Litterateur Dilip Chitre is dead

Eminent writer, poet, painter, and filmmaker Dilip Purushottam Chitre, who made a mark with his translations and path-breaking commentaries on the writings of saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram, died early on Thursday at his Yerawada residence in Pune. He was 71.

Chitre was suffering from liver cancer for over a year. The last rites were performed in the presence of writers, poets and film personalities. He is survived by wife Vijaya and grandson Yohul.

Chitre contributed immensely to arts and culture and his writings on Sant Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram have been acclaimed internationally.

Recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize (1994) for his book Says Tuka, Chitre had authored Punha Tukaram and Shri Dnyandev's Anubhavamrut: The Immortal Experience of Being published by the Sahitya Akademi.

Known for his poetry in English and Marathi, Chitre had received the Sahitya Akademi Award (1994) for his collection of Marathi poems Ekoon Kavita 1. He wrote fiction, plays, essays, and criticism. His works were translated into many Indian and foreign languages, including Japanese and Hungarian.

The first director of Vagarth, the poetry wing of Bharat Bhavan, the multi-arts complex in Bhopal, Chitre was convenor-director of the Valmiki World Poetry Festival (New Delhi, 1985) and the International Symposium of Poets (Bhopal, 1985). He had delivered the keynote address at the 9th International Conference on Maharashtra in Minnesota, USA, in 2001.

Working closely with German writers and filmmakers, he was a writer-in-residence at the universities of Heidelberg and Bamberg.

Before settling in Pune, Chitre had lived and worked in many places like Asella and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Iowa City, Mumbai, Baroda, and Bhopal.

His English books include Anthology Of Marathi Poetry (1945-1965), Ambulance Ride; Travelling In A Cage; Tender Ironies: A Tribute To Lothar Lutze (Editor); The Mountain And No-Moon Monday On The River Karha.

His books in Marathi include Kavita, Orpheus, Sheeba Raneechya Shodhaat, Kavitenantarchyaa Kavita, Dahaa By Dahaa, Mithu Mithu Popat and Sutak. His collection of poems was published in three volumes under the title Ekoon Kavita.
Chitre was accomplished in the world of filmmaking and had directed and written the screenplay of the award-winning film Godam.

He was involved in the making of many films like Vijeta (story and screenplay), Ardh Satya (theme poem), A Question of Identity (script, direction and narration) and In The Darkness of the Twentieth Century: A discussion featuring noted Hindi writers (concept and direction).

Chitre lost his young son in November 2003 in Pune.