that of a "subjective writer" with a narrow scope, as her characters are largely rooted in Parsi and Punjabi communities. However, this perspective can also be viewed positively. Sidhwa utilised her first-hand knowledge and personal experiences to explore the realities of human society, diagnosing social ailments and offering remedies with a deeply objective approach. She deliberately focused on themes within her own range, steering clear of exotic imaginations, far-fetched romantic ideas, or philosophical mysticism. Instead, she dedicated herself to producing quality work that revolved around domestic and social issues, ultimately earning global acclaim for her simple yet powerful narratives about the common person.
Sidhwa herself addressed her approach when commenting on the character of Lenny in Ice Candy Man, saying: "My intention was to write about Partition because very little had been written about it. There are certain images from my past, which have always haunted me. Although I was very young then, I saw chance killings, fires, dead bodies. These are images, which have stayed with me. This hostility needs to be dealt with."
Her ability to draw from personal memory and experience gave her work a level of authenticity that resonated with readers worldwide, cementing her place as one of South Asia’s most celebrated literary voices.
Sidhwa achieved global fame and recognition through her collaboration with Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta. Mehta’s award-winning film Earth (1988) was based on Sidhwa’s novel Ice Candy Man. Additionally, Sidhwa’s novel Water served as the inspiration for Mehta’s film Water, which went on to be nominated for the Academy Awards.
Throughout her career, Sidhwa received numerous awards and honours, including the Bunting Fellowship at Radcliffe/Harvard (1986), a Visiting Scholar position at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Centre in Italy (1991), the Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan (1991), the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Award (1994), and her induction into the Zoroastrian Hall of Fame (2000).
Her books City of Sin and Splendour: Writings on Lahore and Their Language of Love celebrate the vibrant culture and rich history of Lahore, reflecting her enduring love for the city. Despite her thrilling global exposure and numerous accolades, Sidhwa remained deeply connected to her roots and the essence of the city. In her later years, after moving to Houston, Texas, Lahore continued to occupy a central place in her heart and writings. The city’s pulse, culture, and significance remained an inseparable part of her identity and literary legacy.
Muttahir Ahmed Khan is an author, educationist and analyst, can be reached at muttahirahmedkhan@gmail.com
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