Veteran journalist Vinod Dua no more; daughter Mallika posts heartfelt note

Veteran Indian journalist Vinod Dua, a pioneer in broadcast Hindi journalism, passed away on Saturday (December 4) at the age of 67. He is survived by his daughters Mallika Dua, an actor and comedian, and Bakul Dua, a clinical psychologist.

"Our irreverent, fearless and extraordinary father, Vinod Dua has passed away. He lived an inimitable life, rising from the refugee colonies of Delhi to the peak of journalistic excellence for over 42 years, always, always speaking truth to power. 

He is now with our mom, his beloved wife Chinna in heaven where they will continue to sing, cook, travel and drive each other up the wall," Mallika wrote in her Instagram story.

Earlier on November 29, Mallika had posted on her Instagram account that her father was in ICU and his condition was "beyond critical".

"My Papaji is beyond critical in the ICU. His health had been deteriorating rapidly since April. He also is unable to come to terms with



losing the light of his life. 

He has lived an extraordinary life and given us the same. He deserves no pain. He is immensely loved and revered and I request you all to pray that he experiences as little pain as possible," Mallika wrote.

In June, Mr. Vinod lost his wife radiologist Padmavati 'Chinna' Dua after a prolonged battle with COVID-19. The couple was in a hospital in Gurgaon when the second COVID-19 wave hit. Vinod's health had suffered since then and he had been in and out of hospitals.

Mr. Vinod in 1996 became the first electronic media journalist to be bestowed with the esteemed Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award. 

He was also awarded the Padma Shri for Journalism in 2008 by the Government of India. In June 2017, for his lifetime achievement in the field of journalism, Mumbai Press Club awarded him the RedInk Award, which was presented to Vinod by Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra.