Radiologist Padmavati Dua, wife of senior journalist Vinod Dua, died after a long battle with Covid on June 05, at Gurgaon’s Medanta Hospital. Her close friends get all teary-eyed remembering ‘Chinna’, as she was fondly called.
Sadhna Shrivastav, TV Anchor, Director & Coordinator
I first met her sometime in the 1980s, thanks to my dear friend Vinod Dua, who was also my neighbour. She blended beautifully into our circle of friends effortlessly. A very hospitable and friendly person, she was very mindful of others. After she got to know that I liked south Indian food, she often invited me for breakfast to a spread of idlis and other dishes. It happened like this for a long time. I attended many musical sessions at their place. She was a great singer too, and in those days Manthan songs were her favourite. She was also the first among my friends to become a mom, so I used to spend a lot of time with Bakul at her home. We had a common tailor, at Shankar Market, and that was the place I last met her physically before the lockdown. But remained in constant touch on social media.
Dr Raka Guleria, Associate Director, OBGYN at Fortis La Femme
Doctor, sari connoisseur, chef, singer, influencer. the caps she donned were innumerable. And, she did justice to them all. A lovely warm person who lit up the room when she walked in, I met her for the first time a couple of years ago but it seemed as if I had known her forever. Her knowledge about saris and handlooms was vast, and she was ever willing to increase our awareness about them. She was picture perfect in her gorgeous saris with contrasting blouses and awesome bindis. A star that shone so brightly, she crossed my path for such a short time, but left an everlasting impression on me. RIP my dear.
Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder & Director, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals
The news of Dr Padmavati Dua’s death came as a shock for the health fraternity. She was a prolific radiologist and gem of a person. Besides her successful stint as a medical professional, she touched many lives as a social media influencer. She had always been keen to learn new things in life and never shied away from taking risks, a quality that all healthcare workers swear by. Even during her month-long battle with Covid, she always put her brave foot forward and remained positive about her illness.
Renuka Varma, Artist
She was a close friend to everyone. Whoever met her, fell in love with her as she had no malice towards anyone and was always full of joy. I have known her for many, many years. We have had family holidays together. We went to the Greek Islands together. She and her family came to Bhutan to be with us, and then to London. We had a really nice time together. My daughter would call her for recipes, and no matter how busy she was she always answered her calls. We had many common interests like cooking and music. When she started the sari group, I too became a part of it. Chinna was always well-turned out, and took great pains to dress up, unlike me. She could draw immaculate bindis on her forehead looking into the mirror. I am an artist, but I cannot say that I can do that. I don’t know another person who is as warm and welcoming as Chinna. I am going to miss her everywhere.