Amita Malik 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, Lucknow in 1944 and later wrote for many print publications including The Statesman, The Times of India, the Indian Express and Pioneer. She died of leukaemia at the age of 87 in Kailash Hospital near South Delhi on 20 February 2009.
She joined All India Radio at Lucknow at a salary of a hundred rupees a month to "present the weekly programme of lunch hourEuropean music on Saturdays". In 1944 she formally applied for the advertised post of programme assistant and was posted to All India Radio's Delhi station. She could boast of being the only Indian film critic to interview many important film celebrities and directors such as Ingmar Bergman and Marlon Brando. Amita Malik was the first reporter to interview Indira Gandhi when she unexpectedly first became Prime Minister of India after Lal Bahadur Shastri's death in Tashkent.
In 1960 Columnist Amita Malik launched a cutting campaign against foreigners in saris.
Removal of restrictions on foreign press during Emergency
Amita Malik was responsible for getting the censorship curbs on foreign media during the Indian Emergency lifted.
Campaigns against misuse of media
In 1989 she launched an outspoken campaign against the misuse of India's state owned media which had been converted into the private organ of the Indian National Congress party to promote Rajiv Gandhi.
Amita enjoyed a healthy feud with Khushwant Singh. In an interview, 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)
Fed up with kow-towing to India's notoriously parsimonious press barons, Amita resolved never to keep her eggs in one basket. Her syndicated column "Sight and Sound" has been published in virtually every leading Indian newspaper at various times. Her column was religiously read by generations of Television news reader 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 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."
