Gauri Lankesh was an Indian journalist-turned-activist from Bangalore, Karnataka. She worked as an editor in Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly started by her father P. Lankesh, and ran her own weekly called Gauri Lankesh Patrike. She was assassinated outside her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar on 5 September 2017.
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Gauri Lankesh |
| Profession | Journalist, Activist |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height | in centimeters– 153 cm in meters– 1.52 m in feet inches– 5’ ½” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 50 kg in pounds– 110 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Light Brown |
| Hair Colour | White |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 29 January 1962 |
| Birth Place | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Date of Death | 5 September 2017 |
| Place of Death | Outside her residence in Ideal Homes colony, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru |
| Age (at the time of death) | 55 Years |
| Death Cause | Murder (Shot) |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Aquarius |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| College | Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi |
| Eduacational Qualifications | Graduate |
| Family | Father– Late Paalyada Lankesh (Litterateur, Poet, and Filmmaker) Mother– Indira Lankesh (Businesswomen) Brother– Inderjit Lankesh (Younger, Filmmaker) Sister– Kavitha Lankesh (Younger, Filmmaker) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Lingayat (Backward Classes – BC) |
| Address | Ideal Homes colony in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru |
| Hobbies | Reading |
| Controversies | In November 2016, she was found guilty of defamation in a case involving BJP MP Prahlad Joshi and had been sentenced to 6 months in jail and received bail the same day. |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Food | Grilled chicken |
| Favourite Actor | Mahesh Babu |
| Favourite Actress | Harshika Poonacha |
| Favourite Films | Bollywood– Omkara Hollywood– Citizen Kane |
| Favourite TV Show | Boston Legal |
| Favourite Books | The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee |
| Favourite Writers | Vaidehi, Lalitha Nayak, Banu Ustad |
| Favourite Journalist | Shivam Vij |
| Favourite Politicians | Rahul Gandhi, Jayaprakash Hegde, Justin Trudeau |
| Boys, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Divorcee |
| Husband/Spouse | Chidanand Rajghatta (Ex-husband – Columnist) |
| Children | Son– None Daughter– None |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Gauri Lankesh
- Did Gauri Lankesh smoke?: Yes
- Did Gauri Lankesh drink alcohol?: Yes
- Gauri was born into a family of renowned journalists and media publishers.
- Her father was a well-known litterateur, poet, and filmmaker whose weekly ‘Lankesh Patrike’ broke major political scandals that rocked governments.
- She wanted to be a doctor, but it didn’t happen, so she decided to become a journalist.
- She was married before 1980 to her collage friend, Chidanand Rajghatta, but the couple got divorced later. However, they remained friend post their divorce.
- She started her career as a journalist with a stint at the Times of India, Bengaluru.
- After the demise of her father in 2000 due to ‘heart attack’, she stepped into her father’s shoes as chief editor.
- Before working in his father’s weekly, she was working for Eenadu’s Telugu television channel in Delhi.
- She was the supporter of political parties, such as – Indian National Congress (INR) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
- Like her father, she was known for her secular, anti-caste and anti-Hindutva views.
- In 2005, she opened her own weekly called ‘Gauri Lankesh Patrike.’
- On 5 September 2017, at around 8.00 pm, she was shot by 3 assailants when she was entering her house in Bengaluru’s Ideal Homes colony in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.