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Devil's Advocate: The Untold Story
Sometime in the late summer of 1976, Sanjay Gandhi asked if I wanted to go flying with him... After first attempting to teach Karan Thapar to fly (not very successfully) Sanjay Gandhi took the controls and performed a series of aerobatics, not particularly dangerous but nonetheless thrilling. Once they were further away from Delhi, he became even more daring. Suddenly, he decided to scare the farmers working in the fields below by aiming the aircraft straight at them. As he dived down, they scattered and ran, fearing for their lives. At the last moment, Sanjay pulled up dramatically and waved at the bewildered farmers, clearly chuffed with the whole performance. The manoeuvre required nerves of steel and tremendous self-confidence, both of which Sanjay possessed in plenty.In Devil's Advocate, Karan dives deep into his life to come up with many such moments. Included here are stories of warm and lasting friendships, such as with Benazir Bhutto, whom he met while he was an undergraduate. He also talks about his long association with Aung San Suu Kyi and Rajiv Gandhi. However, not all friendships lasted--for example, with L.K. Advani, with whom he shared a close bond until an unfortunate disagreement over an interview caused a falling-out.The tension generated during an interview has spilled over off-screen multiple times, and Karan discusses these incidents in detail. For instance, when Amitabh Bachchan lost his cool during a post-interview lunch or when Kapil Dev cried like a baby. And there's the untold story of two of his most controversial interviews--with Jayalalithaa and Narendra Modi. While Jayalalithaa laughed it off later, the after-effects of Modi's infamous walkout have grown worse with time. Riveting and fast-paced, Devil's Advocate is as no-holds-barred as any of Karan Thapar's interviews.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
August 1, 2018
"No wonder journos who write about themselves end up becoming crashing bores" - This is a quote from one of the author's articles (quoted in the book). Sadly , he goes on to prove just that by boring us with stories of his privileged upbringing and education. The author unwittingly reveals himself to be a cold, calculative and heartless person in many instances by revealing sources who trusted him with confidential information, leaking to a newspaper about a domestic fight at Big B's home and pushing a champion cricketer to cry more ("I instinctively felt I had to ensure that he continued to cry till the end").
After all the privilege and access he has enjoyed through his life, it is downright laughable to see him whine over how Modi has shut him out.It is not very easy to like many of the politicians he has interviewed. That the author ends up as a character to be liked less than those politicians through this book is quite an achievement.
After all the privilege and access he has enjoyed through his life, it is downright laughable to see him whine over how Modi has shut him out.It is not very easy to like many of the politicians he has interviewed. That the author ends up as a character to be liked less than those politicians through this book is quite an achievement.
January 20, 2019
The Devil's Advocate confirms all the worst suspicions you may have harboured about its author Karan Thapar in particular and journalism in general.
Thapar comes across as an inveterate schmoozer, a compulsive name dropper (you learn pretty early on in the book that he was best buds with Sanjay Gandhi, the Suu Kyis of Burma and the Bhuttos), a creature of immense privilege and deeply ingrained snobbery, who blundered and lucked his way through life.
Maybe there was a conscious decision to downplay any struggle (other than the untimely death of his wife) in an attempt to present the coolest possible version of oneself to the world at large, but I get the feeling I'm being unreasonably charitable here. The reason there's no struggle in the book was more likely because there was no struggle worth mentioning through Thapar's life.
And yet, I highly recommend the book.
Its a great insight into the thought process of a man who, for better or worse, is one of India's most recognisable journalists. You will discover firsthand that this thought process is almost invariably self centred and frequently shocking in its pettiness. You will find an almost grotesque disregard for a world that exists out of the rarefied universe of being on first name terms with Indian and international prime ministers and presidents.
Apart from Suu Kyi who gets a bit of a savaging for backing the anti Rohingya pogrom, some of history's most dubious people get the kid glove 'not a bad sort at all once you get to know them. And boy do I ever know them!' treatment.
I'd give Thapar points for the candour with which he exposes himself. For instance, it's soon apparent there's no meal on earth he will walk away from, no matter how awkward the preceding conversation. But I've a feeling, like a classist housewife who has separate cutlery for the 'servants', he is not conscious of doing anything wrong.
I'd have liked more of a journalistic take on what he thought of these people, their policies and the effect its had on the world at large, contrasted with what he knew about them as people. And better writing. The part on Benazir Bhutto's death, for instance, reads like parody. But I suspect Thapar himself would be bored by such an exercise, even if he had the rigour to pull it off (which I suspect he doesn't).
Which makes the last chapter on his official/unofficial boycott by the BJP so er... gratifying. It's hilarious to see this man who, by all evidence offered in the book, has been handed everything on a platter through the course of his life, squirming after finally encountering a situation where his glib insouciance no longer works. Especially since one suspects had things worked out differently, the BJP too would have been coopted into his cozy quid pro quo driven universe. I'm not for a minute suggesting the party does not have such a cozy relationship with other journalists but its oddly satisfying to see Thapar not making the cut. It seems the just and fitting coda to a life mostly lived on 'God' mode.
Thapar comes across as an inveterate schmoozer, a compulsive name dropper (you learn pretty early on in the book that he was best buds with Sanjay Gandhi, the Suu Kyis of Burma and the Bhuttos), a creature of immense privilege and deeply ingrained snobbery, who blundered and lucked his way through life.
Maybe there was a conscious decision to downplay any struggle (other than the untimely death of his wife) in an attempt to present the coolest possible version of oneself to the world at large, but I get the feeling I'm being unreasonably charitable here. The reason there's no struggle in the book was more likely because there was no struggle worth mentioning through Thapar's life.
And yet, I highly recommend the book.
Its a great insight into the thought process of a man who, for better or worse, is one of India's most recognisable journalists. You will discover firsthand that this thought process is almost invariably self centred and frequently shocking in its pettiness. You will find an almost grotesque disregard for a world that exists out of the rarefied universe of being on first name terms with Indian and international prime ministers and presidents.
Apart from Suu Kyi who gets a bit of a savaging for backing the anti Rohingya pogrom, some of history's most dubious people get the kid glove 'not a bad sort at all once you get to know them. And boy do I ever know them!' treatment.
I'd give Thapar points for the candour with which he exposes himself. For instance, it's soon apparent there's no meal on earth he will walk away from, no matter how awkward the preceding conversation. But I've a feeling, like a classist housewife who has separate cutlery for the 'servants', he is not conscious of doing anything wrong.
I'd have liked more of a journalistic take on what he thought of these people, their policies and the effect its had on the world at large, contrasted with what he knew about them as people. And better writing. The part on Benazir Bhutto's death, for instance, reads like parody. But I suspect Thapar himself would be bored by such an exercise, even if he had the rigour to pull it off (which I suspect he doesn't).
Which makes the last chapter on his official/unofficial boycott by the BJP so er... gratifying. It's hilarious to see this man who, by all evidence offered in the book, has been handed everything on a platter through the course of his life, squirming after finally encountering a situation where his glib insouciance no longer works. Especially since one suspects had things worked out differently, the BJP too would have been coopted into his cozy quid pro quo driven universe. I'm not for a minute suggesting the party does not have such a cozy relationship with other journalists but its oddly satisfying to see Thapar not making the cut. It seems the just and fitting coda to a life mostly lived on 'God' mode.
October 27, 2020
One of the most controversial journalists in the country writes the story of his life in a collection of anecdotes and experiences. While his personal life is presented in a detached manner, we get an in-depth overview of his professional life.
The book is full of incidents the elite journalist had with the most powerful of various countries. It is clear that the author is a privileged but honest fellow. He takes his work seriously and with full sincerity which brings him in conflict with the authorities and the government.
The reader gets to know the real personalities of various national and international leaders. It also shows how simple but complicated things are at the higher levels of government.
The book is full of incidents the elite journalist had with the most powerful of various countries. It is clear that the author is a privileged but honest fellow. He takes his work seriously and with full sincerity which brings him in conflict with the authorities and the government.
The reader gets to know the real personalities of various national and international leaders. It also shows how simple but complicated things are at the higher levels of government.
October 6, 2018
If India were a building, Karan Thapar has never stepped out of the penthouse, which most of us have never been into. This book shares that insight as he spends his formative years building up a career right from his Oxford and Cambridge days and highlights how a network helps seal the deal in a number of cases. It makes for a decent read as he gives you a few more anecdotes about the other people in that penthouse , vaguely along the lines of gossip. The positive bit is most of his stories are about these people around him rather than him and captures a wide array from Kapil Dev to Benazir Bhutto.
May 4, 2021
It is the collection of anecdotes and behind the scenes of the interviews he conducted. Karan Thapar has been outrightly irritating to the people he has interviewed. Again there are some insider talks which might not be known to general public in large.
January 10, 2020
প্রখ্যাত ভারতীয় সাংবাদিক ও উপস্থাপক কারান থাপারের স্মৃতিকথা 'Devil's Advocate: The Untold Story' তে নিজের দীর্ঘ কর্মজীবনের অম্ল-মধুর নানা ঘটনা লিখেছেন। তাতে অনেক বিখ্যাত ব্যক্তি হাজির হয়েছেন বিভিন্ন বিচিত্র রূপ নিয়ে।
পিতা ছিলেন ভারতীয় সেনাপ্রধান। তাই পড়াশোনা করেছেন ভালো স্কুলে, কলেজে এবং পড়ছেন কেমব্রিজে। ছিলেন কেমব্রিজ ইউনিয়নের প্রেসিডেন্ট। ছাত্রজীবনেই সখ্যতা গড়ে উঠেছিল বেনজির ভুট্টোর সঙ্গে।
বিলেতেই The Times পত্রিকায় সাংবাদিকতার হাতেখড়ি। প্রিন্ট মিডিয়ায় কাজ করতে গিয়েই সুযোগ মিলেছে ইলেকট্রনিক মিডিয়া অর্থাৎ টিভি চ্যানেলে কাজ করার। ব্রিটেনে বসবাসকারী দক্ষিণ এশীয়দের নিয়ে একটি প্রোগ্রাম করতেন বিবিসি'র জন্যে। দক্ষিণ এশীয় সরকার ও রাষ্ট্রপ্রধানদেরও সাক্ষাৎকার নেওয়া হতো এই অনুষ্ঠানের অংশ হিসেবে। আশির দশকে একবার বাংলাদেশের পুরাতন স্বৈরাচার হুসেইন মুহাম্মদ এরশাদের সাক্ষাৎকার নেন। কবি এবং নারীপ্রেমিক এই একনায়কের সাক্ষাৎকার নিতে গিয়েই ঘটে বিপত্তি। সেই ঘটনা কারান থাপার লিখেছেন এভাবে -
'The interview with General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, then dictator of Bangladesh, became notorious for the way it ended. The general fancied himself as a poet and had composed a few special stanzas which he was determined to read out. With a solemn voice and a look suggesting that he had something important to say, his verse began: ‘From the green fields of Bangladesh, bristling in the sun, to the good people of Britain, where there is none…’
I just about managed to keep a straight face, but it was sufficient to convince the dictator that I admired his poetry. He promised to send me more. Fortunately, either he forgot or his staff ensured it never reached me.'
এরশাদের পর সাক্ষাৎকার নিয়েছিলেন পাকিস্তানি স্বৈরাচার জিয়াউল হকের। সেই ঘটনাও পড়বার মতো। শিখবার মতো।
'লৌহমানবী' মার্গারেট থ্যাচার তখন ব্রিটেনের তখতে। ঘটনাপ্রসঙ্গে তার সাক্ষাৎকার নেওয়ার পর কারান থাপার ভয়ে ভয়ে থ্যাচারকে জিজ্ঞেস করেছিলেন,
‘When do you agree to give an interview and when do you refuse?’
The prime minister froze. Clearly, this was not what she had expected. But the question posed a challenge and she wasn’t going to duck it.
‘When I’m in trouble, when things are going wrong and when my stock is falling, I say yes.’ Then she paused for effect. ‘But when it’s smooth sailing I prefer to keep silent.’
এই ঘটনা পড়তে গিয়ে ভাবছিলাম আমাদের দেশের রাজনীতিবিদেরা থ্যাচারের বিপরীতধর্মী নীতিতে বিশ্বাসী।
রাজীব গান্ধির আমলে ভারতে ফিরে আসেন কারান থাপার। এরপর ভারতের টেলিভিশন সাংবাদিকতাকে সামনে এগিয়ে নিয়ে যেতে থাকেন। পেশাগত জীবনে ভারতের বেশ কয়েকজন প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সাক্ষাৎকার নিয়েছিলেন যেমন- রাজীব গান্ধি, নরসিমা রাও, ভিপি সিং, চন্দ্রশেখর, অটলবিহারী বাজপেয়ী প্রমুখ। এরমধ্যে অটলবিহারী বাজপেয়ীকে নিয়ে লেখা দু'একটি ঘটনা পাঠকের অবশ্যই ভালো লাগবে। পাঠক বুঝতে পারবেন বড় রাজনীতিবিদদের সহনশীলতা এবং সিংহ হৃদয় না থাকলে তারা শুধু বড় নেতাই রয়ে যান, বড় মানুষ হতে পারেন না।
অমিতাভ বচ্চনের সাক্ষাৎকারের ঘটনা পাঠক হয়তো দীর্ঘদিন মনে রাখবেন। যেখানে অমিতাভকে জয়া বচ্চনের সাথে বিয়ের আগের বিভিন্ন প্রেম নিয়ে প্রশ্ন করায় দারুণ ক্ষিপ্ত হন। বাকিটা পাঠক পড়ে নেবেন।
মোদিজি ব্যক্তিগতভাবে কতখানি প্রতিহিংসাপরায়ণ তা কারান থাপারের স্মৃতিকথা পড়লে বুঝবেন।
কারান থাপারের লেখার গতি আছে। কিন্তু বইয়ের কলেবর বড়বেশি ছোট হয়ে গেছে৷ নিজের আত্মসমালোচনার জায়গাও সংকুচিত ছিল তা আমার ভালো লাগেনি।
পিতা ছিলেন ভারতীয় সেনাপ্রধান। তাই পড়াশোনা করেছেন ভালো স্কুলে, কলেজে এবং পড়ছেন কেমব্রিজে। ছিলেন কেমব্রিজ ইউনিয়নের প্রেসিডেন্ট। ছাত্রজীবনেই সখ্যতা গড়ে উঠেছিল বেনজির ভুট্টোর সঙ্গে।
বিলেতেই The Times পত্রিকায় সাংবাদিকতার হাতেখড়ি। প্রিন্ট মিডিয়ায় কাজ করতে গিয়েই সুযোগ মিলেছে ইলেকট্রনিক মিডিয়া অর্থাৎ টিভি চ্যানেলে কাজ করার। ব্রিটেনে বসবাসকারী দক্ষিণ এশীয়দের নিয়ে একটি প্রোগ্রাম করতেন বিবিসি'র জন্যে। দক্ষিণ এশীয় সরকার ও রাষ্ট্রপ্রধানদেরও সাক্ষাৎকার নেওয়া হতো এই অনুষ্ঠানের অংশ হিসেবে। আশির দশকে একবার বাংলাদেশের পুরাতন স্বৈরাচার হুসেইন মুহাম্মদ এরশাদের সাক্ষাৎকার নেন। কবি এবং নারীপ্রেমিক এই একনায়কের সাক্ষাৎকার নিতে গিয়েই ঘটে বিপত্তি। সেই ঘটনা কারান থাপার লিখেছেন এভাবে -
'The interview with General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, then dictator of Bangladesh, became notorious for the way it ended. The general fancied himself as a poet and had composed a few special stanzas which he was determined to read out. With a solemn voice and a look suggesting that he had something important to say, his verse began: ‘From the green fields of Bangladesh, bristling in the sun, to the good people of Britain, where there is none…’
I just about managed to keep a straight face, but it was sufficient to convince the dictator that I admired his poetry. He promised to send me more. Fortunately, either he forgot or his staff ensured it never reached me.'
এরশাদের পর সাক্ষাৎকার নিয়েছিলেন পাকিস্তানি স্বৈরাচার জিয়াউল হকের। সেই ঘটনাও পড়বার মতো। শিখবার মতো।
'লৌহমানবী' মার্গারেট থ্যাচার তখন ব্রিটেনের তখতে। ঘটনাপ্রসঙ্গে তার সাক্ষাৎকার নেওয়ার পর কারান থাপার ভয়ে ভয়ে থ্যাচারকে জিজ্ঞেস করেছিলেন,
‘When do you agree to give an interview and when do you refuse?’
The prime minister froze. Clearly, this was not what she had expected. But the question posed a challenge and she wasn’t going to duck it.
‘When I’m in trouble, when things are going wrong and when my stock is falling, I say yes.’ Then she paused for effect. ‘But when it’s smooth sailing I prefer to keep silent.’
এই ঘটনা পড়তে গিয়ে ভাবছিলাম আমাদের দেশের রাজনীতিবিদেরা থ্যাচারের বিপরীতধর্মী নীতিতে বিশ্বাসী।
রাজীব গান্ধির আমলে ভারতে ফিরে আসেন কারান থাপার। এরপর ভারতের টেলিভিশন সাংবাদিকতাকে সামনে এগিয়ে নিয়ে যেতে থাকেন। পেশাগত জীবনে ভারতের বেশ কয়েকজন প্রধানমন্ত্রীর সাক্ষাৎকার নিয়েছিলেন যেমন- রাজীব গান্ধি, নরসিমা রাও, ভিপি সিং, চন্দ্রশেখর, অটলবিহারী বাজপেয়ী প্রমুখ। এরমধ্যে অটলবিহারী বাজপেয়ীকে নিয়ে লেখা দু'একটি ঘটনা পাঠকের অবশ্যই ভালো লাগবে। পাঠক বুঝতে পারবেন বড় রাজনীতিবিদদের সহনশীলতা এবং সিংহ হৃদয় না থাকলে তারা শুধু বড় নেতাই রয়ে যান, বড় মানুষ হতে পারেন না।
অমিতাভ বচ্চনের সাক্ষাৎকারের ঘটনা পাঠক হয়তো দীর্ঘদিন মনে রাখবেন। যেখানে অমিতাভকে জয়া বচ্চনের সাথে বিয়ের আগের বিভিন্ন প্রেম নিয়ে প্রশ্ন করায় দারুণ ক্ষিপ্ত হন। বাকিটা পাঠক পড়ে নেবেন।
মোদিজি ব্যক্তিগতভাবে কতখানি প্রতিহিংসাপরায়ণ তা কারান থাপারের স্মৃতিকথা পড়লে বুঝবেন।
কারান থাপারের লেখার গতি আছে। কিন্তু বইয়ের কলেবর বড়বেশি ছোট হয়ে গেছে৷ নিজের আত্মসমালোচনার জায়গাও সংকুচিত ছিল তা আমার ভালো লাগেনি।
July 28, 2019
The first sentence in the epilogue, Karan says "Why did I write this book?".
This is what I struggled to understand even after reading the book.
I have to agree with him in the epilogue section where he mentions:
1. "I have time on my hands"
2. "It (book) wasn't planned and it certainly wasn't structured"
I expected so much more from this book. What this book has is anecdotes which are poorly woven into a book.
Karan definitely had an interesting life and I would have loved to know more about it.
Karan had an opportunity to know the see the humane aspect of world leaders. I loved the stories of Benazir Bhutto, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi, L.K. Advani and the incident where Parvez Musharraf gifts his tie to Karan.
When Karan talked about his late wife Nisha, he was a different person to be perceived. More normal than a celeb journo.
It was so interesting to read about Karan's meeting with his idols of Amal Clooney and Barack Obama.
Well, in the end Karan writes "The book has ended but life is not over". Would love to learn more about his childhood, his upbringing, his mother and sisters who clearly have been a big influnce on him, his time at Oxford and then at Cambridge, the influencers be met at that time, his life in UK and then in India, his expectations and his perception of reality. It'll be an interesting read.
This is what I struggled to understand even after reading the book.
I have to agree with him in the epilogue section where he mentions:
1. "I have time on my hands"
2. "It (book) wasn't planned and it certainly wasn't structured"
I expected so much more from this book. What this book has is anecdotes which are poorly woven into a book.
Karan definitely had an interesting life and I would have loved to know more about it.
Karan had an opportunity to know the see the humane aspect of world leaders. I loved the stories of Benazir Bhutto, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi, L.K. Advani and the incident where Parvez Musharraf gifts his tie to Karan.
When Karan talked about his late wife Nisha, he was a different person to be perceived. More normal than a celeb journo.
It was so interesting to read about Karan's meeting with his idols of Amal Clooney and Barack Obama.
Well, in the end Karan writes "The book has ended but life is not over". Would love to learn more about his childhood, his upbringing, his mother and sisters who clearly have been a big influnce on him, his time at Oxford and then at Cambridge, the influencers be met at that time, his life in UK and then in India, his expectations and his perception of reality. It'll be an interesting read.
August 16, 2018
This book proves the fact that a journalist is a journalist, no matter what. There are many instances where Karan Thapar clearly mentioned that he had chosen those elements of the scenes that are riveting and have the capacity of become sensational news. He preferred sensation to sense.
I would like to highlight three important aspects of this book that made me give 2 stars:
1. Bias to details: He remembers the details of Benazir Bhutto's marriage to the minute level. However, there are few interviews where he remembers only the response of the interviewee but not his own question. This bias towards details is evident throughout the book.
2. Biased approach towards interviews: Benazir Bhutto and Karan Thapar became friends when they became Presidents of Student Unions at Oxford and Cambridge, respectively. Later when she became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he quoted this about the unique problem he faced while taking her interviews:
"She was a politician who knew things she did not wish to reveal. I was a journalist anxious to ferret out what she did not want to say". However, he did not have the same views when he was taking interviews of other notable politicians namely Late Ms. Jayalalitha and Honorable PM Mr. Narendra Modi. He forced them to answer questions which they did not wish to. As he had connections with Gandhi family since his childhood, his views about them are completely biased.
3. Interview with Jayalalitha: This one interview caught my attention as I have read the book after watching the interview on YouTube. For some odd reasons he changed the order of her responses and edited her responses while quoting her. I request you to watch the interview on YouTube and then read that chapter. You will understand facts without getting stuck in prejudices.
Putting aside his biased views and doctored memoirs, there are few chapters (Chapters on four prime ministers, Aung San Suu Kyi and Amitabh Bachchan) that truly serve the purpose of this book - "To know the other side of politicians/celebrities".
I would like to highlight three important aspects of this book that made me give 2 stars:
1. Bias to details: He remembers the details of Benazir Bhutto's marriage to the minute level. However, there are few interviews where he remembers only the response of the interviewee but not his own question. This bias towards details is evident throughout the book.
2. Biased approach towards interviews: Benazir Bhutto and Karan Thapar became friends when they became Presidents of Student Unions at Oxford and Cambridge, respectively. Later when she became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he quoted this about the unique problem he faced while taking her interviews:
"She was a politician who knew things she did not wish to reveal. I was a journalist anxious to ferret out what she did not want to say". However, he did not have the same views when he was taking interviews of other notable politicians namely Late Ms. Jayalalitha and Honorable PM Mr. Narendra Modi. He forced them to answer questions which they did not wish to. As he had connections with Gandhi family since his childhood, his views about them are completely biased.
3. Interview with Jayalalitha: This one interview caught my attention as I have read the book after watching the interview on YouTube. For some odd reasons he changed the order of her responses and edited her responses while quoting her. I request you to watch the interview on YouTube and then read that chapter. You will understand facts without getting stuck in prejudices.
Putting aside his biased views and doctored memoirs, there are few chapters (Chapters on four prime ministers, Aung San Suu Kyi and Amitabh Bachchan) that truly serve the purpose of this book - "To know the other side of politicians/celebrities".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2018
Halfway through the book out of the blue, a question crossed my mind --why am I reading this book? My inner voice said that it is simply because you are smitten by this Oxbridge educated, sangfroid, cultivated, who speaks and writes with Cambridge English, who has sartorial elegance in his interviews -- Karan Thapar. A frisson of excitement enveloped me as I read through Karan's anecdotal experiences in interviewing the famous. Reading this book, it appeared to me prima facie that Karan has friends in high places and seems to be hobnobbing with them. However, the scales began to fall my eyes as I read his interviews with his dearest friend Benazir Bhutto; Lal Krishna Advani; Barack Obama, who disillusioned Karan for asking questions in advance to the interview; Amal Clooney, who ironically contradicts the freedom of speech she espouses; General Parvez Musharraf; Kapil Dev; Jeremy Thorepe; and Narendra Modi --- in these and other interviews, to my surprise and also to my delight, Karan puts journalistic principle ahead of a trust and friendship. Although Karan sounded hard as nails, in my opinion, I behold him as an epitome of journalism (at least in the Indian context) who is principled and hard-bent on what getting what he wanted from the interviewee. One thing that gobsmacked and at the same time amused me is Karan exploiting the folly of interviewers by fobbing off the question list when asked for it in advance. This collection of chronicles of his interviews has put me on a tenterhook and is decidedly a page-turner.
July 30, 2018
Meh. Not all of us should write autobiographies. And if we do, intentions and thought processes are more interesting than superficial anecdotes of famous individuals. The Barack Obama chapter was the worst, did like the Advani and Ashraf episode.
March 12, 2022
This book is a page Turner. The book reads so well and is so engagingly written and is so full of amusing incidents that you can finish the book in no time. Karan Thapar is one of the most interesting personalities in India’s media scene. His effortless eloquence and finicky sartorial preferences make him stand out. He is also not overawed by those in authority. So it is always a delight to watch him grill and interrogate his interlocutors. This book lives up to expectations. It is a window to aspects of Thapar’s life that his viewers or readers are not privy to. Thapar comes from a very elite background. His father was the chief of Indian Army and as a child he kept company with the family of Indira Gandhi. He studied at Doon school, arguably India’s most exclusive school. He went on to study in Cambridge and Oxford. While doing research at Oxford, Thapar found his calling in journalism. After spending a decade in journalism in England he moved back to India. Thapar is among the last of the WOGs, the Westernised Oriental Gentleman. He is completely cut off from the dirt and grime, hustle and bustle of the real India. His is a journalism of the air conditioned drawing room. Thapar’s story is sociologically rich. It opens a window into a class that usually keeps to itself.
November 5, 2019
Devil's Advocate.
Narrates the interesting events in Karan Thapar's life. Specially the events related to his journalism journey. From Benazir Bhutto to Sachin Tendulkar, Highlights his interviews that had gained high publicity due to various reasons, also describes his relations with various high profile personality like Aung San suu Kyi, Advani, Benazir Bhutto, etc.
Vocabulary used is excellent. Book is not bad but i won't really suggest anyone to read it. Can be skipped. I'd instead advice people to search top10 Karan Thapar interviews and watch them on YouTube.
Narrates the interesting events in Karan Thapar's life. Specially the events related to his journalism journey. From Benazir Bhutto to Sachin Tendulkar, Highlights his interviews that had gained high publicity due to various reasons, also describes his relations with various high profile personality like Aung San suu Kyi, Advani, Benazir Bhutto, etc.
Vocabulary used is excellent. Book is not bad but i won't really suggest anyone to read it. Can be skipped. I'd instead advice people to search top10 Karan Thapar interviews and watch them on YouTube.
August 1, 2018
Devils life in a nutshell
The book is a compilation of various chapters of Karan's public life and some inside scoop on what went behind the scenes. A well written book but can be given a miss
The book is a compilation of various chapters of Karan's public life and some inside scoop on what went behind the scenes. A well written book but can be given a miss
April 29, 2021
A nice breezy decently interesting read. However, it isn't the spectacle that is Lucknow Boy, Vinod Mehta's autobiography. The parts about India's early prime ministers who haven't been as popular - V. P. Singh, Chandra Shekhar, P. V. Narasimha Rao were interesting. It was also insightful to see how the world of media operates and how it is tied in with politics, networking and contacts. One probably has a right to be a little disappointed in the book not having enough meat. I don't know if Karan could have been a little more forthcoming, but it's what it is.
October 16, 2020
The book shares anecdotes and background stories of many interviews held by Karan with prominent figures in the 90s. The book started with the personal life of Karan ( little boring at that portion, his reminiscence of the past fails to hold my attention) and branches on to the behind the scenes portions of some of the famous interviews he had taken. Seeing these names again made me realise that many of our present celebs are still infants trying to fill the shoes of giants. A great read. You will enjoy it like sweet gossips.
September 17, 2018
When a political journalist writes a biography, it is hard to simultaneously either discern or ignore a political agenda. The book recounts the author, Karan Thapar's various personal interactions with famous political personalities in Asia and abroad, including Benazir Bhutto, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rajiv Gandhi, Barack Obama, and Narendra Modi among others. About some of these figures the author waxes poetical, praising them to the high heavens; while others are strongly condemned.
The first few chapters of the book reek of 'privilege'. The fourth child of an army general, and his only son, Thaper is pampered by his family. He attends the most premium schools and universities in India and UK. He meets prominent personalities like Vikram Seth and Benazir Bhutto in these hallowed halls. What I found shocking was the reality of how much of third world country politics is shaped by men and women nurtured in foreign countries, completely unaware of on-ground realities of their own nations. Even when the author moves back to Delhi, nearly all the events unfold in glitzy clubs and parties attended by the Delhi elite. Most of the positions and opportunities that Thapar exploits as a journalist comes from his friends and acquaintances.
The book however does offer a sneak-peek into media in the pre-liberalized India. The journalist within Thaper, sniffing out scoops, is visible even in the book. Sample how he writes about his interview with Amitabh Bachchan:
Without incriminating himself, Thaper manages to tantalize readers seeking gossip. That is how I found this book: a series of anecdotes that can be loosely labelled as 'gossip' shared by a political journalist.
The first few chapters of the book reek of 'privilege'. The fourth child of an army general, and his only son, Thaper is pampered by his family. He attends the most premium schools and universities in India and UK. He meets prominent personalities like Vikram Seth and Benazir Bhutto in these hallowed halls. What I found shocking was the reality of how much of third world country politics is shaped by men and women nurtured in foreign countries, completely unaware of on-ground realities of their own nations. Even when the author moves back to Delhi, nearly all the events unfold in glitzy clubs and parties attended by the Delhi elite. Most of the positions and opportunities that Thapar exploits as a journalist comes from his friends and acquaintances.
The book however does offer a sneak-peek into media in the pre-liberalized India. The journalist within Thaper, sniffing out scoops, is visible even in the book. Sample how he writes about his interview with Amitabh Bachchan:
"'What about Rekha?'
It might have been my imagination, but I thought I detected a slight movement in his eyes. He seemed to take just a little longer to reply. But when he did, his voice was as firm as ever. There was no change in his tone.
'No, not even with her.' He didn't say more. He left it at that."
Without incriminating himself, Thaper manages to tantalize readers seeking gossip. That is how I found this book: a series of anecdotes that can be loosely labelled as 'gossip' shared by a political journalist.
January 9, 2019
Karan Thapar insists in the beginning that he had no aptitude for academics. He need not have said explicitly, it is quite evident given how shallow the book is in achieving even a smidgen of understanding of Indian politics or society. For someone so closely associated with the circles of power and being of such privileged background (his recollections of Doon school, Stowe, Cambridge are interesting), I think it is a travesty to not be more astutely aware. But then he never was that kind of journalist.
So, you go in expecting it to be a gossip read, full of salacious revelations about the celebrities he hobnobs with. Alas, he disappoints there too. He does drop some juicy bits here and there, some enjoyable in a vouyer-ish sense. But I came off feeling he had more up his sleeve and frankly he is too entrenched in the elite circles to actually reveal too much.
Now all this would give the impression that I hated the book, when in fact I did not. It was a very breezy, very entertaining read, which says more about Thapar's ability to weave an enticing yarn than anything else. Also, I guess I am a sucker for gossipy political talk. And this did seem like one, albeit a bit longer.
Tip : will enhance the pleasure of reading if you imagine it being narrated by him in his 'clipped' Oxbridge accent. Preferably with a bow-tie!
So, you go in expecting it to be a gossip read, full of salacious revelations about the celebrities he hobnobs with. Alas, he disappoints there too. He does drop some juicy bits here and there, some enjoyable in a vouyer-ish sense. But I came off feeling he had more up his sleeve and frankly he is too entrenched in the elite circles to actually reveal too much.
Now all this would give the impression that I hated the book, when in fact I did not. It was a very breezy, very entertaining read, which says more about Thapar's ability to weave an enticing yarn than anything else. Also, I guess I am a sucker for gossipy political talk. And this did seem like one, albeit a bit longer.
Tip : will enhance the pleasure of reading if you imagine it being narrated by him in his 'clipped' Oxbridge accent. Preferably with a bow-tie!
Read
February 11, 2020Devil's advocate is a collection of stories of Karan Thapar's personal and professional life as a journalist. The stories told here have a huge variance - Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan and her wedding, the interview in which Kapil Dev cried, how his connections with influential people in both India and Pakistan nudged him to mediate in state affairs and finally, his falling out with Modi and BJP.
Karan Thapar is a highly previleged Oxbridge educated man, who was born into an affluent family and well socialized within high society. His connections with famous political figures - which he calls friendships - gives him an insight into the behind the camera personalities and personal lives of people like Benazir Bhutto, Sanjay Gandhi, Aung Saan Suu, Advani etc. The bottom line of a lot their stories seem to be - no matter what their political stance or public persona is, everyone is a funny, warm hearted person behind the scene. Although most of this book is riddled with previlege and snobbery, it gives an interesting insight into the Indian high life.
Recommend it if you are interested in the lives of journalists and politicians and their dependence on being well connected.
Karan Thapar is a highly previleged Oxbridge educated man, who was born into an affluent family and well socialized within high society. His connections with famous political figures - which he calls friendships - gives him an insight into the behind the camera personalities and personal lives of people like Benazir Bhutto, Sanjay Gandhi, Aung Saan Suu, Advani etc. The bottom line of a lot their stories seem to be - no matter what their political stance or public persona is, everyone is a funny, warm hearted person behind the scene. Although most of this book is riddled with previlege and snobbery, it gives an interesting insight into the Indian high life.
Recommend it if you are interested in the lives of journalists and politicians and their dependence on being well connected.
February 7, 2019
Not much of a pick. Shallow and not offering any new insight apart from what one would find in his interviews. Seems to be a nostalgic attempt by the author to relive his prime. Basically he has translated his interviews into words.
August 31, 2020
Devil's Advocate: a disappointing justice to the name
A journalist's autobiography is different from other autobiographies in that you pick the book up to know more about the inside scoop of politicians' and celebrities' lives - things which might have been too controversial for general publications - as much as the journalists' life. The perspective of a seasoned and respected journalist generally reveals a lot about people in the public eye and helps you build an opinion about politicians and parties you have the option to vote for. I find Karan Thapar to be one of the few journalists in India who doesn't shy away from asking the tough questions to politicians even when it might hurt his career and/or relations. That is why I was unpleasantly surprised to read his autobiography.
The first half of the book deals with Thapar's childhood and his journey to becoming a journalist: a journey that reeks of privilege and benefits of connections that he reaped throughout his life (Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi, Benazir Bhutto , etc.), courtesy his father who was the chief of the Army staff - Pran Nath Thapar - among others ( Thapar is also related distantly to the family of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru's niece, the writer Nayantara Sahgal, was married to Gautam Sahgal, brother of Bimla Thapar, his mother ). What bugged me more though was how excruciatingly formal his writing is, even when it is about close personal relations and life-changing events. It almost distances the reader from the book and the writer; something that you do not expect from an autobiography.
The second half of his book deals with his interactions with politicians, celebrities, and sports stars, and the major interviews that made an impact on his life and career. Not surprisingly, the highlight of the book is what has been cleverly kept as the last chapter in the book: the Narendra Modi interview that couldn't conclude, and how it affected his future relations with BJP. However, throughout the book, it seemed like he has nothing but praise for all the people he interviewed, and thankful for the opportunities they provided him. His harsh criticism of Barack Obama and Amal Clooney stands out but reveals that he judges people based solely on how much freedom they allow him to conduct his interviews. He tries to convince the reader (and himself) that it is his journalistic integrity that makes him criticize the people mentioned, but then he allows much leniency to Indian politicians who - that he himself writes - have done similar censorship. It makes me wonder if he has white-washed the Indian politicians because he consciously doesn't want to hamper his future career by severing his ties to them, or is he naive enough to believe that politicians do favors because of just goodwill and not to keep the people reporting about them to the public happy. Devil's Advocate was never a suitable title for his show, but his book definitely does justice to the name!
I was also bewildered at how his negative judgment is based solely on the matter of censorship and overshadows all their other actions and the consequences to the public at large. Makes me wonder if Narendra Modi hadn't canceled his interview mid-way, and shunned him from interviewing other BJP leaders, how different his opinion might have been. I understand that a journalist's demeanor should be unbiased, but it doesn't mean that their opinion should be independent of politicians' actions. What would he think of Hitler if he had interviewed him, and he would have answered all his questions smartly without interfering and helped him to connect to Mussolini and others?
To be fair, I appreciate that despite his personal relations and how highly he might think of his interviewee, he doesn't hesitate in asking difficult and confrontational questions, and that quality made me pick up his autobiography in the first place. But that also seems to be in a large part to add drama and viewability of the show - something that he himself mentions repeatedly - rather than just journalist integrity, which might be a somewhat rationalization.
Still, despite whatever opinion I might have come out with after reading Devil's Advocate, I would still watch his interviews over most other journalists'. However, it would be with an indifference, distancing myself from the journalist and focusing solely on the interviewee and the questions; something I feel that he would not disapprove of.
September 19, 2021
Review - Part One
While the book is immensely readable, Karan's encounters with big & famous personalities like Modi, Advani, Jayalalitha,Jethmalani do not have much impact, perhaps because most of the stories concerning them are already in the public domain (and known to someone like me who devours current affairs political news).
However, his recounting of the interactions with former Prime Ministers - PV Narasimha Rao, VP Singh and Chandrashekar were very telling, and unfortunately (as in their political careers), were overlooked by the media and political commentators.
The most striking bits for me however, were his childhood memories and his relationship with 3 remarkable women - his wife Nisha, Benazir Bhutto and Aung Sang Suu Kyi.
Review - Part Two
He is frank enough about his privilege and how it helped his education and career (to put it mildly), even if he is not apologetic about it. I think it may be overlooked for the greater good of letting the reader into the life of privileged classes. I must admit though, the indiscriminate name dropping, added to the extremely inoculated life described in the book, did make Karan a fallen angel in my eyes (Though I still admire him for his thorough research, glib manner of speaking, and his relentless persistence to get an answer from the interviewee).
Thus, while I liked the book, I must say, it was unabashedly a cocktail of useful information and tabloid-gossip entertainment. If I may add, this is not just a feature of his book, but also a reflection of himself and his career. Not surprisingly then, his own production house is named "Infotainment Television Private Limited".
Review - Part Three
The one thing however, that will always hold him in good reputation - is still his interview with Modi. With the Prime Minister completing 20 years in power (7 as Prime Minister of India and 13 as Chief Minister of Gujarat) his remains the sole interview indelibly imprinted in the minds of people, as one which left Modi shell-shocked and tongue-tied, and a benchmark on how to make politicians uncomfortable. Every time Modi is interviewed, the audience (at least sub-conciously) wonders - will this interviewer make Modi as uncomfortale as he was against Mr. Thapar?
In an age where television media has been pliant, and has prostrated when asked to crawl, we can be thankful to Karan for this "Thapar test" and I am certain that when we come out of the dark ages of journalism, the renaissance will pay due homage to "the interview".
While the book is immensely readable, Karan's encounters with big & famous personalities like Modi, Advani, Jayalalitha,Jethmalani do not have much impact, perhaps because most of the stories concerning them are already in the public domain (and known to someone like me who devours current affairs political news).
However, his recounting of the interactions with former Prime Ministers - PV Narasimha Rao, VP Singh and Chandrashekar were very telling, and unfortunately (as in their political careers), were overlooked by the media and political commentators.
The most striking bits for me however, were his childhood memories and his relationship with 3 remarkable women - his wife Nisha, Benazir Bhutto and Aung Sang Suu Kyi.
Review - Part Two
He is frank enough about his privilege and how it helped his education and career (to put it mildly), even if he is not apologetic about it. I think it may be overlooked for the greater good of letting the reader into the life of privileged classes. I must admit though, the indiscriminate name dropping, added to the extremely inoculated life described in the book, did make Karan a fallen angel in my eyes (Though I still admire him for his thorough research, glib manner of speaking, and his relentless persistence to get an answer from the interviewee).
Thus, while I liked the book, I must say, it was unabashedly a cocktail of useful information and tabloid-gossip entertainment. If I may add, this is not just a feature of his book, but also a reflection of himself and his career. Not surprisingly then, his own production house is named "Infotainment Television Private Limited".
Review - Part Three
The one thing however, that will always hold him in good reputation - is still his interview with Modi. With the Prime Minister completing 20 years in power (7 as Prime Minister of India and 13 as Chief Minister of Gujarat) his remains the sole interview indelibly imprinted in the minds of people, as one which left Modi shell-shocked and tongue-tied, and a benchmark on how to make politicians uncomfortable. Every time Modi is interviewed, the audience (at least sub-conciously) wonders - will this interviewer make Modi as uncomfortale as he was against Mr. Thapar?
In an age where television media has been pliant, and has prostrated when asked to crawl, we can be thankful to Karan for this "Thapar test" and I am certain that when we come out of the dark ages of journalism, the renaissance will pay due homage to "the interview".
June 4, 2021
Prompt: Book with a deckled edge: (rough edge) Since I read a lot more of ebooks, this prompt may be impossible to apply. Hence I decided to settle for a book with a rough edge to its story.
Devil's Advocate by Karan Thapar.
Beware of the Devil's Advocate!
I have often listened to Karan Thapar interview personalities and I was never a fan of his style. I would term it obnoxious and Karan seems to be in complete agreement with me!
While playing the Devil's Advocate, Karan seems to lose sight of the purpose of the interview. Often the focus shifts from the subject to himself. He admits unabashedly, " I hope all of the above explains the idiosyncratic and, often, self-focused character of the stories I have to tell."
For his interviews, I felt he went in without preparation- he had no strategy, the 'how' is as important as the 'why' while seeking answers. In retrospect, he admits “In fact, the truth is—sadly and foolishly, I did not know this at that time! "
Karan says he wrote this book on a whim. So why did I read the book? To understand for myself, whether the picture he portrayed and the reality were one and the same. Sadly Karan has nothing to redeem himself. "I was blunt and sharply critical. Clearly I had hit where it was likely to hurt most." What is worse, he never seems to have learnt any lessons. After reading the book, I have to conclude that the Devil really needs no Advocate!
July 11, 2019
In this frighteningly polarized world, semi-pseudo nationalist puts people like Karan Thapar on spectrum ranging from anti-national to opportunist. One may or may not like the way he conduct his affairs but this book of son of former army chief and Oxford-Cambridge alumni is good read to understand his upbringing and to know his side of story on certain important events of his career in journalism. His narrative of life in England, friendship with Benazir, family friendship with Sanjay Gandhi and Aung San Suu Kyi is delightful read. Story of his personal tragedy will certainly give reader a goosebumps. These all covers almost more than one third of the book. In remaining part he tells stories of his some important interviews and interaction with famous personalities. This gives interesting details about how things works before camera starts and after camera switched-off. Well, one either like him or not, his way of conducting interviews is much more proper than what we see today by either ‘Godi' media or ‘so-called' biased media and this book is certainly a nice read.
January 25, 2019
The author clearly choses his words carefully to look unbiased and downplays the parts where he had erred. Despite his close relations with Gandhi's there is no significant mentioning of any interview with any of them (apart from passing reference of Rajiv Gandhi). Why he never interviewed Rajiv Gandhi after 1984, or Indira Gandhi after emergency.
However the book doesn't bore and is an easy read. The bit about Amal Cloony should be an eye opener for my liberal friends.
However the book doesn't bore and is an easy read. The bit about Amal Cloony should be an eye opener for my liberal friends.
June 20, 2019
Thapar only goes on to recount certain incidents from his professional life. The book fails to dive deeper into his life as a journalist and also does not have much to reveal about his character as an individual. The first few chapters dedicated to his childhood till graduation days only reaffirm the fact that being born in an elite and influential family is the best way to achieve heights in life. Not a great read. Three stars.
September 13, 2020
Anecdotes of people I admire always fascinates me.
I am well aware that this guy sounds like a prick to many and they have all their rights and limited perception to do so.
his position is full of dilemma and what he does is courageous sometimes not very sentimental even psychopathic some may say but a little bit of empathy and a wider perception will lead you to understand him better.
I am well aware that this guy sounds like a prick to many and they have all their rights and limited perception to do so.
his position is full of dilemma and what he does is courageous sometimes not very sentimental even psychopathic some may say but a little bit of empathy and a wider perception will lead you to understand him better.
July 22, 2018
A well-written memoir is often the golden key to understanding the mind and idiosyncrasies of a public figure, especially one who has been observable for decades now. Karan Thapar, is one of my favourite interviewers, and for good measure. An ideal interviewer must be able to engage the interviewee enough to elicit a response that contributes to the central idea that the question sought to address. With his soft yet stern questioning, which more often than not is backed by concrete facts, and deeply logical assumptions and theories, Karan has managed to strike the perfect balance that this niche skill requires. The Devil’s Advocate offers a unique insight into how this balance developed, and interestingly also comments on the development of India’s polity in the effable yet subtle style that is sui generis to Karan.
The book is peppered with anecdotes and incidents from Karan’s life which are so visibly reflected in his approach towards journalism today. For instance, he writes about one of his first bosses at in the television broadcasting field, John Birt, and the basic tenets of interviewing that John taught him, which are evident in his manner to this date. A couple of weeks ago, Karan interviewed Nitin Gadkari, and it is pleasing and yet astonishing to see Karan follow the same pattern of interviewing that he first learnt back in the 1970s.
Gently, Karan also chose to drop in sly comments that reflect on the scenario of India’s politics today. The line (mentioned in context of the timing of when Indian politicians choose to give interviews), “When in trouble, they become invisible” spoke volumes beyond the context he mentioned it in, which in beautiful fashion builds slowly throughout the book and weaves into a broader commentary on the congeniality that underlies the world of journalism, policy, diplomacy and politics that he transverses through.
Another beautiful issue the book brings out is the jovial and almost familial manner in which Indian politicians function, across the spectrum. In more ways than not, these stories are a prophetic warning to the increasingly divisive form of politics that are practised in our country, and perhaps a sounding board to many.
The book, I believe, goes beyond being a narration, and could possibly have been an exercise in self-reflection. He speaks about his equations with popular personalities, and in typical fashion, builds their principled stances, points out their hypocrisy or the non-reflective nature of their actions, and goes on to question them on the same. Albeit the people concerned are proffered no opportunity to reply, that burden in itself, is an unfair one. An average reader unaware of Karan’s profession, notwithstanding the numerous references in the book, will have no trouble believing that the book came from the mind of an inquisitive journalist.
It is always interesting to trace the foundations of a strong poplar to its roots, and the biases of a self-narrative reflection aside, this memoir lives up to its expectations, offers vivid tales that assign new traits to revaluate some of the important personalities in our subcontinent, and makes for a light yet invigorating read.
Also posted on my blog at https://thestandingcoin.com/2018/07/2...
The book is peppered with anecdotes and incidents from Karan’s life which are so visibly reflected in his approach towards journalism today. For instance, he writes about one of his first bosses at in the television broadcasting field, John Birt, and the basic tenets of interviewing that John taught him, which are evident in his manner to this date. A couple of weeks ago, Karan interviewed Nitin Gadkari, and it is pleasing and yet astonishing to see Karan follow the same pattern of interviewing that he first learnt back in the 1970s.
Gently, Karan also chose to drop in sly comments that reflect on the scenario of India’s politics today. The line (mentioned in context of the timing of when Indian politicians choose to give interviews), “When in trouble, they become invisible” spoke volumes beyond the context he mentioned it in, which in beautiful fashion builds slowly throughout the book and weaves into a broader commentary on the congeniality that underlies the world of journalism, policy, diplomacy and politics that he transverses through.
Another beautiful issue the book brings out is the jovial and almost familial manner in which Indian politicians function, across the spectrum. In more ways than not, these stories are a prophetic warning to the increasingly divisive form of politics that are practised in our country, and perhaps a sounding board to many.
The book, I believe, goes beyond being a narration, and could possibly have been an exercise in self-reflection. He speaks about his equations with popular personalities, and in typical fashion, builds their principled stances, points out their hypocrisy or the non-reflective nature of their actions, and goes on to question them on the same. Albeit the people concerned are proffered no opportunity to reply, that burden in itself, is an unfair one. An average reader unaware of Karan’s profession, notwithstanding the numerous references in the book, will have no trouble believing that the book came from the mind of an inquisitive journalist.
It is always interesting to trace the foundations of a strong poplar to its roots, and the biases of a self-narrative reflection aside, this memoir lives up to its expectations, offers vivid tales that assign new traits to revaluate some of the important personalities in our subcontinent, and makes for a light yet invigorating read.
Also posted on my blog at https://thestandingcoin.com/2018/07/2...
May 15, 2021
Didn’t expect, but one of the gripping non-fiction I read. Took me back to my schooling days, could relate to so many events and associated people. Most of all, shows people in different perspective. Many a times the real human behind those illuminated faces. No denying, Thapar has penned a lot of self glorifying anecdotes; but I will give it to him, being a fierce journalist is certainly not for faint hearted. Good read, transporting you to those political scenes, as well as opportunity to see good journalism upfront.
July 2, 2019
Superb read from page 1 to the end 😁... Had a very different view of Karan until I read this book... Most interesting incidents mentioned in a fair and transparent manner
January 14, 2019
A journalist who had a privileged childhood- that is Karan Thapar’s childhood in nutshell for you. He is the son of a former a former Chief of Army Staff of India. Besides, it comes across that his family is well connected with the powers that be at that point in time in India- the Nehru Gandhi clan. In his childhood he was on first name basis with Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi and considered Mrs Gandhi as his aunt. So obviously, his thought process has been molded according to the company he kept in his formative years. That does reflect in his work as a journalist, as also, the ideology that he follows. It’s not to say that he is not talented and gifted. He obviously is. But the privileged childhood that he had in Doon school with the cream of the Indian society as also the libertine atmosphere that he imbibed at Oxford and Cambridge too has shaped his ideology and outlook to life in a certain way, which may not always be what India stands for. Karan does not come across as a journalist who dirties his hands in the field. He does not seem to be the kind of journalist who would venture out into troubled hotspots around the world or even within India in search of a story. The only mention he makes of some kind of work in a troubled environment was when he was posted to Nigeria for a short while when he was on the payrolls of the Times. Thereafter, he talks about a providential escape that he had while he was on an assignment to Colombo and escaped a bomb attack by the LTTE by the skin of his teeth. And of course, the attack wasn’t targeted at him. Thapar just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Thapar, from his account, comes across as being brilliant in academics and in extracurricular activities like public speaking and debating. He seemed to have a flair for it, and it goes to his credit that he worked on and perfected the skill during his student days. He was the President of the prestigious Cambridge Union, a body that organized several debates and other cultural activities involving icons from the world of Arts as well as several political heavyweights of the British polity. It was in this capacity that he came in touch with and developed a close friendship with Benazir Bhutto, who was his contemporary at Oxford. Thapar has definitely used the connections that he built during those times to further his journalistic career. Thapar was supposed to acquire a doctorate from Oxford and then become an academic, but fate had other plans for him. He was sucked into the world of journalism and that was the profession that he chose. He also talks of his short-lived marriage to a high-flying investment banker, whom he unfortunately lost to encephalitis, just about seven years into the marriage.
Thapar says the Rajiv Gandhi was the one who encouraged him to return to India for good and then set him up. He has only good things to talk about the Gandhi family. But, surprisingly he is quiet about the current scion and the queen mother of the Congress Party. But it is obvious as to where his loyalties lie.
Thapar, after his return to India, got into the fledgling current affairs and news program environment of the television industry. He had experience in the field, which he had gained in the UK, so it must have been a cake walk for him to get established here. On top of that, the political connections must have also helped in no small measure. So, now he was back in India, and obviously he was in the right place at the right time. This made his foray into the television news industry a breeze. Thapar was incisive, articulate and unsparing to all his interviewees…but, the doubt is whether he applied the same yardsticks to all his subjects. I think his ideology did make him to treat some people with kid gloves. He talks of his friendship with Advani, with whom he fell out later. From the narrative about the circumstances leading to the estrangement, it is obvious that his selfishness was majorly the root cause for what happened between them. Thapar is frank and open about his shortcomings and this is something that he has to be appreciated for. He portrays a warm and statesmanlike character in both Advani and Vajpayee, the doyens of the Right in Indian politics.
He talks highly of Pranab Mukherjee and Sachin Tendulkar, both of whom were interviewed by him. He also narrates the infamous interview with Kapil Dev, during which the cricketer cried openly when the allegations of match fixing were discussed. Thapar’s selfishness comes through in no small measure, when he says that he made the camera roll all through the time Kapil was crying and made sure that he persisted with tougher questions to make the cricketer fret even more. He justifies his action saying that it is his journalistic duty to inform the public. But I feel it was more of trying to pander to the voyeuristic pleasures of the television viewers that he was interested in.
It is obvious that Thapar is very well connected. He claims that he was the go between in organizing clandestine meetings between the Pakistan High Commissioner and Advani, which finally culminated in the unsuccessful Indo-Pak summit that happened in Agra.
Amongst the other high profile interviewees that Thapar had interacted with, he mentions about Barak Obama, Amal Clooney, Jayalalithaa and Narendra Modi. Thapar says that he was disillusioned with both Obama and Amal Clooney because both of them were insistent on knowing as to what he was going to question them on. Thapar finds it really odd that a former American President, whose claim to fame was that he had led the free world, was so paranoid about his public image that he wanted to weed out all possible uncomfortable questions. The same was the case of Amal Clooney who claims to be a human rights activist. She was so worried about the questions that she was going to come up against. So much for the hypocrisy of the so called celebrities of this age.
After reading Thapar’s account of his interviews with Jayalalithaa and Modi, I made it a point to watch them on YouTube. Thapar’s narration as to what had transpired during both the interviews is exactly as it happened. I could not but admire the spunk of Jayalalithaa in standing up to the insensitive way in which Thapar was attacking her during the interview. As far as the Modi interview goes, Thapar is of the firm conviction that the reason for his pariah status with the BJP government is the vengeful attitude of Narendra Modi who harbors the ill feeling that he has against the journalist for his line of questioning during the 2004 interview. It seems that Thapar had subsequently followed up the interview with a stinging piece against Modi in one of the newspapers. The book carries an excerpt of that piece too, and it does not do any good for the image of Modi. The allegation that he flings against Modi being vengeful might be true.
What comes across in this book, is the image of a journalist, who throws scruples to the wind just so that he is ensured of a scoop, which in turn will enhance his prowess. Journalists do have the power to make or break the image of public figures. But, I feel this power needs to be used responsibly. In a way, they do service to the politician and other public figures in that they make them accessible to the general public. But the responsibility that needs to be exercised is immense. I have seen the way in which Thapar grills his subjects. Social niceties and grace are the least of his priorities when he deals with his hapless interviewees. The bottom line, I feel, is that the attendant power and pelf should keep flowing in at all costs.
Thapar, from his account, comes across as being brilliant in academics and in extracurricular activities like public speaking and debating. He seemed to have a flair for it, and it goes to his credit that he worked on and perfected the skill during his student days. He was the President of the prestigious Cambridge Union, a body that organized several debates and other cultural activities involving icons from the world of Arts as well as several political heavyweights of the British polity. It was in this capacity that he came in touch with and developed a close friendship with Benazir Bhutto, who was his contemporary at Oxford. Thapar has definitely used the connections that he built during those times to further his journalistic career. Thapar was supposed to acquire a doctorate from Oxford and then become an academic, but fate had other plans for him. He was sucked into the world of journalism and that was the profession that he chose. He also talks of his short-lived marriage to a high-flying investment banker, whom he unfortunately lost to encephalitis, just about seven years into the marriage.
Thapar says the Rajiv Gandhi was the one who encouraged him to return to India for good and then set him up. He has only good things to talk about the Gandhi family. But, surprisingly he is quiet about the current scion and the queen mother of the Congress Party. But it is obvious as to where his loyalties lie.
Thapar, after his return to India, got into the fledgling current affairs and news program environment of the television industry. He had experience in the field, which he had gained in the UK, so it must have been a cake walk for him to get established here. On top of that, the political connections must have also helped in no small measure. So, now he was back in India, and obviously he was in the right place at the right time. This made his foray into the television news industry a breeze. Thapar was incisive, articulate and unsparing to all his interviewees…but, the doubt is whether he applied the same yardsticks to all his subjects. I think his ideology did make him to treat some people with kid gloves. He talks of his friendship with Advani, with whom he fell out later. From the narrative about the circumstances leading to the estrangement, it is obvious that his selfishness was majorly the root cause for what happened between them. Thapar is frank and open about his shortcomings and this is something that he has to be appreciated for. He portrays a warm and statesmanlike character in both Advani and Vajpayee, the doyens of the Right in Indian politics.
He talks highly of Pranab Mukherjee and Sachin Tendulkar, both of whom were interviewed by him. He also narrates the infamous interview with Kapil Dev, during which the cricketer cried openly when the allegations of match fixing were discussed. Thapar’s selfishness comes through in no small measure, when he says that he made the camera roll all through the time Kapil was crying and made sure that he persisted with tougher questions to make the cricketer fret even more. He justifies his action saying that it is his journalistic duty to inform the public. But I feel it was more of trying to pander to the voyeuristic pleasures of the television viewers that he was interested in.
It is obvious that Thapar is very well connected. He claims that he was the go between in organizing clandestine meetings between the Pakistan High Commissioner and Advani, which finally culminated in the unsuccessful Indo-Pak summit that happened in Agra.
Amongst the other high profile interviewees that Thapar had interacted with, he mentions about Barak Obama, Amal Clooney, Jayalalithaa and Narendra Modi. Thapar says that he was disillusioned with both Obama and Amal Clooney because both of them were insistent on knowing as to what he was going to question them on. Thapar finds it really odd that a former American President, whose claim to fame was that he had led the free world, was so paranoid about his public image that he wanted to weed out all possible uncomfortable questions. The same was the case of Amal Clooney who claims to be a human rights activist. She was so worried about the questions that she was going to come up against. So much for the hypocrisy of the so called celebrities of this age.
After reading Thapar’s account of his interviews with Jayalalithaa and Modi, I made it a point to watch them on YouTube. Thapar’s narration as to what had transpired during both the interviews is exactly as it happened. I could not but admire the spunk of Jayalalithaa in standing up to the insensitive way in which Thapar was attacking her during the interview. As far as the Modi interview goes, Thapar is of the firm conviction that the reason for his pariah status with the BJP government is the vengeful attitude of Narendra Modi who harbors the ill feeling that he has against the journalist for his line of questioning during the 2004 interview. It seems that Thapar had subsequently followed up the interview with a stinging piece against Modi in one of the newspapers. The book carries an excerpt of that piece too, and it does not do any good for the image of Modi. The allegation that he flings against Modi being vengeful might be true.
What comes across in this book, is the image of a journalist, who throws scruples to the wind just so that he is ensured of a scoop, which in turn will enhance his prowess. Journalists do have the power to make or break the image of public figures. But, I feel this power needs to be used responsibly. In a way, they do service to the politician and other public figures in that they make them accessible to the general public. But the responsibility that needs to be exercised is immense. I have seen the way in which Thapar grills his subjects. Social niceties and grace are the least of his priorities when he deals with his hapless interviewees. The bottom line, I feel, is that the attendant power and pelf should keep flowing in at all costs.
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