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The Caravan Book of Profiles
Whether it is getting the scoop on insider influence or anointing game changers, Caravan has made a place for itself in the minds of readers in India and beyond, winning countless awards and accolades and showcasing the finest writers and thinkers in long-form journalism. Thirteen definitive profiles of our agents of change are presented in this volume, with new insight from their authors on their place in contemporary Indian history: Praveen Donthi on finance minister Arun Jaitley; Leena Reghunath on Swami Aseemanand; Krishn Kaushik on former Attorney-General Goolam Vahanvati; Mira Sethi on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif; Deepak Adhikari on Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda; Mark Bergen on Raghuram Rajan; Samanth Subramanian on Sameer Jain; Mehboob Jeelani on Ponty Chadha; Rahul Bhatia on N. Srinivasan; T.M. Krishna on musician M.S. Subbulakshmi; Ali Sethi on Farida Khanum; Baradwaj Rangan on Vikram; and Vinod K. Jose on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
In this invaluable collection, the pioneering journal presents a valuable and far-reaching record of our times for readers, citizens and students of journalism alike.
In this invaluable collection, the pioneering journal presents a valuable and far-reaching record of our times for readers, citizens and students of journalism alike.
- GenresNonfictionIndia
467 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 24, 2017
In the south, both in TN and Kerala, magazines are a big deal, and Tamilnadu’s Ananda Vikatan and Kumutham are among India’s largest selling magazines. They are sold in tea shops and general stores, on street corners and in supermarkets, where they are strung, cover-out, on long nylon lines from where you can pick them up.
In mid-2012, I had just got off a local bus in Perambur, Chennai, when I spotted a copy of The Caravan in one such shop. The cover intrigued me. I knew Outlook, Frontline, and Sportstar, but what was this? The cover featured Jagan Mohan Reddy, the heir apparent at that time in Andhra Pradesh politics, and that surprised me even more. Coverage of the south’s politics, its culture, and its stories remain rare in national magazines, and I had to pick it up.
That was the first time I read The Caravan, and I have not missed an issue since. Stacks of the magazine now lie in my room in Pondicherry, and I go back to old issues every once in a while, when I need context about present events. The magazine’s distribution, however, remains one of the banes of my life, as I struggle to find it on newsstands (I subscribed for a year. It was so erratic I decided I was better off finding it in bookshops); I even wrote to them in exasperation. At one point, I missed an issue. This was the one with the Arundhati Roy introduction to the Navayana edition of The Annihilation of Caste, and I pestered a friend who was interning with them to get a copy for me. She did.
Over the years, this has become something resembling a quest, one I think I enjoy. I run up and down bookshops asking if the current issue has arrived. The answer is almost always say no, but the few times the answer is yes, I’m overjoyed.
Which was also what I was when I found out that The Caravan was putting this book together. I read it over a week, and the profiles, some of them more than a couple of years old, have travelled well.
The first half is heavy on political figures. Mark Bergen on Raghuram Rajan was, even in magazine form, something I have read more than once. I also remember Mehboob Geelani on Ponty Chadha as particularly memorable. Among the political/power profiles, it is Vinod Jose’s portrait of Manmohan Singh that shines brightest, and not least because of the subject itself. Our former Prime Minister remains an elusive, contradictory figure, and the profile is a showpiece of detailed reportage.
But even among writing of this quality, one stands out with the sheer fluidity of its prose. Samanth Subramanian is probably the best nonfiction writer in the country today, and his profile of Samir Jain is an exhibition of narrative and description. It is enjoyable, it is filled with detail, and it informs you thoroughly. It’s just great journalism.
The second half delves into the arts, and gives us the two most beautiful pieces of writing in this book - Ali Sethi’s profile of Farida Khanum, and TM Krishna on MS Subbulakshmi. This is perhaps fitting.
From Ali Sethi on Farida Khanum:
..Habib Wali Mohammed had sung the original (Aaj jaane ki zid na karo); it was sullen, randy and liltingly hummable—a young man’s plea for gratification.
What it has become in Khanum’s rendition—a widely circulated recording from a mehfil in the 1980s—is a bewitchingly layered song, one with a cajoling, comforting, almost foetal ebb and flow to it, but also with the plunges, scrapes and gasps of a ravenous consummation. It has bliss, strife, love, sex.
And later:
Within music, it is singing, more than any other art, that draws attention to the artiste as a medium for conjuring these spirits. Don’t so many singers look frazzled or bewildered after an especially good concert or recording? The better the performance, the greater the musician’s feeling of emptiness, of having been possessed and vacated.
In the case of a singer like Farida Khanum, her role as a transmitter of djinns is magnified by social and historical contexts. When she sings ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo,’ she is passing on the cumulus of centuries—the laws of Aiman, according to one legend, were fixed by Amir Khusro in the thirteenth century—in an accessible, contemporary form. And the process is made poignant and ironic by our ignorance: how many of the amateurs who upload videos of themselves singing ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo’ on YouTube and Facebook know what they are really channelling? The enduring appeal of a singer like Khanum is nostalgic, yes. But it is also heightened by our condition, which is one of rootlessness and over-mediation, and by our corresponding thirst for what is true, rare, original and sublime.
From TM Krishna on MS Subbulakshmi:
I do believe she was unable to be fully herself. The scaffolding around her was Sadasivam’s construction, and she had to remain within it, grateful for the security that it provided. Musically, too, she was locked in a vault. But when she sang, forgetting everything around her, all her suppressed sadness, regrets and experience burst into music.
It is this honest and pure outpouring that still shakes us. Her art was MS’s only outlet. Every time she sang, she allowed every moment of her life experience to imbue the melody, letting go of all her inhibitions, abstracting herself into the raga. Once in a great while, we experience an unadulterated sense of what is real, so tender and vulnerable that our fences break down when it touches us, and we see ourselves like never before. MS, more than any other musician, can gift us these moments of self-realisation.
The book is worth getting your hands on just for these two essays.
In all, this compilation is a celebration of the exemplary work The Caravan has been doing in Indian journalism for the last seven years. They've educated us, informed us, entertained us, and have never shied from telling us the truth or from taking on our nation's powerful and corrupt.
May their service to the republic endure.
In mid-2012, I had just got off a local bus in Perambur, Chennai, when I spotted a copy of The Caravan in one such shop. The cover intrigued me. I knew Outlook, Frontline, and Sportstar, but what was this? The cover featured Jagan Mohan Reddy, the heir apparent at that time in Andhra Pradesh politics, and that surprised me even more. Coverage of the south’s politics, its culture, and its stories remain rare in national magazines, and I had to pick it up.
That was the first time I read The Caravan, and I have not missed an issue since. Stacks of the magazine now lie in my room in Pondicherry, and I go back to old issues every once in a while, when I need context about present events. The magazine’s distribution, however, remains one of the banes of my life, as I struggle to find it on newsstands (I subscribed for a year. It was so erratic I decided I was better off finding it in bookshops); I even wrote to them in exasperation. At one point, I missed an issue. This was the one with the Arundhati Roy introduction to the Navayana edition of The Annihilation of Caste, and I pestered a friend who was interning with them to get a copy for me. She did.
Over the years, this has become something resembling a quest, one I think I enjoy. I run up and down bookshops asking if the current issue has arrived. The answer is almost always say no, but the few times the answer is yes, I’m overjoyed.
Which was also what I was when I found out that The Caravan was putting this book together. I read it over a week, and the profiles, some of them more than a couple of years old, have travelled well.
The first half is heavy on political figures. Mark Bergen on Raghuram Rajan was, even in magazine form, something I have read more than once. I also remember Mehboob Geelani on Ponty Chadha as particularly memorable. Among the political/power profiles, it is Vinod Jose’s portrait of Manmohan Singh that shines brightest, and not least because of the subject itself. Our former Prime Minister remains an elusive, contradictory figure, and the profile is a showpiece of detailed reportage.
But even among writing of this quality, one stands out with the sheer fluidity of its prose. Samanth Subramanian is probably the best nonfiction writer in the country today, and his profile of Samir Jain is an exhibition of narrative and description. It is enjoyable, it is filled with detail, and it informs you thoroughly. It’s just great journalism.
The second half delves into the arts, and gives us the two most beautiful pieces of writing in this book - Ali Sethi’s profile of Farida Khanum, and TM Krishna on MS Subbulakshmi. This is perhaps fitting.
From Ali Sethi on Farida Khanum:
..Habib Wali Mohammed had sung the original (Aaj jaane ki zid na karo); it was sullen, randy and liltingly hummable—a young man’s plea for gratification.
What it has become in Khanum’s rendition—a widely circulated recording from a mehfil in the 1980s—is a bewitchingly layered song, one with a cajoling, comforting, almost foetal ebb and flow to it, but also with the plunges, scrapes and gasps of a ravenous consummation. It has bliss, strife, love, sex.
And later:
Within music, it is singing, more than any other art, that draws attention to the artiste as a medium for conjuring these spirits. Don’t so many singers look frazzled or bewildered after an especially good concert or recording? The better the performance, the greater the musician’s feeling of emptiness, of having been possessed and vacated.
In the case of a singer like Farida Khanum, her role as a transmitter of djinns is magnified by social and historical contexts. When she sings ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo,’ she is passing on the cumulus of centuries—the laws of Aiman, according to one legend, were fixed by Amir Khusro in the thirteenth century—in an accessible, contemporary form. And the process is made poignant and ironic by our ignorance: how many of the amateurs who upload videos of themselves singing ‘Aaj jaane ki zid na karo’ on YouTube and Facebook know what they are really channelling? The enduring appeal of a singer like Khanum is nostalgic, yes. But it is also heightened by our condition, which is one of rootlessness and over-mediation, and by our corresponding thirst for what is true, rare, original and sublime.
From TM Krishna on MS Subbulakshmi:
I do believe she was unable to be fully herself. The scaffolding around her was Sadasivam’s construction, and she had to remain within it, grateful for the security that it provided. Musically, too, she was locked in a vault. But when she sang, forgetting everything around her, all her suppressed sadness, regrets and experience burst into music.
It is this honest and pure outpouring that still shakes us. Her art was MS’s only outlet. Every time she sang, she allowed every moment of her life experience to imbue the melody, letting go of all her inhibitions, abstracting herself into the raga. Once in a great while, we experience an unadulterated sense of what is real, so tender and vulnerable that our fences break down when it touches us, and we see ourselves like never before. MS, more than any other musician, can gift us these moments of self-realisation.
The book is worth getting your hands on just for these two essays.
In all, this compilation is a celebration of the exemplary work The Caravan has been doing in Indian journalism for the last seven years. They've educated us, informed us, entertained us, and have never shied from telling us the truth or from taking on our nation's powerful and corrupt.
May their service to the republic endure.
November 16, 2017
4.5/5 This is a collection of 13 profiles (essays) by Caravan Magazine, of length 30-40 pages. Almost all of them were fair, superb, focusing on d subject and with minimal opinion. "Show, not tell" at its best. Especially loved the profiles of Vikram, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Sameer Jain and Swami Aseemanand.
Caravan Magazine is published by "Delhi Press", and I had been a reader of their "Sarita" magazine in my teens and "Champak" as a kid. My mother still reads "Sarita" and "Grihshobha" regularly. The group is known for its high ethical standards and reformist but a little old-fashioned.
Hence, it was an extremely pleasant surprise to see modern pathbreaking journalism of such high quality from Delhi Press' Caravan.
Caravan Magazine is published by "Delhi Press", and I had been a reader of their "Sarita" magazine in my teens and "Champak" as a kid. My mother still reads "Sarita" and "Grihshobha" regularly. The group is known for its high ethical standards and reformist but a little old-fashioned.
Hence, it was an extremely pleasant surprise to see modern pathbreaking journalism of such high quality from Delhi Press' Caravan.
May 20, 2021
On a work visit to the Gandhi in Ashram in 2017, I paid a visit to the tiny book shop which quite obviously contained stacks of literature on the Father of the Nation. However, it was only at the payment counter that I discovered this outlier of a book with what seemed to me an interesting title. Four years later when clearing my bookshelf I serendipitously picked up the book which offered me the opportunity to get a brief intellectual glimpse of a dozen distinguished personalities, all of whom, which I must confess, were not ones that I had previously heard of/read about.
After closing this book yesterday I can say that an excursion with the writers of each of these profiles has left me an enriched and more self-aware reader.
At the outset I must say that the style of the narrative, language and structuring of each essay showcases a consistently punchy style of writing which draws in a reader. For someone who hasn't read The Caravan too much, this will surely be a breath of fresh air in non-fiction writing.
Secondly, as someone who has conducted research on topics related to the social sciences, I can clearly see the quantum of rigor that has gone into writing each of these profiles. In two cases, the cultural profiles of Farida Khanum and M.S. Subbalakshmi, the writers leverage their specialist knowledge of music to bring in a highly personalized element to the profile. However, some of the profiles of Ponty Chaddha, Samir Jain, Swami Aseemanand clearly reflect detailed multi-perspective research to piece together a clear narrative of events and the subject's intellectual timeline.
Thirdly, on the pure content itself, the profile writers report objectively, documenting the blunt truth on the controversies and challenges faced by their subjects. The writing becomes bone-chillingly scary when Swami Aseemanand's extreme thoughts and actions are detailed while also making you feel the muck of the administrative politics on liquor distribution in UP and state cricket body elections in Tamil Nadu.
All these three speak volumes of the high quality editorial drawing board of The Caravan and I can safely say that they have found a newly committed reader in me.
Although it maybe hard to pinpoint my favorite profiles from the book but the essays on Manmohan Singh, Vikram, Samir Jain and Ponty Chaddha are definitely among some of the best short non-fiction I have read.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is keen to learn more about the biographical elements of society shapers and those who are newbies to non-fiction. The narrative style of profile writing coupled with the investigative reporting makes a compelling read.
This book may have languished on my shelf for a few years and may not be the most known to readers out there, but it would be safe to say that this is a hidden gem which hopefully more readers will serendipitously discover.
After closing this book yesterday I can say that an excursion with the writers of each of these profiles has left me an enriched and more self-aware reader.
At the outset I must say that the style of the narrative, language and structuring of each essay showcases a consistently punchy style of writing which draws in a reader. For someone who hasn't read The Caravan too much, this will surely be a breath of fresh air in non-fiction writing.
Secondly, as someone who has conducted research on topics related to the social sciences, I can clearly see the quantum of rigor that has gone into writing each of these profiles. In two cases, the cultural profiles of Farida Khanum and M.S. Subbalakshmi, the writers leverage their specialist knowledge of music to bring in a highly personalized element to the profile. However, some of the profiles of Ponty Chaddha, Samir Jain, Swami Aseemanand clearly reflect detailed multi-perspective research to piece together a clear narrative of events and the subject's intellectual timeline.
Thirdly, on the pure content itself, the profile writers report objectively, documenting the blunt truth on the controversies and challenges faced by their subjects. The writing becomes bone-chillingly scary when Swami Aseemanand's extreme thoughts and actions are detailed while also making you feel the muck of the administrative politics on liquor distribution in UP and state cricket body elections in Tamil Nadu.
All these three speak volumes of the high quality editorial drawing board of The Caravan and I can safely say that they have found a newly committed reader in me.
Although it maybe hard to pinpoint my favorite profiles from the book but the essays on Manmohan Singh, Vikram, Samir Jain and Ponty Chaddha are definitely among some of the best short non-fiction I have read.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is keen to learn more about the biographical elements of society shapers and those who are newbies to non-fiction. The narrative style of profile writing coupled with the investigative reporting makes a compelling read.
This book may have languished on my shelf for a few years and may not be the most known to readers out there, but it would be safe to say that this is a hidden gem which hopefully more readers will serendipitously discover.
June 11, 2017
There are few top notch Caravan profiles other than the ones in this book, which I highly recommend:
1) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
2) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
3) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta... (Not really a profile)
4) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
5) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
Three profiles stand out in this exemplary collection of long form journalism, profiles of Sameer Jain, N. Srinivansan and Arun Jaitley. I highly recommend reading them first.
And as it stands, Caravan is the only English magazine in India that produces consistently good and at times great articles.
1) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
2) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
3) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta... (Not really a profile)
4) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
5) http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reporta...
Three profiles stand out in this exemplary collection of long form journalism, profiles of Sameer Jain, N. Srinivansan and Arun Jaitley. I highly recommend reading them first.
And as it stands, Caravan is the only English magazine in India that produces consistently good and at times great articles.
January 29, 2022
This small compilation contains individual profiles of some of the most prominent politicians, intellectuals, businessmen, industrialists and artists from South Asia. It includes a diverse range of personalities. Most of the stories are of the same or close time periods, giving a better coherence to the collection as a whole. It is interesting to see the contrast between the storytelling style of each writer who has contributed to this collection. The profiles are captivating accounts based on thorough research from the writer's part. A must read for anyone interested in the happenings of South Asia.
March 5, 2018
I discovered the Caravan magazine in late 2013. I have been sporadically reading it ever since. Their literary quality is incredible. All the articles appearing in the magazine have a Midas touch, which makes reading a delight.
This book is a collection of 13 profiles that appeared in different magazines over time. It consists of political figures and artists, written by different journalists. All of the profiles have great literary and journalistic fervour. The collection is fantastic, some of them I did miss because of my irregular reading habit.
My personal favourite ones are of Samir Jain and Farida Khanum. The profile of Samir Jain written by Samanth Subramanian is a gem. It has a great journalistic merit. Samir Jain is a very elusive character. I think most people don't realise is that he is the hidden hand that has shaped the Modern Indian Media (print and TV journalism). His one statement ' I am in the business of selling space.', in my opinion, has conditioned the business policy of Indian Media as a whole. I read it twice for the sheer joy of it. While reading the profile of Farida Khanum, I took a break to listen to her 'aaj aane ki zid na karo'. It just is phenomenal.
The profile of Manmohan Singh by Vinod Jose is gracious and yet doesn't miss on how the accidental PM rose and fall to occasions. I hope as he (Manmohan Singh) says that history will be kinder to him. On the other hand, the profiles of Ponty Chadha, Asemanand, Goolam Vahanvati and Prachanda shows how obscure and less famous people have gone on to affect lives of people and have never been satisfactorily covered in the mainstream media. I have to admit that the profile of Raghuram Rajan felt distant to me. The singular reason for that is I do not have the background to fully articulate economics and finance, nonetheless, it did push me to go and read more on the subject.
I would recommend this book and the magazine in general to whoever is interested in journalism and keeping themselves informed.
This book is a collection of 13 profiles that appeared in different magazines over time. It consists of political figures and artists, written by different journalists. All of the profiles have great literary and journalistic fervour. The collection is fantastic, some of them I did miss because of my irregular reading habit.
My personal favourite ones are of Samir Jain and Farida Khanum. The profile of Samir Jain written by Samanth Subramanian is a gem. It has a great journalistic merit. Samir Jain is a very elusive character. I think most people don't realise is that he is the hidden hand that has shaped the Modern Indian Media (print and TV journalism). His one statement ' I am in the business of selling space.', in my opinion, has conditioned the business policy of Indian Media as a whole. I read it twice for the sheer joy of it. While reading the profile of Farida Khanum, I took a break to listen to her 'aaj aane ki zid na karo'. It just is phenomenal.
The profile of Manmohan Singh by Vinod Jose is gracious and yet doesn't miss on how the accidental PM rose and fall to occasions. I hope as he (Manmohan Singh) says that history will be kinder to him. On the other hand, the profiles of Ponty Chadha, Asemanand, Goolam Vahanvati and Prachanda shows how obscure and less famous people have gone on to affect lives of people and have never been satisfactorily covered in the mainstream media. I have to admit that the profile of Raghuram Rajan felt distant to me. The singular reason for that is I do not have the background to fully articulate economics and finance, nonetheless, it did push me to go and read more on the subject.
I would recommend this book and the magazine in general to whoever is interested in journalism and keeping themselves informed.
August 5, 2018
One of the best reads on profiles of the movers and shakers of the South Asian society over the last 2 decades or so. Have been an avid caravan reader for last many years, so this book actually made me revisit some of my favourite caravan profiles from the past- will recommend. My personal favourites were ones of Mr. Sameer Jain and Mr. Arun Jaitley
January 5, 2018
Well researched profiles...caravan proves to be the master
June 25, 2018
A wonderful compilation of well researched long essays on prominent personalities, the one on Dr.Manmohan Singh is a highly recommended read.
February 22, 2018
One of the best non-fiction books I read this year
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews