Zubin Mehta launches his biography

Mumbai: World renowned conductor of western classical music, Zubin Mehta today launched a biography based on his life and work.

Titled 'Zubin Mehta: A Musical Journey' by Bakhtiar Dadabhoy, the book narrates the story of nearly six decades of career of the maestro.

Mehta will turn 80 on April 29.

"Well, I couldn't have dreamt that this book could exist until last year when Bakhtiar reached me. I cooperated with him. We spoke many times on phone and then it happened," Zubin told reporters here at the book launch.

Dadabhoy said Mehta wasn't initially too keen with the idea of another biography, as he had written one in the past, but came on board eventually.

"This man led a very interesting life. I wrote to him asking if I could write a book about him and he said 'no I just wrote a biography, I don't see the need of another book'...," he said.

"In December 2014, I thought a biography on his 80th birthday in 2016 will not be a bad idea...I contacted him again and he agreed...I started updating the book, rewriting it. He then corrected a few things," Dadabhoy added.

Mehta said the book captures his life correctly and that he was impressed with the author's "incredible" research.

"When I went through the book, I thought it had incredible research. I don't know from where he got those facts but most of it is correct and I was very impressed," he said.

Mehta was born in Mumbai and now is a permanent resident of the United States. The acclaimed conductor, who retains his Indian citizenship, feels he never left the city.

When asked how does it feel to be back to Mumbai, he said, "It's like I never left. But every time I come I get frustrated with the condition of the city. When I lived in cuff parade, it was heavenly..."