Film-maker Buddhadeb Dasgupta launches the Manjit Bawa biography penned by Ina Puri. Picture by Aranya Sen

Manjit Bawa has been lying ill in hospital for almost five months now. He had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage after returning from an art exhibition in Delhi and later slipped into a coma, from which he has not recovered.

His illness cast a pall of gloom over the launch on Wednesday of the authorised biography, In Black & White, of an artist with such zest for life. The book, penned with touching sincerity by Ina Puri, his friend since April 1998, is published by Penguin/Viking. Puri was wary of the prospect of the book being launched in Calcutta because of both their associations with the city. ?I was traumatised,? said Puri, in conversation after the launch, but it all went off like a dream. It was as if Manjit Bawa?s vivacious nature had livened up the proceedings.

Rakhi Sarkar, director of CIMA, who read out extracts from the book, recalled her first encounter with the artist in the aftermath of the Ayodhya riots, when he helped her organise a protest movement. She spoke with admiration about Bawa?s beautiful singing voice and his repertoire of Sufiana music, quite in keeping with his secular upbringing, as described in the book. In a lighter vein, she said Bawa was a wonderful cook and a great host. He would lavish food on his guests at his home in Dalhousie.

Buddhadeb Dasgupta, film director, who has made a documentary on the artist, recalled his wonderful days in Dalhousie when he made the film. Jogen Chowdhury, who was present at the launch, said in a private conversation that he had known Manjit Bawa since 1972 when both of them had started Gallery 26 arts forum in the studio of artist Bhabesh Sanyal. The two artists, along with Amitava Das, would spend hours at Bawa?s studio. This was when Bawa would move around ?in a green scooter?.

Puri remembered how for the first time they drove to Dalhousie past mustard fields and the shrine of Sufi saint Nao Ghaz Baba, to whom offerings of clocks were made. Bawa had spoken about his colour, his childhood and the bias against him because of his faith. Even when he had arrived as an artist, he was not very comfortable.

When she met him in his crowded new studio, ?I sensed a reaching out to me... From that day he called me every single day of my life. Wherever I was.? Now she waits for him to awaken once again.