Bhisham Sahni, the younger brother of famous Bollywood actor Balraj Sahni, was born in Rawalpindi in 1915. Throughout his life, Bhisham Sahni’s name was associated with progressive causes and movements. He is most remembered for his epic novel Tamas in which he soulfully narrated the 1947 riots he witnessed in the city of his birth. Sahni also wrote plays, and two of his creations, Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein and Madhvi, earned critical acclaim. About his literary contributions, Kamleshwar wrote: “Bhisham Sahni’s name is etched into the 20th century of Hindi literature that it cannot be erased.” Some critics have compared his short stories to that of Munshi Premchand. He passed away in 2003.
