The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)

Veteran film critic and author Aruna Vasudev, known as ‘ mother of Asian cinema’, dies at 88

VETERAN FILM critic, curator and author Aruna Vasudev — fondly known as “the mother of Asian cinema” — died of age- related complicati­ons, in Delhi on Thursday. She was 88.

The last rites will be carried out at the Lodhi Road crematoriu­m at 3 pm on Friday.

“She had not been keeping well for some time. She had Alzheimer’s along with various age- related health issues. She died in a hospital this ( Thursday) morning,” Neerja Sarin, a close friend of Vasudev, told PTI.

A champion of Asian cinema, Vasudev was instrument­al in getting films from the continent global recognitio­n. She founded the Delhi- based film magazine ‘ Cinemaya: The Asian Film Quarterly’, exclusivel­y to cover f ilms from the continent, in 1988. She also founded the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema ( NETPAC) — an independen­t non- profit committed to propagatin­g films from across the continent — three years later. In 1999, Vasudev also founded the Osian Cinefan Film Festival in Delhi.

“She was the pioneer for making Asian films, a genre to be talked about as a separate identity of its own. There are many laurels to her credit, but I will always remember her for her warmth and radiant smile. Her observatio­ns were always insightful and I enjoyed being with her a lot. My condolence­s to her family. RIP dear, dearest Aruna,” actor Shabana Azmi posted on Instagram.

Between 1967 and 1979, Vasudev has also directed or produced around 20 documentar­ies for Swedish TV, Canadian Internatio­nal Developmen­t Agency, Belgian TV, War on Want, London, and Films Division and Doordarsha­n in India. She had also edited or co- edited several books, including a translatio­n from French into English of Jean-Claude Carriere’s ‘ In Search of the Mahabharat­a: Notes of Travels in India with Peter Brook’.

Neville Tuli, founder of Tuli Research Centre for India Studies, described Vasudev as the “epitome of a confident individual­ity rooted in a deep knowledge and appreciati­on for creativity, cinema, scholarshi­p and genuine compassion”.

“Her thoughts were rooted in that rare desire to nurture young and independen­t- minded film enthusiast­s, who wanted to make cinema their life. Naturally, she did not suffer fools or mediocrity gladly,” Tuli told PTI.

In recognitio­n of her contributi­on to cinema and arts, the French government felicitate­d her with some of the highest cultural honours. These included Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres ( Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2019, and Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres ( Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2002.