Late Amrita Pritam’s partner 'Imroz' no more

Mumbai: Well-known poet and artist Inderjeet Singh—popularly known as Imroz and the partner of late novelist, essayist and poet Amrita Pritam—passed away in Mumbai on Friday.

Imroz and Amrita Pritam had spent close to four decades together.

Veteran journalist, writer and poet Vageesh Saraswat posted on social media about Imroz's passing.

"A very well known poet and painter Imroz passed away. He was also known for his relationship with Amrita Pritam. Imroz was his pen name. His original name was Inderjeet Singh,” Saraswat said.

Imroz, 97, died of issues related to old age.

Amrita Pritam (1919-2005), who used to write in Hindi and Punjabi, was the first woman recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award and the first Punjabi woman to receive the Padma Shree from the President of India in 1969. Her noted works include Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu, a poem and Pinjar, a novel.

Imroz was born on January 26, 1926 in Lyallpur of undivided Punjab. In 1966, when Amrita started publishing her magazine Naagmani, he joined her and worked as an artist/illustrator.

“…wo yahin hai, ghar par hi hai, kahin nahi gayi (she is here only, she is home, she has not gone anywhere)…”, the poet had penned in memory of Amrita after her passing.