Karan Thapar is a super-looking genius who’s young, friendly, chatty and great fun to be with. He’s also very enjoyable to read.
Articles by Karan Thapar
Sita, a man of wit who stood by what he said
“Sita was also an attentive listener with a formidable memory. In fact, the range and accuracy of his memory was a powerful weapon in interviews. ”
Published on Sep 21, 2024 08:20 PM IST
HH Asquith, on the precipice of propriety
Precipiceis the story of Herbert Henry Asquith, the Earl of Oxford and Asquith, who was pM of Britain from 1908 to 1916, and his infatuation for Venetia Stanley, an aristocratic socialite
Published on Sep 14, 2024 08:59 PM IST
The good life of the Raj in a Calcutta hotel and club
A recent trip to Kolkata revealed lingering colonial charm at The Glenburn hotel and the Bengal Club, where tradition and elegance persist.
Updated on Sep 07, 2024 09:17 PM IST
A strange accusation, and malice in Faujiland
The tale I have to tell is so strange, most people wouldn’t even find it credible as fiction. And yet, believe me, it’s true
Published on Aug 31, 2024 09:07 PM IST
The man who knew how to retrieve lost moments
Natwar Singh had this instinctive skill of knowing how to retrieve lost moments. It was one of his most winning qualities.
Published on Aug 24, 2024 09:10 PM IST
Neeraj-Arshad warmth echoes shared culture
Punjabis share a unique bond across India and Pakistan, rooted in shared culture and history, transcending political divides. This connection explains the camaraderie between athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem.
Updated on Aug 17, 2024 08:57 PM IST
Heed those WhatsApp warnings on fraudsters
WhatsApp messages often warn us to guard against door-to-door salesmen and to never share our credit card pin code with people claiming to be from the bank
Published on Aug 10, 2024 09:08 PM IST
The Gymkhana Club’s ungentlemanly move
In a move that is bizarre and insulting to its members, the club has decided members must deposit money for dining, etc in advance. They must have a ‘positive credit balance’ to dine at the club or use the services of the Bar
Published on Aug 03, 2024 09:30 PM IST
Glimpses of British summertime cheer
A glimpse of a sunny summer day in Britain, with London warmer than Delhi, ice cream in the park, and the joy of a British countryside pub.
Updated on Jul 27, 2024 09:22 PM IST
Why we say clip-clop, and never clop-clip
“I can’t compare myself to Henry Higgins, but the delightful rules of the English language never cease to fascinate me”
Published on Jul 20, 2024 09:14 PM IST
Three lessons for Indian politics from British polls
Now there’s an opportunity to see Blighty differently. And this time we, in India, can learn a few invaluable lessons as well.
Published on Jul 13, 2024 09:13 PM IST
A charter for Parliament to improve its functioning
Is the Lok Sabha living up to our expectations? What changes are needed to convince the Opposition that the voice of the Indian people is given time and, therefore, adequately heard?
Published on Jul 06, 2024 09:30 PM IST
Claim to prohibition is immoral, ahistoric
If safe and cheap alcohol is available for all adults to buy, within all the accepted conditions of the law, few people would risk their lives drinking hooch
Published on Jun 30, 2024 12:00 AM IST
Seditious hearts and mature democracies
Today, when we claim to be vishwaguru, leader of the Global South, deserving of a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, does not this treatment of Arundhati Roy reveal a sad but inescapable truth about us?
Published on Jun 22, 2024 08:57 PM IST
How (not) to read market swings in the poll season
Suppose foreign investors had commissioned their own exit polls, which pointed in the same direction as those of the pollsters, wouldn’t it be legitimate for them to buy shares based on such information?
Published on Jun 16, 2024 12:11 PM IST
The old order changeth, yielding place to new?
The key question is can Modi, temperamentally and psychologically, adjust to the very different circumstances he now faces as PM?
Published on Jun 08, 2024 11:43 PM IST
Brotherhood of lapsed spies turned chroniclers
Covert doesn’t reveal the inner workings — leave aside secrets — of R&AW and ISI. Instead, it “explores the inner lives and motivations of spy chiefs …"
Published on Jun 02, 2024 12:02 AM IST
What questions to ask in an interview with a PM
What do I want to hear when I listen to interviews of a Prime Minister? After all, if the questions are asked on my behalf, what would my questions be?
Published on May 25, 2024 10:09 PM IST
What if TN Seshan were leading the EC today?
Imagine what Seshan would have done. He would have called out the PM, loudly, bluntly and unhesitatingly.
Published on May 18, 2024 11:35 PM IST
Listening to silence in the dance of language
It’s no secret that English is not a phonetic language. How you spell a word has little connection with how you pronounce it.
Published on May 11, 2024 10:07 PM IST
Addressing citizens in a secular democracy
We’ve travelled a long distance since the fifties and sixties. These days there’s nothing you would not expect of a politician
Published on May 04, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Using words to remake and reclaim the world
Unlike his earlier masterpieces, in his latest book, on the terrible attack that almost killed him, Salman Rushdie speaks directly to the reader.
Published on Apr 27, 2024 09:50 PM IST
In election season, saving politics from politicians
People may change and countries may differ but politicians and politics remain the same.
Published on Apr 20, 2024 10:07 PM IST
Manifesto promises to make Parliament work
What the Congress has promised needs to be delivered. For the good of our Parliament, our democracy and, beyond that, good governance.
Published on Apr 13, 2024 09:50 PM IST
Up and close: Ashok, the idol of my youth
Last week my cousin, Ashok Thapar, suddenly died. He was 15 years older but, in my teens and early twenties, he was an icon I sought to emulate.
Published on Apr 06, 2024 08:12 PM IST
A World War II story of misplaced panic, scare
Why hasn’t The Great Flap received the attention it deserves? The book has delightful tales to tell, none more amazing than what happened at Madras Zoo.
Published on Mar 30, 2024 10:00 PM IST
When Kandhamal cast a shadow over BJD-BJP ties
Naveen Patnaik's principled stand against BJP post-Kandhamal showcased his secular beliefs, ending a lengthy alliance.
Published on Mar 24, 2024 12:48 AM IST
Electoral bonds case casts SBI in a bad light
“The bank I knew would never have behaved the way SBI did last week. Its staff would have shrivelled at the rebuke from the Supreme Court.”
Published on Mar 16, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Retro-chaotic sleuth in a crumpled suit and tie
Have you ever considered how much a book can reveal about the author’s personality?
Published on Mar 09, 2024 10:00 PM IST
Outspoken, committed to doing the right thing
“Fali Nariman had a way of saying things that could be pertinent and pointed but never offensive or hurtful.”
Published on Mar 02, 2024 10:00 PM IST