Cricket and film enthusiasts got up this morning only to hear that veteran cricket journalist and writer on film music Raju Bharatan has expired. He died following a prolonged illness in Mumbai on Friday. He was 86 and is survived by his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.
He also directed “The Victory Story” (1974), the first full-length cricket documentary for Films Division.
Author of six books, Bharatan first penned “Rivals in the Sun: A survey of the 1952 tour of England” (1952) followed by “Indian Cricket – The Vital Phase” (1977). He also wrote the biographies of legendary singers Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and noted music director Naushad.
Condoling Bharatan’s death, former India spinner Bishan Singh Bedi tweeted, “Raju Bharatan of Illustrated Weekly is no more. He reported on Crkt & Films with equal elan & commitment. RIP Raju!.”
Bharatan who worked with “The Illustrated Weekly of India” for 42 years also tried his hand at cricket commentary.
