Allen was one of Bangalore’s best-loved journalists, known for his hard-hitting yet evocative style of speaking truth to power. Over a 25-year career, he wrote on crime, politics, theatre, music, film, and travel.

He began at Southern Speaker while in college, then moved through City Tab and Evening Herald before joining the Indian Express, where his gutsy reporting found its natural home. At Times of India Bangalore, he led the Business Bureau and Metro Bureau, penning the popular column ‘Metro Matters’ and interviewing writers and artists in acclaimed Sunday features. As Editor of Bangalore Times, he drove its remarkable growth.

Later, as a media entrepreneur and Editorial Director of the Explocity Group, he continued writing for national and international publications. His novel Sentinel House, about India’s most powerful media house, was published by Raintree Media in December 2009 to much acclaim.