Amita Malik (1921 – 20 February 2009) was an Indian media critic. She was described by ''Time'' magazine as India's "most prominent film and television critic," dubbed the "first lady of Indian media" and "India's best known cinema commentator". She began her career at

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

in 1944 and later worked as a columnist for many Indian newspapers, including '' The Statesman'', ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...

'', the ''

Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language India, Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the Indian Express Limited, ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnat ...

'' and ''

Pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a person who is among the first at something that is new to a community. A pioneer as a settler is among the first settling at a place that is new to the settler community. A historic example are American pioneers, perso ...

''. She died of leukemia at the age of 87 at Kailas Hospital on 20 February 2009.

Childhood

Amita Malik was born in 1921, in

Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Th ...

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

. The first film she ever saw was ''

The Gold Rush ''The Gold Rush'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film also stars Chaplin in his The Tramp, Little Tramp persona, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray (actor), Tom Murray, Henry Ber ...

'' by

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

, screened by the nuns of Loreto Convent Shillong.

Career

In 1944, Malik joined

at Lucknow. She presented the weekly lunch hour programme of European music on Saturdays. The same year, she applied for the advertised post of programme assistant and was posted to All India Radio's Delhi station. Amita Malik was the first reporter to interview

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

when she unexpectedly became Prime Minister of India after

Lal Bahadur Shastri Lal Bahadur Shastri (; born Lal Bahadur Srivastava; 2 October 190411 January 1966) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1964 to 1966. He previously served as Minister ...

's death in Tashkent. Malik was awarded the first fellowship of the Canadian Women's Press Club which arranged accommodation for her with their members for 10 months in 1960. Among others, she interviewed

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...

, and

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

. In 1960, Malik launched a campaign against foreigners in saris. "If there is anything uglier than an Indian matron in bulging jeans," she said, "it is a white woman. Tall, angular and with straw-colored hair, wearing a Dacca sari. Foreign wives fondly imagine that they look beautiful in saris, when they would look miles better in gingham."

Removal of restrictions on foreign press during Emergency

Amita Malik was responsible for getting the censorship curbs on foreign media during the

Indian Emergency The Emergency in India was a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the country by citing internal and external threats to the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddi ...

lifted.

Campaigns against misuse of media

In 1989 she launched a campaign against the misuse of India's state-owned media which had been converted into the private organ of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

party to promote

Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian statesman and pilot who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, assassination of his mother, then–prime ...

Feud with Khushwant Singh

Khushwant Singh said that Malik had once written he was the worst dressed man she had ever known. He confessed it was the only time he genuinely agreed with her.

Syndicated column (Sight and Sound)

Amita's syndicated column "Sight and Sound" has been published in virtually every leading Indian newspaper at various times. Her column was read by generations of television news readers for Amita's biting sartorial observations on them. At the same time she strongly defended AIR and Doordarshan's underpaid staff who worked under political and bureaucratic pressure.

Memorable quotes from Sight and Sound

#"One can certainly give credit to Doordarshan for one thing: It keeps whatever good programmes it has as secret as possible." #"Much as I appreciate Barkha Dutt's energy and enthusiasm, sometimes I get disturbed by her popping up all too frequently here, there and everywhere." #"The programme called ''Cook Na Kaho'' was hosted by

Upen Patel Upen Patel (born 16 August 1982) is a British actor working predominantly in Hindi films. In addition to working in Hindi films, he has participated in several television reality shows including '' Bigg Boss 8'' and '' Nach Baliye 7''. He also ...

and what Patel was doing revolted me. Like most Indians I believe in ''jootha'', that is, not polluting food personally with fingers or spoon when it is meant for all. Not for any religious sentiments but because it is unhygienic and can spread infection. What Patel was doing was putting a fork into the ice-cream, licking it and putting it back into the ice-cream. Sorry Patel, but I would not eat your food after that."

Books

Amita, no holds barred
An autobiography Hardcover – January 1, 1999

Awards

* Kamal Kumari National Award * B.D.Goenka Award in Journalism 1992 * Hony. Fellowship of International Police Association

References

External links

Amita Malik, RIP
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malik, Amita 1921 births 2009 deaths Indian film critics Indian women film critics Indian columnists Indian women columnists Brahmos Indian women television journalists Indian television journalists Deaths from leukemia in India All India Radio people Date of birth missing Women television critics 20th-century Indian journalists 20th-century Indian women writers All India Radio women Indian women radio presenters Indian radio presenters Bengali writers People associated with Shillong