Veteran journalist-author Shirish Kanekar dies at 80

He passed away at around 12.30pm at the hospital due to heart attack, Puranik told PTI.Kanekar worked at Marathi and English language publications like Loksatta, Indian Express, Samana, and Free Press Journal.

Veteran journalist-author-columnist Shirish Kanekar passed away this afternoon due to heart attack at a hospital, his close friend and journalist Arun Puranik said.

Kanekar was 80.

''He was feeling unwell, he was finding it difficult to breathe so he was immediately taken to Hinduja hospital in the morning. He passed away at around 12.30pm at the hospital due to heart attack,'' Puranik told PTI.

Kanekar worked at Marathi and English language publications like Loksatta, Indian Express, Samana, and Free Press Journal. His collection of stories ‘Lagaon Batti’ was awarded the Maharashtra Literary Parishad Award for Best Comedy.

He was known for his books on cricket, Bollywood movies such as “Nut Bolt Bolpat”, “Kanekari”, “Cricket Vedh”, among others.

Kanekar is survived by wife and two children.