By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 24: Writer Neelima Dalmia Adhar interacted with readers and literature lovers at a Writer Circle event organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation at Taj Vivanta here on Monday.
The session was moderated by Jyoti Agarwal of Ehsaas Women of Shillong, who guided the discussion on Adhar’s life and her relationship with her father, Ramkrishna Dalmia, the first Indian owner of The Times of India.
Adhar spoke about growing up as one of eighteen children of her father, who had six wives. She shared memories of her mother, Dinesh Nandini Dalmia, his sixth and youngest wife, who was a well-known Hindi poet and Padma Bhushan awardee.
Raised in New Delhi with six siblings, Adhar said her childhood was difficult despite having material comfort. “We had everything, but we really had nothing,” she said, recalling her father’s long absences and the emotional strain at home.
Talking about her memoir Father Dearest, she said she wrote it honestly and did not hide the controversial parts of her father’s life, including his legal issues and clashes with Jawaharlal Nehru. “I cannot lie about my life with my father. This is my story,” she said, adding that some siblings disagreed with her version, but she stood firm.
Adhar said she inherited her father’s fearlessness. “One thing I got from him is fearlessness,” she added.
She shared that she was not a strong student in school and never imagined becoming a writer. “But when I began writing, the ideas came naturally, as if a portal had opened,” the writer said.
She credited her mother for encouraging her to write and said her creativity often feels guided by intuition, dreams and strong inner feelings.
Meanwhile, Adhar said that her latest book, Radha: The Princess of Barsana (2024), was inspired by a vivid dream that led her to explore Radha as a strong, human woman. “I wanted to meet Radha the woman who is bold, passionate and unafraid,” she said.
Adhar questioned traditional stories that portray Radha and Krishna’s love as purely spiritual.
In her book, she presents Radha as someone who openly breaks social rules and follows her heart.
Meanwhile, the writer also spoke about her book Merchants of Death (2007), which was inspired by her experiences of the Marwari community’s strict traditions and hidden contradictions.
She admitted the book came partly from her own hurt as her mother and siblings were treated as “outcasts”. “I don’t regret showing the hidden side of Marwari society. If someone is embarrassed, they can learn from it,” Adhar said.
Despite her complicated childhood, Adhar said she admired her father’s intelligence and success as a self-made industrialist. She said their short time together taught her about scriptures, philosophy and the realities of wealth and power.
The event was supported by Oil India Limited.
