New Delhi: Noted French author Dominique Lapierre known for his love for India and Kolkata has passed away aged 91. His wife Dominique Conchon-Lapierre confirmed to the French newspaper Var-Matin on Sunday.
"At 91, he died of old age," she said adding that she is at peace since Dominique is no longer suffering. Born on July 30, 1931, in Chatelaillon, the author is best known for his books based on his travels in different parts of the world but also for the selfless work he has done along with his wife to rescue over 9000 children suffering from leprosy and other diseases due to malnutrition and poverty in India.
According to the website of the charity organization the City of Joy Foundation founded by Lapierre and his wife it has also helped fight back tuberculosis in 1,200 villages, dug 541 tube wells for drinking water, and provided medical assistance to over 5 million patients over the years.
Lapierre's tryst with Kolkata started his passion for traveling and brought him to Kolkata where his words brought the struggles of a rickshaw puller in the city to life. It also tells the story of the unsung heroes of Kolkata's Pilkhana slum.
The book was adapted into a film starring Patrick Swayze in 1992. The major portion lot of Lapierre's royalty from 'City of Joy' was donated to charitable projects in India. During his stay in the city, he became a close associate of Mother Teresa who authorized him to make a film on her life and the work of her sisters, the Missionaries of Charity.
With Geraldine Chaplin playing the role of Mother Teresa, the film Mother Teresa: In the Name of God's Poor' was aired on the Family Channel in the US and several European channels. Lapierre's script was also nominated by the prestigious Humanitas Prize for communicating the best values.
According to the Speaker Booking Agency, Lapierre's first taste of fame came when as a 17-year-old he left Paris with USD 30 and worked aboard a ship. Disembarking in the US, he managed a 30,000-mile jaunt around North America. This adventure led to Lapierre's first bestselling book, A Dollar for a Thousand Miles' and since then, he continuously searched for new messages and stories in different parts of the world.
While completing military service in 1954, Lapierre met an American soldier named Larry Collins. An everlasting friendship and a valuable partnership sprang from this meeting and the duo went on to collaborate on some of the most memorable books including Is Paris Burning?' made into a major motion picture and others such as O Jerusalem', Freedom at Midnight', and The Fifth Horseman', books read by millions of readers in more than 30 languages.
In 1991, Lapierre published Beyond Love', the epic story of the discovery of the AIDS virus. Among his later works, A Thousand Suns' chronicles the heroes and events that have shaped the life of the author-philanthropist and India mon amour' his memoir reflecting his love for India.
