Lucknow Boy

An authority in the media circles, Vinod Mehta, journalist and Editor of Outlook magazine, presents his life through a candid and scandalous account in his autobiography, Lucknow Boy: A Memoir.

The book contains several interesting accounts, starting from incidents in his younger days to his interactions with celebrities from different spheres like business, politics, the entertainment industry and the media. It has several interesting anecdotes and crisp word sketches of celebrities like Shobha De, Sonia Gandhi and Salman Rushdie.

The story starts in the city of Lucknow, where Mehta grew up with his family members, who were refugees from Pakistan. The book provides an interesting account of his time in Britain, when Mehta’s journalistic interests were fueled by English newspapers like The New Statesman, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph.

It then charts his return to Bombay, and his stint as the editor of Debonair, an Indian version of Playboy. Mehta also explains his early efforts in establishing The Sunday Observer and Outlook, while slowly turning into one of the most influential personalities in journalistic circles.

Thanks to his decades of experience in the journalistic field, his autobiography holds a treasure chest of interesting instances that add spice to the book. He also shares his valuable insights and experience, providing tips for aspiring editors and journalists.

About Vinod Mehta

Vinod Mehta is best known for being the Editor-in-chief of Outlook Magazine, a position that he maintained till the end of January 2012. He now serves as an advisor to the publication.

Mehta has written some other books, and they include:

Meena Kumari

Mr Editor, How Close Are You to The PM?

Bombay: A Private View

The Sanjay Story

Vinod Mehta’s style of writing is informal and very direct, true to his journalistic roots. In this book, his style is anecdotal and irreverent.

Vinod Mehta’s wife, Sumita Paul, is also a journalist. She has worked for The Sunday Times and The Pioneer.