Gita Mehta (1943–2023) was an Indian-American writer, journalist, and filmmaker. She is the author of five best-selling books, including Karma Kola (1979), One River Sutra (1993) and The Eternal Ganesha (2006), which have been translated into 21 languages . Her work explores Indian issues to help Western audiences better understand the country, focusing on wars and conflicts, including the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. She is the sister of Naveen Patnaik, the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha.
Wiki/Biography
Gita Mehta was born in 1943 in Delhi, British India (aged 80; died). She completed her schooling in a boarding school in India. After completing her studies, she continued her studies at Girton College, Cambridge University, England. In interviews with the media, Mehta has revealed that she was sent to boarding school when she was three years old, while her father was detained by the British and her mother worked to secure his release. she says,
I was sent to boarding school when I was three because my mother was running around trying to get my father out of jail. “
Childhood photos of Gita Mehta and her brothers
appearance
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Gita Mehta was born in an Odia family.
Parents and siblings
Her father Bijayananda Patnaik was a politician, pilot and businessman.
Photos of Gita Mehta’s father Biju Patnaik
Her mother, Gyan Patnaik, is an Indian commercial pilot.
Photos of Gita Mehta’s mother Gyan Patnaik
Her brother Naveen Patnaik is the 14th Chief Minister of Odisha.
Photo of Gita Mehta’s brother Naveen Patnaik
Her brother Prem Patnaik is a popular Indian businessman.
Photo of Gita Mehta’s brother Prem Patnaik
husband and children
In December 1965, Gita Mehta married Ajai Singh Mehta aka Sonny Mehta. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to New York. In 1987 they moved to London. Ajai Singh Mehta is editor-in-chief of Alfred A. Knopf Magazines and a publisher of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group chairman of the board.
Geeta Mehta and Ajay Singh Mehta
Sonny Menta passed away in 2019. The couple has a son named Aditya Singh Mehta.
Photos of Gita Mehta’s son and husband
Relationships/Affairs
Gita met Sonny Mehta while they were studying at Cambridge University. She was previously in a relationship with Sonny before marrying him in 1965.
other relatives
Her father-in-law, Amrik Singh Mehta, was an officer in the Royal Indian Air Force and one of the first Indian diplomats after independence.
Profession
Geeta Mehta has directed and produced many documentaries for British, European and American channels. She also worked as a reporter for NBC from 1970 to 1971.
Young Geeta Mehta
In 1972, Geeta Mehta released “Dateline Bangladesh”, a documentary focusing on the war in Bangladesh. The film was released in theaters in India and other countries.
Excerpts from the documentary “Bangladesh Dateline”
literature
Her literary works, both fiction and non-fiction, focus on Indian culture and history, with a particular emphasis on how it is viewed by Westerners. Her first book, Karma Cola (1979), criticized Westerners for seeking instant spiritual enlightenment by meeting Indian gurus.
The cover of the book “Causal Coke”
Her novel “Raj” (1989) tells the story of Princess Jaya Singh, the daughter and wife of an Indian king who ruled two independent kingdoms in India. In 1993, Geeta Mehta published her second novel “River Sutra”, which aimed to introduce life in India to Western readers through a collection of short stories. Masterfully blending Indian mythology with a love story, this book centers on a government worker who discovers important life lessons by visiting six Indian pilgrimage sites along the country’s holiest rivers.
The cover of the book “Ajiang Sutra”
Four years later, Geeta Mehta published Snakes and Ladders, a collection of essays about life in India. She chose to publish the book on India’s 50th Independence Day to mark the occasion.
Snakes and Ladders book cover (1997)
dispute
Refuse to accept the Padma Shri Award
In 2019, Geeta Mehta declined the Padma Shri award offered to her by the Narendra Modi government. She shared her reasons for rejecting the award in a media interview before the 2019 election. Geeta Mehta said,
I am extremely honored that the Government of India considers us worthy of receiving the Padma Shri, but very regretfully I feel that I must decline as general elections are imminent and the timing of the award may be misinterpreted, causing embarrassment to the Government and the Government. Myself, I would regret it terribly. “
Awards
Gita Mehta received the Lifetime Achievement Award for publishing books in India, the UK and the US.
die
On September 16, 2023, Gita Mehta passed away at her home in New Delhi due to age-related illnesses.
Facts/Trivia
- Her books have been translated into 21 languages and have reached bestseller lists in Europe, the United States and India.
- In a media conversation, Mehta has expressed her hope that through her books, modern India will be more accessible to Western readers and a new generation of Indians. she says,
I want to educate Westerners and a whole generation of Indians about modern India who have no idea what happened 25 years ago when they were born. “
Gita Mehta talks to media houses
- Geeta Mehta likes to drink alcoholic beverages occasionally.
Geeta Mehta and a glass of alcohol
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education