Gita Mehta (1943 – 2023) was an Indian American author, journalist, and filmmaker. She was the author of 5 widespread books together with Karma Cola (1979), A River Sutra (1993), and Everlasting Ganesha (2006) which had been translated into 21 languages. Her work primarily addressed Indian points to assist Western audiences higher perceive the nation, with a deal with conflict and battle, together with the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation Struggle. She was the sister of the 14th chief minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik.
Wiki/Biography
Gita Mehta was born in 1943 (age 80 Years; on the time of loss of life) in Delhi, British India. She accomplished her college training at a boarding college in India. After finishing her college training, she went to Girton School on the College of Cambridge in England to pursue additional training. Throughout a media interview, Mehta as soon as shared that she was despatched to boarding college at age three whereas her father was detained by the British and her mom labored to safe his launch. She mentioned,
I used to be despatched off to boarding college on the age of three, as a result of my mom was racing round attempting to get my father out of jail.”
A childhood image of Gita Mehta along with her brothers
Bodily Look
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Household
Gita Mehta belonged to an Odia household.
Dad and mom & Siblings
Her father, Bijayananda Patnaik, was a politician, aviator, and businessman.
An image of Gita Mehta’s father, Biju Patnaik
Her mom, Gyan Patnaik, was an Indian industrial pilot.
An image of Gita Mehta’s mom, Gyan Patnaik
Her youthful brother, Naveen Patnaik, is the 14th chief minister of Odisha.
An image of Gita Mehta’s brother, Naveen Patnaik
Her elder brother, Prem Patnaik, is a well-liked Indian businessman.
An image of Gita Mehta’s brother, Prem Patnaik
Husband & Youngsters
Gita Mehta bought married to Ajai Singh Mehta aka Sonny Mehta in December 1965. Quickly after their marriage, they shifted to New York. In 1987, they moved to London. Ajai Singh Mehta was the editor-in-chief of Alfred A. Knopf and chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Gita Mehta posing with Ajai Singh Mehta
Sonny Menta died in 2019. The couple has a son named Aditya Singh Mehta.
An image of Gita Mehta’s son and husband
Relationships/Affairs
Gita met Sonny Mehta when she was finding out at Cambridge College. She was in a relationship with Sonny earlier than marrying him in 1965.
Different Family
Her father-in-law, Amrik Singh Mehta, was an officer within the Royal Indian Air Drive and was one of many first Indian diplomats after India’s independence.
Profession
Gita Mehta directed and produced quite a few documentaries for British, European, and American channels. She additionally served as a reporter for the US tv community, NBC, from 1970 to 1971.
A younger Gita Mehta
In 1972, Gita Mehta launched a documentary movie “Dateline Bangladesh,” which targeted on the Bangladesh conflict. This movie was launched in theatres throughout India and different nations.
A snip of the documentary ‘Dateline Bangladesh’
Literary Works
Her literary works, each fiction and non-fiction, primarily targeted on India’s tradition and historical past, with a selected emphasis on how Westerners understand it. Her first guide, “Karma Cola” (1979), criticized Westerners who sought on the spot religious enlightenment by assembly Indian gurus.
The duvet of the guide Karma Cola
Her fictional guide “Raj” (1989) tells the story of Jaya Singh, a princess who was the daughter and spouse of Indian kings who dominated two unbiased kingdoms in India. In 1993, Gita Mehta printed her second fictional guide titled “A River Sutra,” which aimed to introduce Indian life to Western readers by means of a set of brief tales. The guide artfully blended Indian mythology with tales of affection, centring round a authorities employee who discovers essential life classes by visiting six Indian pilgrimage websites located alongside the banks of the nation’s most sacred river.
The duvet of the guide A River Sutra
4 years later, Gita Mehta launched “Snakes and Ladders,” a set of essays about life in India. She selected to publish the guide on India’s fiftieth Independence Day to commemorate the event.
The duvet of the guide ‘Snakes and Ladders (1997)
Controversies
Refused to Settle for the Padma Shri Award
In 2019, Gita Mehta declined the Padma Shri award, which was provided to her by the Narendra Modi Authorities. She shared her causes for declining the award simply earlier than the 2019 common elections in a media interview. Gita Mehta mentioned,
I’m deeply honoured that the federal government of India ought to assume we worthy of a Padma Shri however with nice remorse I really feel I need to decline as there’s a common election looming and the timing of the award could also be misconstrued, inflicting embarrassment each to the federal government and myself, which I’d a lot remorse.”
Awards
Gita Mehta was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for publishing books in India, the UK, and the USA.
Demise
On 16 September 2023, Gita Mehta died at her home in New Delhi as a result of previous age illnesses.
Information/Trivia
- Her books have been translated into 21 languages and have made it to the bestseller lists in Europe, the USA, and India.
- Throughout a media dialog, Mehta as soon as expressed her need to make trendy India extra accessible to Western readers and new generations of Indians by means of her books. She mentioned,
I wished to make trendy India accessible to Westerners and to an entire technology of Indians who don’t know what occurred 25 years earlier than they had been born.”
Gita Mehta whereas in a dialog with a media home
- Gita Mehta favored consuming alcoholic drinks sometimes.
Gita Mehta with a glass of alcohol
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