Karan Thapar is one of India’s best-known English-language television interviewers. He is famous for the confrontational style of his show Devil’s Advocate and for the 2007 interview that Narendra Modi, then Gujarat’s Chief Minister, ended after about five minutes. This Karan Thapar biography covers his career from London television to CNN-IBN and India Today, and now The Wire, where he is Consulting Editor. In 2025 he became the subject of a sedition-law case in Assam that reached India’s Supreme Court. He is also widely followed in Pakistan, where his interviews with Pakistani leaders and commentators have drawn both attention and criticism.
Karan Thapar Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Karan Thapar |
| Real Name | Karan Thapar |
| Date of Birth | 5 November 1955 |
| Age (October 2026) | 70 years (turns 71 on 5 November 2026) |
| Birthplace | Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | |
| Education | Doon School; B.A., Pembroke College, Cambridge; Ph.D., St Antony’s College, Oxford |
| Profession | Journalist, TV interviewer, columnist, author |
| Known For | Devil’s Advocate; the 2007 Modi interview; The Interview with Karan Thapar |
| Current Role | Consulting Editor, The Wire |
| Father | General Pran Nath Thapar, former Chief of the Army Staff |
| Mother | Bimla Thapar |
| Spouse | Late Nisha Thapar (see Personal Life; dates disputed) |
| Social Handles |
Who Is Karan Thapar?
Karan Thapar is an Indian journalist, news presenter and interviewer. He built his reputation on long-form, adversarial interviews with politicians, diplomats and public figures. He has interviewed heads of state and ministers in India, Pakistan and elsewhere. His shows have repeatedly made headlines.
Supporters see him as a rare interviewer who asks leaders direct questions. Critics, particularly in pro-government media, accuse him of bias and of badgering guests. This article presents both perspectives where they matter.
Karan Thapar Early Life and Family
Thapar is the youngest child of General Pran Nath Thapar, who served as India’s Chief of the Army Staff, and Bimla Thapar. Some profile sites list his sisters as Shobha, Premila and Kiran Thapar, though these listings come from secondary sources.
He belongs to a prominent Punjabi family. The journalist Romesh Thapar and the historian Romila Thapar were his cousins. He is also described as distantly related to the family of Jawaharlal Nehru. Nayantara Sahgal’s husband, Gautam Sahgal, was the brother of Bimla Thapar, which links the families by marriage.
Karan Thapar Education
Thapar attended the Doon School in Dehradun. He then studied at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he earned a B.A., and later completed a Ph.D. at St Antony’s College, Oxford. Some profile sites describe his doctorate as being in international relations.
Karan Thapar Career
Early Years: The Times and London Weekend Television (1970s–1991)
Thapar began in journalism with The Times of London, starting in Lagos, Nigeria, and later working as a leader writer on the Indian subcontinent until 1981. In a 2010 interview with Arab News, he said he was deported from Lagos for his reporting on corruption in the Nigerian government; this is his own account and I found no independent confirmation.
In 1982 he joined London Weekend Television, where he spent roughly a decade. He worked on programmes including Weekend World, The World This Week, The Business Programme, The Walden Interview and Eastern Eye.
Return to India and Infotainment Television (1990s–2004)
Thapar returned to India in the early 1990s. His official biography says 1991, while another profile says 1993. He worked with the Hindustan Times Television Group, Home TV and United Television. He presented Eyewitness on Doordarshan and HARDtalk India for the BBC. In August 2001 he founded the production house Infotainment Television (ITV). It produced programmes for broadcasters including the BBC, Doordarshan and Channel News Asia.
CNN-IBN and Devil’s Advocate (2004–2014)
Thapar began working with Network18 in 2004 as a consultant. His shows Devil’s Advocate and The Last Word on CNN-IBN became his best-known work. He also hosted India Tonight on CNBC-TV18. He left CNN-IBN in March 2014 after about a decade.
India Today (2014–2017)
From April 2014 he joined India Today Television, hosting To the Point and Nothing But the Truth. His association there ended around 2017, though sources differ on the exact date.
The Wire and The Interview with Karan Thapar (2018–present)
After leaving mainstream television, Thapar moved to digital media. He now hosts The Interview with Karan Thapar on The Wire, where he is Consulting Editor. The show features interviews on politics, law, elections and foreign policy, and has also been the centre of his current legal troubles (see below). He has also written newspaper columns, including Sunday Sentiments for the Hindustan Times and As I See It for other publications, and his columns continued to appear in 2026.
Karan Thapar Pakistan Interviews
Thapar has a notable following in Pakistan. His interview with then Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri on Court Martial won him the Asian Television Award for Best Current Affairs Presenter. His Pakistan-related interviews also include Moeed Yusuf, then Pakistan’s National Security Adviser, in 2021, and a 28 April 2025 interview with the Pakistani commentator Najam Sethi, conducted days after the Pahalgam attack. He has also interviewed Benazir Bhutto.
These interviews have been praised as rare cross-border conversations. Critics in India, such as the right-leaning magazine Organiser, argue that his interviews give a platform to Pakistani narratives. Thapar and The Wire reject that characterisation. In 2023 Pakistani officials cited WhatsApp messages between Thapar and PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan as evidence of an alleged “nexus” with India. Thapar called the claims “bonkers” in comments to The Wire.
Major Awards and Recognition
- Asian Television Award for Best Current Affairs Presenter (five-time winner)
- Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, 2009 (Journalist of the Year 2007, Broadcast)
- News Interviewer of the Year, Indian News Broadcasting Awards, 2008
- News Show Host of the Year, Indian News Broadcasting Awards, 2009
- TV News Anchor of the Year (English), National Television Awards, 2011
- International Press Institute India Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2013
Karan Thapar Controversies
The 2007 Narendra Modi Interview
On 22 October 2007, Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, ended an interview on Devil’s Advocate a few minutes after it began. Thapar had asked about the 2002 Gujarat riots and whether Modi regretted the killings. The clip was broadcast widely and Thapar later wrote about it in his book Devil’s Advocate: The Untold Story. Thapar has said the BJP has boycotted his show since 2016, a claim documented in a Dawn excerpt of his book. Modi’s supporters have criticised Thapar’s line of questioning as hostile. His supporters say it was a legitimate question about a public matter.
Asian Age Column (2021)
In August 2021, the management of The Asian Age objected to Thapar’s column after he wrote about the 1947 violence against Jammu Muslims. He stopped writing for the newspaper.
Assam Police Sedition Case (2025)
According to The Wire’s timeline, Assam Police’s Crime Branch in Guwahati registered a first FIR (03/2025) under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against The Wire’s editor Siddharth Varadarajan and Thapar on 9 May 2025. A separate FIR was registered at Morigaon police station on 11 July 2025 against The Wire’s editors. Both relate to coverage of Operation Sindoor.
Section 152 criminalises acts endangering India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity. Critics argue it revives the colonial-era sedition law that the Supreme Court suspended in 2022. On 12 August 2025 the Supreme Court protected The Wire’s journalists from coercive action in the Morigaon FIR and issued notice on a petition challenging the section’s constitutionality. On 22 August 2025 a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi extended protection against arrest to Varadarajan and Thapar in the Crime Branch FIR, directing them to join the investigation.
The Press Club of India, the Indian Women’s Press Corps and the Editors Guild of India criticised the cases. The Committee to Protect Journalists called the action intimidation, and opposition MPs issued a joint statement. The Assam government and police maintain the cases are lawful investigations.
Karan Thapar Personal Life
Several profile sites say Thapar was married to Nisha Thapar, a banker whom he met in London, and that she died of encephalitis. These sources disagree on dates: one says she died on 3 December 1982 aged 33, while another lists the marriage as 1982–1991. Thapar has spoken about her in interviews and writing, but I found no reliable source that settles the dates. He is reported to have not remarried. Thapar has spoken of rebuilding his life after her death. I found no verified information on children.
Karan Thapar Net Worth
No credible, sourced figure for Karan Thapar’s net worth was found. Websites that publish numbers do not cite financial disclosures, so this article does not state one.
Karan Thapar in 2026
Thapar remains active at age 70. The Wire’s author page shows regular interview videos through October 2026 on subjects including protests in India, election commission controversies and the proposed UPI merchant fee. He also continues to write newspaper columns through at least July 2026.
His legal situation is a key part of his 2026 profile. The Supreme Court’s 2025 order protected him from coercive action in the Assam FIR, and the court was also examining a challenge to Section 152 of the BNS. I did not find a confirmed 2026 update on the final outcome. He turns 71 on 5 November 2026.
Karan Thapar Shows and Books
| Title | Type | Channel / Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Devil’s Advocate | TV show | CNN-IBN |
| The Last Word | TV show | CNN-IBN |
| India Tonight | TV show | CNBC-TV18 |
| To the Point | TV show | India Today |
| Nothing But the Truth | TV show | India Today |
| HARDtalk India | TV show | BBC |
| Eyewitness | TV show | Doordarshan |
| The Interview with Karan Thapar | Digital show | The Wire |
| Face to Face India | Book | Penguin |
| More Salt Than Pepper | Book | HarperCollins |
| Devil’s Advocate: The Untold Story | Book | HarperCollins |
| Sunday Sentiments | Book | Wisdom Tree |
Karan Thapar FAQs
How old is Karan Thapar?
Karan Thapar was born on 5 November 1955, so he is 70 years old as of October 2026. He turns 71 on 5 November 2026.
Who is Karan Thapar’s wife?
Several profile sites say he was married to a banker named Nisha Thapar, who died. Sources disagree on dates, and he is reported not to have remarried.
Who is Karan Thapar’s father?
His father was General Pran Nath Thapar, a former Chief of the Army Staff of India. His mother was Bimla Thapar.
Why did Narendra Modi walk out of Karan Thapar’s interview?
On 22 October 2007, Modi ended the Devil’s Advocate interview after Thapar asked about the 2002 Gujarat riots. It remains one of the most-watched moments in Indian television.
Is there a case against Karan Thapar?
Assam Police registered cases in 2025 against The Wire’s editors, including Thapar, under Section 152 of the BNS. The Supreme Court granted interim protection from coercive action in August 2025. The charges are allegations and no conviction has been reported.
Where does Karan Thapar work now?
He is Consulting Editor at The Wire and hosts The Interview with Karan Thapar. He also writes newspaper columns.
Is Karan Thapar related to Romila Thapar?
Yes. Romila Thapar, the historian, is his cousin, as was the late journalist Romesh Thapar.
Last updated: October 2026
