When I met Shekhar Malhotra in Delhi, in November 2020, never in my wildest dreams had I imagined it would be the last time. The Coronaviru...
When I met Shekhar Malhotra in Delhi, in November 2020, never in my wildest dreams had I imagined it would be the last time. The Coronavirus scourge claimed Shekhar’s life on May 2, 2021, taking with it one of the last grand old pillars of Indian publishing.
I first met Shekhar in 1999 when he was visiting Bhopal on a book tour with Dominique Lapierre, promoting a book which Full Circle had just published. From the moment I met him, we established an instant rapport and connection, driven by the warmth and charm of his persona. Our relationship was admittedly something of a mentor-student one. I hoped to learn from his experience in the business of books, wisdom which he very generously imparted to me. Eventually, our friendship blossomed into a business association that lasted over 15 years.
The Hind Pocket Books story
Shekhar’s grandfather, Mahashay Rajpal ran a small book printing business in Lahore that produced books based on the Arya Samaj philosophy. Shockingly, he was murdered after a dispute over one of the books he had printed.
His son Dinanath (Shekhar’s father), joined the DAV College in Srinagar as a professor. After a few years, he decided to move to Delhi for its better...
