Makarand Talwalkar was one of a distinguished family of medical practitioners in India; the first of the name to practise medicine could count twenty nine descendants who were medically qualified, of whom eighteen attended Grant Medical College, Bombay, from 1869 onwards. Makarand Talwalkar was born on 14 April 1910 in Ahemdabad, India; his father Gajanan was a specialist in tuberculous diseases and son, father and grandfather were educated at Grant Medical College. Makarand won five scholarships during his time there, and qualified MB BS Bombay in 1933. He was professor of operative surgery at Bombay from 1950 to 1966, professor of surgery from 1966 to 1968, emeritus professor from 1968 to 1970 , and worked at the J J Hospital, Bombay, as honorary surgeon from 1939 to 1968. He married Kamal Deshmukh on 22 April 1939, and they had one son and three daughters. The youngest daughter gained an MD in physiology at Grant Medical College and became reader in physiology there. Talwalkar was a keen golfer, and enjoyed billiards, chess and bridge in his spare time. He died on 11 February 1994, aged 83.