Magic realist who fused poetry, prose,elevated the dull to the extraordinary

Shukla, who was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award in 1999 and the Bhartiya Jnanpith in 2025, was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Raipur on December 2 after breathing difficulties. He breathed his last at 4.48pm, his family said. He is survived by his wife, son and a daughter.