Vinod Mehta

cover story
Straight from the
News Room
\\ THE DEBONAIR MAN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY SUBHOJIT PAUL
IMAGING BY SUNEESH K
Editor and author Vinod Mehta has been
wooed and abandoned with equal aplomb
by publishing houses. However, the man
himself, seems unfazed by the adulation
and brickbats and would rather concentrate
on the tasks at hand
THERE ARE DIFFICULT TASKS and then, there is writing this story. If it takes
gumption to write about authors, I wonder what it takes to write about a man who
has, in his decades-long career, defined Indian journalistic writing and style—at
least solid chunks of it. How do you start when the person in question has already
bared his soul over 305 pages (his memoir remains suitably ‘unappreciated’ by
personalities mentioned in it). How do you add that ‘extra bit’ when he has already
done it all. He has taken the world of print media hostage on paper and made its
players squirm, so much that they had to call the book boring. Well for a start, take
cue from the author himself—devote less time to what people might say, more to
the task at hand, and if you can, enjoy the process in the meantime.
Vinod Mehta needs little introduction. He has founded or established numerous
newspapers and magazines such as The Sunday Observer, India’s first Sunday
newspaper; The Indian Post, India’s first mainstream newspaper that devoted space
to arts and culture, The Independent and The Pioneer’s Delhi edition. He has been
associated with the Debonair, a rather confusing answer to the Playboy with its mix
of smut and substance. Before he sort of retired, Mehta was at the helm of Outlook
and unearthed some of the biggest headlines, scams and scandals of the past
decade. His life does raise eyebrows. And it is downright inspirational—though we
get a feeling that he would be greatly disturbed if he knew that.
Mehta was talented (or stubborn) enough to jump into the world of print media
in his mid-thirties and made a stunning success of it. His foray into journalism
was seemingly accidental. As he writes in Lucknow Boy, his memoir, (though he
was reluctant to call it such as only those who do great things should be allowed
to write one), “Working in an advertising agency had one distinct advantage. It
was a ten-to-five job with weekends free. I had plenty of time on my hands, and
an East Indian secretary, Sylvie, who was more than willing to do my private
typing. Drinking Hercules rum (`16 a bottle) and relishing home-cooked Goan
food provided by my friend Roland Rocha, I explored Bombay on foot, bus, train
and occasionally taxi. After I managed to acquaint myself with the Parsis and their
pigeon-stained statues, I followed my natural bent, surveying Bombay’s low life.”
These observations led to Mehta’s first book—Bombay; A Private View. In the book,
an acquaintance Khushwant Singh had a full chapter. Allegedly, Mehta met Singh
(who he declares to be the best editor in India) during an interview. Mehta asked
12
DEMOCRATIC
WORLD
JULY
2012
Singh about what he ‘did’ in England. Singh’s replied, he ‘did women, cheese and
wine’. It was an auspicious start to a long, professional and personal relationship.
Mehta calls himself a ‘dreadful copywriter’. To many he is a good writer and a
sharp journalist and possibly one of the greatest editors of India.
DW looks at Vinod Mehta—his traits which make him so alive, opinionated and
an inspiration. Here is the good and the relatively worse bits of the career of this
Lucknow boy.
JULY
2012
DEMOCRATIC
WORLD
13
cover story
The Good
\\ THE DEBONAIR MAN
GROUND-BREAKER, CHANGE-MAKER; “If life
could be divided into chapters the most exciting bit
would be launching The Sunday Observer. The idea
of a Sunday newspaper was one that no one had
attempted before. We had the feeling that we were
breaking new ground—exciting! Did we know it
would work? Of course not! No editor or proprietor
knows for certain if an idea would work. And in
the print media world ‘working out’ does not mean
critical success alone. It should make market sense,
attract advertisements. But, we were ready and willing
to give it our best shot,” says Mehta.
This is what sets Mehta apart; his willingness to
give everything his best shot. A Sunday paper, a
girly mag, insisting upon an arts and culture page
when people said it was a bad idea, think it would
not work? Challenge accepted. His most intriguing
endeavour, however, was the risque Debonair (1973).
Surprisingly, Mehta’s Debonair days are also his
most ‘difficult’. “The idea of semi-clad women on the
centre fold was unthinkable. My biggest challenge
was getting models. I believe that a majority of
the photographs carried in those eight years were
generally pretty awful, not because of the way they
were shot, but because the women were pretty
awful-looking. Sometimes we would get lucky and
feature Katie Mirza, who had worked for Playboy
before.” Mehta was, and remains, a master of
packaging. He has successfully launched products
that have a distinct freshness. “His endeavours
had the right fine balance of political news, current
affairs, international issues, opinion columns,
film, sports and trivia and even sex,” adds BBC
journalist Rajesh Joshi, while talking about his
former boss in Outlook.
Mehta’s first break at Debonair came when the
Nawab of Pataudi agreed to be interviewed by him.
“Like Playboy, Debonair had an interview section
which spread over eight pages. But the magazine
had such a sleazy reputation that most people
would say an emphatic no. I wrote to the Nawab
who was in Bombay and he agreed. Once people
saw the treatment we had given to the story, it
became a little easier to get the next person.” Easier
but never easy. “People had a predisposed notion
of what we had to offer. Serious journalists refused
to acknowledge Debonair as a proper magazine. As
for me, the women we featured were a part of the
Rajesh Joshi | Journalist
An Inspiration
I
have attended some of the most interesting editorial meetings
of my life at the Outlook. On Mondays we would huddle around
VM (Vinod Mehta) and correspondents would present their
ideas, while VM would listen without apparent interest, slouched in
his seat. I remember that apart from the Outlook, VM always kept a
fresh copy of India Today on his table.
On one such Monday, we were all
brainstorming over a proposed cover story
on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
VM was not kicked by any of the ideas. I
suggested that we take a look at how RSS
has penetrated all walks of life in this country.
VM sat up straight and licked his lips (he
would do so whenever excited about an idea).
He said, “That will work!” He came up with
brilliant cover ideas, sometimes stunning
us with his editorial instinct and vision.
RAJESH GUPTA,
But he was equally quick to acknowledge
BBC Journalist
others. VM hired me for Outlook not because
I wrote brilliant English, but because I could break stories. He
knew what each person was capable of. I had never worked for
any English-language publication before joining Outlook; I was
working for Jansatta. I still remember my first interaction with
him. “How confident are you about your English?” he asked in the
14
DEMOCRATIC
WORLD
JULY
2012
first few seconds. “I am not confident at all. I have never written in
English barring a few pieces for the Indian Express,” I replied. He
hired me. I worked for Outlook for six years and received several
assignments, including a chance to cover the Kargil War. When I
decided to quit, VM gave me a letter. It is a letter where an ‘editor’
has thanked a journalist for his contributions and expressed his
desire to work with him again! This is the only time that I received
such an acknowledgement. VM had a towering presence in
Outlook. You could argue with him, disagree on ideas or stories, but
when he made up his mind, it was difficult to budge him—unless
you could show him logical, plausible reasons for it. If you told him
that a story wouldn’t work out or that the information was not ripe,
he wouldn’t insist on it. I have had my differences with VM, but it
never led to a clash. He was an editor who supported everyone—
when Sharad Pawar slapped a defamation case against Outlook,
he stood his ground and backed his team. When our political editor
Padmanand Jha met with an accident and slipped into a coma,
VM came to visit ‘Paddy’. These were the days before debit cards.
Before leaving he took out his wallet and emptied its content and
gave it all to Yubaraj Ghimire and said, “I am sorry that I don’t have
more.” The sum was not a lot, but it was really all that he had at
that time. In office VM was a stern and no-nonsense boss. But
during parties, he would be a different persona—laughing and
joking with his colleagues and enjoying his whisky!
HIS PET
Vinod Mehta’s pet dog, who
he calls Editor
All editors shoul have
an instinct to know
rubbish from
gold
a bull***t
detector”
problem. On one hand we carried radically feministic
features, on the other, we objectified women,” he
says. Finally, he gave up. Today, Mehta does not
believe a Debonair would work. The internet is just
too full of pornographic writing and images anyway
and such a mix of fluff and substance would not be
accepted. Mehta moved to The Sunday Observer—his
favourite child.
THE JOURNALIST’S EDITOR; His dedication to work
and his editorial team is evident from the passion
with which he writes about both. While talking of the
days at The Sunday Observer Mehta writes, “The paper
consumed me. At night in bed I would be mentally
strategising the next issue or revisiting a particular
story. The few hours I was not at my desk, I was worrying about the paper. I would badger friends whose
opinions I respected... with demands to point out
weaknesses in the paper. The strengths I knew”.
It is this dedication that often sets him apart as one
of the greatest editors of Indian print media.
“Every editor in this country will have his recipe of
what makes a great editor. I believe editors should
have an instinct to know rubbish from real gold. It
is important for an editor to have a bull***t detector.
At the end of the day, no editor works alone. So try
to put the best possible team together, and be like
the conductor (of an orchestra). An encouraging
atmosphere in the newsroom is a must for a
productive team,” he says. Good editors are also
products of their times and the confidence they
enjoy of proprietors. In Mehta’s career, the role of
the proprietor has been cardinal. He has enjoyed
cordial relationships with most of them—at
Debonair, he enjoyed the confidence of Susheel
Somani, the first proprietor to interview and hire
him. The Sunday Observer’s Ashwin Shah is still a
friend. Several of his stints have also been marked
by conflict—more of them later.
From the alleged mole in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet,
to the Radia Tapes, to the cricket match-fixing
scandals—Mehta has never been shy of unearthing
scandals. And he has stood behind his team, always.
“Ideally the job of a proprietor is to select a team and
an intelligent editor who understands his vision.
Then both get to hiring the right team relying on
hunches and instincts—once you have the right
person for the job, brief him or her well and let him
or her be,” he adds.
Mehta practises what he preaches. “The
remarkable thing about him is that he doesn’t let
his vision get blurred with preconceived notions
about individuals or situations, which is not to say
that Mehta does not have preconceived notions.
He does. But they don’t always come in the way of
his editorial judgment. What really impresses me
is the transparency in his writing. He is forthright
when he writes about himself, his days as an adman
and an editor—even confessing his dishonesty in
personal relationships. Once he wrote how he and
Big Bee (columnist) used to frequent Bombay bars
to pick up ‘boring girls’,” says Joshi.
JULY
2012
“If someone
asks me
about the
best editor
in this
country, I will
have to say
Khushwant
Singh”
—Vinod Mehta
DEMOCRATIC
WORLD
15
cover story
The Bad
\\ THE DEBONAIR MAN
THE LOOSE CANON; Mehta has a dog called Editor.
He has admitted to fathering a child with one his
several girlfriends (he did not acknowledge her till
he wrote his memoir). Recently, he was sued by The
Indian Express for defamation—if there is someone
who loves to ruffle feathers or make people flinch—
it is him. He has courted controversies right from the
start of his journalism days, The Sunday Observer. Its
first story on the then-proposed National Centre for
Performing Arts (NCPA)—The Mausoleum of Culture—
was boycotted by the Tata Group, which was financing
the endeavour. As an editor, Mehta stood his ground.
After a lot of back-and-forth, the story was carried with
a rejoinder from the NCPA.
Mehta has always stuck to what he has genuinely
believed in. If in the process he faced flak from
proprietors, politicians, fellow scribes and aam admi
(reader)—so be it! Articles on, and by, him end with
colorful names left by his readers in the comments
section. Samples; pseudo-pseudo secularist, rascal,
and the hot favourite, chamcha. Most of these probably
elicit a chuckle from the man who enjoys his work and
lets it speak for itself.
The editor-cum-journalist has been the proverbial
loose canon. Thus, his views on regulation on the
media come as a surprise. Note that Mehta was one
of the few mediapersons who actually lent a patient
ear to Justice Markanday Katju’s call for media
regulation. Mehta believes in regulation, but one
that comes from within and from colleagues. Not the
statutory kind. “There is a need for accountability.
One can’t have a free-for-all system. Then you will
lose your viewers’ support. Which is something that
the television media is fast finding out,” he says.
Despite his frequent acerbic comments, Mehta is
far from being a bitter character. In fact he seems at
peace with himself and mellow when we meet him.
He is careful to choose his words in the company of
“
younger journalists. He is kind while talking about
the importance of roles in journalism—however
insignificant they might appear to be.
“The space called media is a conflicted one. So,
everyone should remember to act as a team. You,
and lets say the brand manager, are a team. You and
him are equally invested in your product. Both of
you work for the same brand—always remember
that. One should not assume lack of interest on
his part. All assistance that you can give to the
manager will ultimately help the brand. His ideas
should be taken into account—having said that, a
brand manager is not supposed to have any ideas
on editorial matters,” he says about the increased
corporatisation of the newsroom. “In my life I have
not had problems with posts or designations, but
with people, incompetent people.”
He concedes that in spaces where the proprietor is
also the editor, relationships do become problematic
(“A proprietor should not intrude as he does not
have the specialisation”) but he is not dismissive of
that model either.
MOST SACKED EDITOR; Mehta has often labelled
himself as India’s ‘most sacked editor’. “Being
sacked by a proprietor is familiar to me...Making a
scene is not my scene. We have parted on generally
friendly terms. I have never shouted at my proprietor; my proprietor has never shouted at me. Courtesy and good manners have been the hallmarks
of the falling out.” This despite being unceremoniously shown the door by two proprietors—Vijaypat
Singhania (Indian Post) and LM Thapar (The Pioneer). One of them took the time to remind Mehta
that he was “not indispensable” and was a “manager”. And “just a manager”. “It was difficult to be
a media baron at that time (1980s and 1990s), when
businessmen had 95 percent interest in businesses
There is need for accountability.
You cannot have a freefor-all system, then you
will lose your viewers’
support. Which is something that
the television media is finding out”
—Vinod Mehta
16
DEMOCRATIC
WORLD
JULY
2012
TOME
TUTOR
Of the luminaries who
influenced Mehta, George
Orwell tops the list
We asked, he said...
Rapid Fire
What are your interests beyond
the newsroom?
When I was young and had several girlfriends,
they would complain that I did not have time for
anything else apart from journalism. They were
probably right. Journalism is such a vast field
and you get to meet politicians,
writers, scientists, etc. It occupies
most of your time and energy if
you are truly interested in it.
Can a journalist have true friends
within or outside the profession?
Friendship, in the Hindi film
sense, does not have a place in
journalism. Because friends do
you favours, as you do for them. In
this profession if you do favours,
VINOD MEHTA
then you are violating its code of
conduct. Having said that people could maintain
cordial relationships. I have had my share of
trouble with politicians and fellow journalists.
Relationships have soured. When that happens
I try and explain to people concerned that I
was doing my job. And that they were dragged
into it. They were, as I say, collateral damage.
apart from publishing. If they attacked the Centre,
then their other business interests would suffer.
And I do not believe that I fully appreciated this
fact when I was young,” he says of his famous spats
with two of the biggest proprietors of all times.
MEDIANAMA; Mehta seems to be a worried man
today. Not because of his health, which is frailer
now. Nor about the future. Between his second book,
introductions to his previous ones, regular Outlook
Traveller meetings and television appearances, he
remains really busy. What makes him uneasy is the
state of the print media. “With the internet and TV,
weekly news magazines have lost their salience.
What was the whole idea of a news magazine? It was
meant for the lazy reader who would not read his
paper thoroughly. So, once a week he would pick up
a magazine and get an idea of what was happening
around him. With TV and internet, all general interest news magazines—be an Outlook or Newsweek
Sometimes people understand. Mostly they
do not. I have been banned from television
channels because of problems which rose
through miscommunication—though that ban
has been a blessing in disguise.
One reason to celebrate when you retire...
I would be able to stop reading the rubbish
that I have to read everyday. I go through 12
newspapers thoroughly, including business
papers. Once I retire, I would probably read just
two. And devote time to books that I actually
enjoy reading.
One rule of journalism that you have flouted?
I don’t know whether journalism has any rules
per se—there are codes of conduct. If you are
in this profession long enough, you realise that
rules frequently have to be bent or torn apart.
You become a better journalist when you know
which rules to tear up and when. I have taken
calculated risks and chances. Some have paid
off, some haven’t. Talking about risks, my most
risky endeavour was in 1988, when I launched
The Independent. I believe journalists should
always, as they say, try to push the envelope.
or Time—are struggling. In the past week, we have
been inundated by news of Mamata (West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee). By the end of the
week when a viewer is bored stiff with the news,
how does a magazine present all the news in a fresh
manner? That is the current challenge. What do you
inject in the story? I have not found an answer.”
Print media may be in a tight corner, but Mehta’s
not spelling doomsday, as yet. Just because a concept
does not work, one does not abandon it. One takes
it up and polishes it. “Democracy is in trouble all
over the world. Should we abandon it? There may
be aspects in the democratic system that don’t
work, but the system in totality is indispensable.
Parliament may not work, but the courts by and
large do. The executive may not, but elections do. I
don’t think there is such a system where everything
works in totality. We can simply pick up the pieces
and make it all better.” Take that as a lesson coming
from the Lucknow boy if you will.
JULY
2012
MEHTA
SAID...
DEBONAIR
“When I was editing
Debonair, being sued in
places like Jhumri Telaiya
was routine”
SUNDAY OBSERVER
“It is impossible for me to
describe my feelings as I
looked and touched what I
had given birth to”
INDIAN POST
“The new look Post
received widespread
acclaim. The old staff
were won over”
OUTLOOK
“As I got to meet my
proprietor...even if I had
to wipe his shoes, I would
accept the offer if offered”
DEMOCRATIC
WORLD
17