Gita Mehta, renowned filmmaker and author is dead

Gita Mehta, a celebrated documentary filmmaker and journalist, passed away at her residence in Delhi, India, on Saturday. She was the daughter of Biju Patnaik and a sister to Odisha Chief Minister Navneet Patnaik and businessman Prem Patnaik. Gita Mehta is survived by her son, as her publisher husband, Sonny Mehta, had predeceased her.

Gita Mehta’s remarkable career included her coverage of Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war for NBC and her acclaimed documentary “Dateline Bangladesh.” Born in 1943 to Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik in Delhi, she pursued her higher studies in India and at the prestigious Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

Among her notable works are books like “Karma Cola,” “Snake and Ladders,” “A River Sutra,” “Raj,” and “The Eternal Ganesha.”