Late Gita Mehta was born to her parents, Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik.
Biju Patnaik
Mehta’s father, Biju, was an activist in India, a politician, an aviator and entrepreneur, who served as the 3rd Chief Minister of the State of Odisha from 1990 to 1995 and from 1961 to 1963.
He was also a former Minister of Steel and Mines, and a member of Lok Sabha from Kendrapara. Biju died in 1997
Gyan Patnaik
Mehta’s mother, Gyan, was a Punjabi lady and one of India’s earliest female aviators.
As far back as the 1930s, she was one of the first women in India to obtain a commercial pilot’s licence.
Guan is remembered for co-piloting her husband in a rescue operation at the dead of night to rescue the Indonesian leader from Java which was occupied by Dutch at the time.
Gyan passed away in 2009.
About Late Gita Mehta
Gita Mehta was an Indian and American writer cum documentary filmmaker known for covering the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971.
Mehta worked as a war correspondent for the NBC in the early 1970s. Her documentary of the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, titled Dateline Bangladesh, became a success in India and across the world
As an author, Mehta had published five books which are available in over 21 languages, and have become best-sellers in Europe, the US, and India.
Most of Mehta’s works were focused on India’s history & culture, war and conflict, but targeted at the Western audience.
In 2019, Mehta received “the Padma Shri”, which is India’s fourth highest civilian award.