Vinod Dua (English: Vinod Dua, born- March 11, 1954; death- December 4, 2021) was a famous Indian news speaker, Hindi television journalist and program director. He was the main presenter and narrator of Doordarshan and New Delhi Television Limited’s news channel (NDTV India). Vinod Dua, who has thousands of hours of broadcasting experience, was an anchor, political commentator, election analyst, producer and director. He was awarded the ‘Padma Shri’ for journalism by the Government of India in 2008.
Vinod Dua was born on 11 March 1954 in New Delhi. His childhood was spent in the refugee camps of Delhi. His family shifted from Dera Ismail Khan after India’s independence in 1947. He received his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Hansraj College and his master’s degree in Literature from Delhi University. After this he started his career in electronic journalism.
Vinod Dua did the program ‘Khabardaar India’ on NDTV. Also did important programs like ‘Vinod Dua Live’. ‘Zaika India Ka’ was a popular program on NDTV. He gained recognition with ‘Janvani’ on Doordarshan. He also became known for his election analysis on Doordarshan. Vinod Dua has two daughters Mallika Dua and Bakul Dua. Mallika is a comic actress while Bakul is a psychologist. Vinod Dua has a long association with NTDV. Dr. Prannoy Roy of NDTV, who worked very closely with him, has always said – “Vinod was not only one of the greatest journalists, but he was the best of the journalists of his era”.[1]
It was a very shameful thing for an anchor in government controlled Doordarshan to tell a powerful minister that on the basis of his performance he gives only three marks out of ten. But Vinod Dua had the courage to do this and he was doing it again and again. That is why the ministers complained to the Prime Minister and put pressure on him to stop the program, but they did not succeed. Vinod Dua never left this style. In today’s era, when most of the journalists and anchors seem to take pride in flattering the government, this person named Vinod Dua was never afraid to confront the government.
He never cared about what the powers that be would do to him. The ruling party tried to implicate him in a treason case, but he fought and won in the Supreme Court. His trial also proved to be a relief for the media. Dua Saheb’s command over both Hindi and English languages was amazing. The whole country saw and appreciated his talent in election programs with Prannoy Roy. The ability to translate quickly took his anchoring a notch higher.
Barring exceptions, he continued doing Hindi programs and maintained his identity as a Hindi anchor. There was no sense of inferiority in him at all due to the fact that he was working in Hindi. In this way, he will also be remembered as the person who gave popularity and prestige to Hindi. Although he called himself a broadcaster and said that he was not a journalist. But there was only partial truth in this. In the early days of Doordarshan, most of the anchors who read the news had no connection with journalism.
Vinod Dua knew how to read only what was written on the teleprompter (TP). On the contrary, Vinod Dua did not need TP. He used to decide in his mind within minutes what to say and how to say it. That is why he was a master of live broadcasting. It is true that apart from the initial phase (News Line), he never entered the field for reporting the events (except the food program Zaika India) nor did he write reports or articles in newspapers and magazines, but he He was very aware of the developments in the country and the world. This shows his journalistic commitment.
Vinod Dua was a communicator who read continuously. He had read a lot of Hindi and Urdu literature, but he was always curious about new things. His studies continued on subjects other than literature also. Books were his constant friends. Dua Saheb was a lively man full of enthusiasm. He didn’t even let his veiled seriousness get to him. He was always ready to laugh and satirize any situation. It was his natural instinct to find new meaning in what someone said or did. That’s why there was no room for sadness in his gathering.
He had a lot of anecdotes and jokes and I have never seen anyone else as expert as him in making jokes. This quality in his comedian daughter Mallika must have come from him. Presence like his was also rare. Music was his first choice, especially Sufi music. Often Baba would mention Bulleh Shah and Baba Farid. This type of music played in his car. Often there were evening gatherings at his house and there was singing and playing. He himself used to sing and so did his wife Dr. Chinna (Padmavati).
Vinod Dua died on December 4, 2021 in New Delhi. Vinod Dua and his wife got infected in the second wave of Corona. The health of both had deteriorated considerably. After this both were admitted to the hospital. Vinod Dua returned home on June 7, 2021, however, his wife passed away on June 12.
The demise of well-known TV anchor Vinod Dua is the end of an era in TV journalism. The ‘end of an era’ here is not a cliché or an exaggeration, it is the truth. Especially for Hindi TV journalism. It was because of him that Hindi journalism came to light on TV for the first time. At a time when the world of TV was limited to Doordarshan and there was no TV journalism even in the name, Vinod Dua emerged like a comet. After this, he continued to shine in the media world like a light tower for almost three and a half decades.
He started off by anchoring non-news programs on Doordarshan, but later he entered the world of news-based programs and became famous. His lively analysis of election results had skyrocketed his fame. Her pairing with Prannoy Roy had mesmerized the whole of India. Actually, Vinod Dua had his own unique style. This included his recklessness and audacity. The way he used to ask questions or make comments to the ministers in the Janvani programme, it was impossible to imagine at that time.