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Karan Thapar (Journalist) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth5 November 1955

Age69 Years (as of 2024)

BirthplaceSrinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

ProfessionJournalist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidower

SpouseNisha Thapar (m. 1982–1982; died 1982)

FamilyFather - Pran Nath Thapar; Mother - Bimla Thapar; Sisters - Shobha Thapar, Premila Thapar, Kiran Thapar

Karan Thapar (Journalist) Biography

Karan Thapar is an Indian journalist known for probing, hard-hitting interviews and a long career across international and Indian media. Educated at The Do

Early life and background

Karan Thapar was born on 5 November 1955 in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. He grew up in a family with a strong public-service tradition: his father, Pran Nath Thapar, served in the Indian Army. Thapar spent part of his schooling at The Doon School in India and later attended Stowe School in Buckinghamshire. He went on to study at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and St. Antony's College, Oxford, completing a bachelor's degree in economics and political philosophy and eventually earning a doctorate in international relations.

Career

Thapar began his journalism career with The Times in Lagos, Nigeria, where he became the paper's lead writer on the Indian subcontinent before leaving that role in 1981. He moved into television in 1982 when he joined London Weekend Television, where he worked for the next eleven years. After returning to India in 1993, he worked with the Hindustan Television Group, Home TV and United Television.

Known for incisive and often confrontational interviewing, Thapar built a reputation through a string of programmes, including Eyewitness, Tonight at 10, Line of Fire, War of Words, The Last Word and India Tonight. His interviewing style and programme formats earned industry recognition: he received the Onida Pinnacle Award for Best Current Affairs Presenter in 1995 for The Chat Show. His programme Devil's Advocate won Best News/Current Affairs Show in 2008, and he was named News Interviewer of the Year at the Indian News Broadcasting Awards; both the show and he received the same awards again in 2011.

In 2001 Thapar founded a production company, Infotainment Television, which has produced content for outlets including the BBC, Channel Asia News, Doordarshan and CNBC. He continued to work across channels, quitting CNN-IBN in 2014 to join India Today, where he hosted To the Point and Nothing But the Truth. His contract with India Today concluded in March 2017.

Thapar has also written books that collect his conversations and reflections, including Face to Face India: Conversations With Karan Thapar, Sunday Sentiments and More Salt Than Pepper: Dropping Anchor With Karan Thapar.

Public profile

Thapar is frequently noted for direct, sometimes provocative interviews with political leaders and public figures. Over the years he has interviewed a number of prominent personalities; one notable episode from his career was a 2007 interview with Narendra Modi that ended when Modi walked out. Thapar has written columns for Indian newspapers, and his commentary has occasionally provoked strong public reactions.

Awards and recognition

Beyond the Onida Pinnacle Award and the Indian News Broadcasting Awards, Thapar received the International Press Institute-India Award in December 2013 for his work in journalism.

Personal life

Thapar married Nisha Thapar in 1982; she died later that year. He does not have children. His extended family includes historian Romila Thapar as a cousin. He is listed as a Hindu and is associated with Ludhiana, Punjab, as his hometown. Physical details reported in available profiles list his height as approximately 170 cm (5'7") and weight around 70 kg (154 lbs). His eye colour is noted as black and his hair as white.

Controversies

Some of Thapar's writings and broadcasts have generated controversy. One of his newspaper columns about the Kulbhushan Jadhav case drew criticism for the position it expressed on a sensitive diplomatic and legal matter.

Latest updates

Thapar left India Today television in March 2017 after a three-year stint with the channel. His production company continues to be a vehicle for programmes created for both Indian and international broadcasters.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Karan Thapar (Journalist), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

To the Point

Television show hosted on India Today after leaving CNN-IBN

2014-2017
Nothing But the Truth

Television show hosted on India Today

2014-2017
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Career Highlights

  1. Lead writer on the Indian subcontinent for The Times in Lagos
  2. Presenter on London Weekend Television (1982–1993)
  3. Founded production company Infotainment Television (2001)
  4. Onida Pinnacle Award for Best Current Affairs Presenter (1995)
  5. Devil's Advocate won Best News/Current Affairs Show (2008)
  6. News Interviewer of the Year at Indian News Broadcasting Awards
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Karan Thapar (Journalist) born?

Karan Thapar (Journalist) was born on 5 November 1955.

What is Karan Thapar (Journalist) known for?

Karan Thapar (Journalist) is known for journalist.

What is Karan Thapar (Journalist)’s marital status?

Karan Thapar (Journalist)'s marital status is listed as Widower.

Who is Karan Thapar (Journalist) married to?

Karan Thapar (Journalist) is publicly listed as married to Nisha Thapar (m. 1982–1982; died 1982).