Sahitya Akademi Award winner Veteran Gujarati littérateur Labhshankar Thakar, also known by his pen name Punarvasu, has died after prolonged illness at the age of 80. Thakar was a modernist author of Gujarati literature with influence of existentialism challenging traditional literature styles. He was also an Ayurvedic Practitioner also.

He had also received Kumar Chandrak, Narmad Chandrak and Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak. He was presented Sahitya Akademi award in 1991 for his poetry, Tolan Aawaz Ghunghat. He also received Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar from Gujarati Sahitya Parishad in 2002.

He has written several poems, plays, novels and stories. Kalagranthi (1987) is the collection of six poems. Thakar was heavily influenced by Samuel Beckett. He along with playwright Subhash Shah, wrote Ek Undar ane Jadunath based on Samuel’s Waiting for Godot. Mari Jawani Maza (1973) is a collection of his one act plays. He was active in workshops for playwrights called Aakanth Sabarmati. Akasmat and Kon are his famous novels while hile Malela Jeevni Samiksha and Inner Life are his works of criticism.

His works of journalism are collected in Ek Minute (1986) and Kshana Tatkshana (1989). Maari Ba (1989) is a biographical work about his mother. He had also written several books on Ayurveda. Thakar was born on January 14, 1935 in Patdi area of Surendranagar district of Gujarat.