Darashah Bharucha was born on 22 July 1905 in Bombay, the son of a solicitor in whose family there was a number of surgeons. He was educated in Bombay with a series of scholarships, and graduated from the University MB BS in 1928. Shortly afterwards he came to London for postgraduate study where he was particularly influenced by Sir James Paterson Ross and Sir Thomas Dunhill. He took the MRCS in 1931 and the FRCS in 1932, after which he returned to his native city. There he became successively tutor, assistant surgeon and honorary surgeon at the Sir J J Hospital, and finally professor of surgery at St George's Hospital, Bombay. In 1942 he joined the Indian Medical Service as a recognised surgical specialist and served in Colombo, Lucknow and Bombay as Lieutenant Colonel O/C Surgical Division. He played an important part as secretary at the inauguration of the Association of Surgeons of India. He married Dr Tehemina Cooper in 1936; there were no children of the marriage. After retirement he developed Alzheimer's disease, and died on 11 September 1994.