Today Morning when I woke up, I promised myself to Write & Read a lot today & no Vellapanti.
Yeh nahi pata tha.. After Khushwant Singh jee.. I shall be writing about Mr. Vinod Mehta.
Some Background: A few of my School friends used to say “Guru to IndiaToday magazine chaat jaata hai”.
Probably because there was hardly any India Today which I had not read page to page from 1991 to 1995 Starting Class 6th.
After some time… I started getting bored of it & then OUTLOOK was launched with a whiff of fresh air.
I loved the Language, the lay out, the Delhi Dairy on last page by the Editor Vinod Mehta and surely very refreshing Covers.
Some of the covers which I liked and preserved (1996-98)
Just heard that Mr. Vinod Mehta, the Man who started Outlook and was it’s Editor too, passed away a few hours back.
I became his fan & read his work and about his Life too.
Before creating Outlook he was the Editor of Soft Porn magazine Debonair and always lived Life on his own terms.
Once when Me and Gurleen were in Select CITYWALK, New Delhi? … I went inside Crossroads (the Book Shop) & his book “Lucknow Boy” was displayed….. I flipped a few pages and started reading it got immersed in no time.
I requested Gurleen to carry on Shopping/Eating with Kids while I read some more pages.
This was the book in which he First time Confessed Publicly that he had a Daughter outside Marriage. Do ghante kab ho gaye pata hi nahi chala. I thought to buy it, but it was for Rs 400 and I was short on money so missed it.
His office was just next to Rajinder da Dhaba in Safdarjung & one evening in the year 2000 when I was there, I saw him standing on the Porch with a Ciggy in hand. I approached said hello, took his Business card. He asked me about what I do.
Those days I was not doing anything worthwhile and said so and then bid him Good Bye.
Uske baad poori raat I kept asking myself, Why I didn’t ask him to give me a Job, Any job!!
Vinod Mehta Sir… Time to read more about you and Learn more from you.
PS: I Love Reading AutoBiographies, One Day I shall write mine 