Renowned Hindi writer Rajendra Yadav, a pioneer of the Hindi literary movement 'Nayi Kahani,' died in New Delhi late last night. He was 84.
"Yesterday night, at around 11 to 11:30 p.m., he had trouble breathing, and even after taking medicines, there was no relief. We took him to a hospital, but he died on the way," said his daughter, Rachna Yadav, on Tuesday.
Yadav was also the editor of the famous 'Hans' magazine, which was originally launched by the legendary writer, Munshi Premchand.
'Hans' was started by Premchand in 1930, but stopped publication in 1953. Yadav re-launched the magazine in 1986 on July 31 on Premchand's birthday.
Yadav's first novel, 'Pret Bolte Hain' (Ghosts Speak) was published in 1951 and later renamed 'Sara Akash' (The Infinite Cosmos) in the 1960s.
It was adapted into a film by leading Indian director Basu Chatterjee in 1969.
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Among his other well-known novels are 'Ukhre Huye Log' (Uprooted People) highlighted the trauma of a couple arising out of the socio-economic condition which forced them to desert the conventional path, and 'Ek Inch Muskan' (One Inch Smile) with his writer wife, Mannu Bhandari.
Meanwhile, his neighbour V.V. Sharma said his death is a great loss to him as he considered him a fatherly figure.
"I had a father-son relationship with him. He had been and will be a father figure to me," said Sharma.
Yadav also worked as a board member of Prasar Bharti in 1999-2001.