The Devil’s Advocate on CNN-IBN is one programme that I cannot afford to miss. A programme of just 30 minutes — punctuated by a single break – with so much punch in it. Karan Thapar, the anchor, is perhaps India’s best known television commentator and interviewer. Thapar, known for his aggressive interviews, is dreaded by politicians and celebrities alike.
Perhaps his most recent and famous interview has been with the Congress Minister for Human Resources Development Mr. Arjun Singh over the issue of increasing caste-based reservation quotas in all universities and institutions of higher education for the members of the so-called Other Backward Classes (OBCs), at the expense of compromising merit. His critics have humorously claimed that Arjun Singh was eaten alive or ripped apart by Thapar, wherein at least seven questions were answered by Mr. Singh as “I don’t know” and many others by “I am a servant of the Parliament”. The entire interview on IBN can be read here.
Above quote taken from Wikipedia.
What does it feel like to face Thapar? No wonder, a politician has a tough time facing him. Are those just questions one has to deal with? No, they are venomous stings of the deadliest kind. What’s more, Thapar is frighteningly sharp giving his guest absolutely no chance – whenever he tries to tactfully avoid a question or slyly insert a subtle lie. Lashing his dangerous fangs whenever one tries to do that. Most are at a loss for words fumbling in front of his relentless attacks. Karan Thapar breathes fire as he speaks and his eyes glow in the dark too, I can bet.
Like most CNN-IBN programs the presentation is just too good. The key dialogues are shown in a ticker below the screen esp. useful when the politician concerned fumbles and mumbles inaudibly. The only commercial break used to be very short in the beginning but has now lengthened - which I don’t mind. But what I am not liking is that the total show time has been chopped off by a whopping 5 minutes! Before it ended at 8:58 or 8:59, nowadays Karan stops at 8:55. Otherwise it is a program that just rocks. Even those least interested in politics must watch it.
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41 Responses to “Karan Thapar, the Devil's Advocate”
- 1 Pingback on Jul 19th, 2007 at 3:55 am
dude
i am such avid follower of devils advocate tht whtevr small clips r available on ibn-live.com…i watch it.Since i am in US doing my grad…i have no way of watching it ,was just wondering if u have any idea how can i catch up with it thru web (the videos)
priyank.mundra@gmail.com
Lol, yeah. I also like that program quite a lot.
iam an ardent fan of devils advocate programme, the way karan thaparji attacks clinically attacks while interviewing is really marvellous. i can just say go ahead karan, drag political leaders to devils advocate and bring truth from their mouth. you are the right choice for that programme.
bhasker kv
In a complex society like ours unless we have people like Karanji our society will not know the facts about the ideats and fools who rule the nation by hook or crook. I am ashamed to have an Italian women italian blood ruling 1 billion Indians without knowing what she is doing.Has she fought wars has she served in administration or anything else for this ngreat nation .At the least can she talk 2 minutes in the public .See how foolish this nation is today. I am further ashamed of the fact a senior powerful finance man of the country without any leadership in the clutches of goondas of ministers having no control over anything nodding and signing every paper in the name of diplomacy and strategy to be in office. We need 1 million Thapars to reform this country. India is progressing on its own strength and never due to any politician .People are working hard and trying to grow .There is a great sense of realisation i see in the last 10 years that only by hard work one can grow and ahcieve whatever be his inytellect level and skills.
Wooing USA atlast USA has spoiled Indian thinking in the fullest way. Why not we think and od original in everything.Why not we have Indian names in every commodity. We are getting lost .
Finally iw sih to say that Iwe Indians should be modern in Thinking and not in dressing/talking/and doing other things like westerners.
From :
Santosh Kumar Basu
P-141, Lake Road,
Kolkata - 700029
Date : 14 September,06
To
Mr. Karan Thapar
Dear Sir,
I normally watch most of our debates - DEVIL’S ADVOCATE.
Your debate on the 12th September,06 was interesting.
Why can’t you have a series of debates concerning as to whether India would be better off by the US Presidential form or Swiss type of Government.
If you will refer to the documents published by the British Government on transfer of Power, you will notice that Clement Atlee and Stafford Kripps had a series of correspondence. They strongly felt that the British Model would not suit India. India would possibly require the US style or Swiss style for success. Nehru insisted on the British style.
If you change the style of Government, large measure of corruption in the Upper and Lower esechelons in the political and bureaucratic establishment would disappear.
You might perhaps consider this and let me know if you wish to.
I am in the late 70s and look forward to a response from you. I tried to send a fax/e-mail but could not do so.
Yours sincerely,
(S. K. Basu)
Hello Mr. Karan Thapar,
Everything is fine. But are there any transformation happened because of your shows. I too thought that some transformation will happen in course of time. But could see nothing. Still there are sufferers in India. Still poverty is there in India. Still illiteracy exists in India. What could be the reason for this poverty? Who could be the reason for this poverty? Is it because of Over population? No… Absolutely not. Then what could be the reason? There are two answers. They are POLITICS and RESERVATION…
To clean the politics, two ammendments has to be got into our constitution.
1. The Voter should have a minimum qualification.(atleast 10th Class).
2. The contestant in an election should be atleast a graduate.
This two solutions seems to be funny. But in the long run, illiteracy will be completely eradicated. Once illiteracy is eradicated, people will have that awareness to elect their leaders.
The second problem is RESERVATION.
Why is this “reservation on caste basis” actually required? The answer could be to improve the financial positions of poor and helpless people.
No… Just take a keen look at my question again. Why is this “RESERVATION ON CASTE BASIS” actually required? What does it imply? It implies that people of particular caste are rich and people of particular caste are poor, which is not the case in reality. The rich and poor are evenly distributed among all the castes. Then why is this discrimination? If at all the reservations are mandatory, it should go to all the poor, not for the rich. The reservation should be provided on the basis of financial status of the family, not on the caste basis. Assume if one fine day, everyone in this nation are converted to some reserved castes, what will happen?
Because of reservations, only the incapable people are coming into power, which can cause a great disauster to the nation. The quality of work eventually come down and our market value will automatically go down.
On the whole, India’s development will be ruined. Day-by-day India’s development is moving negative exponentially. People (Journalists) like you have to take care of this situation. If you are not going to take some productive steps, definitely, it is going to ruin our nation.
There is no point in just conducting debates. If at all the politicians could not answer any one of your questions, he should be immediately be put behind bars. You also prepare questions like that. Just take the list of property that are there in the names of binamies etc. Ask them where from they got this property. If they say it is not theirs, just arrest that binamy and put him behind the bars. A politician whose wrong has been proved should be hanged with immediate effect. People should fear to contest in elections. And people should think for hundred times before voting.
OST
Mr. Karan Thappar
Dear Karan,
I have watched some of your interviews of VIPs on the TV. The latest was yesterday’s interview of Dr. Vijaya Mallya. Quite interesting, you expect me to say, but not quite so, dear Karan. My overall summary is that your extra-ordinary arrogance which the occasion presents you with, overwhelms everything else. I would call your interview more in the nature of a monologue, where you are both the questioner and the answerer. Both the advocate and the judge. You are not giving a chance to the interviewee to answer to your question. Before the interviewee can open his mouth, you have pounced upon him with the next question, causing deep embarrassment to the interviewee. It was so obvious that you had irked Dr. Vijaya Mallya times out of number by your arrogance and repeated interruptions. Had I been the interviewee, I would have cut it short and asked you to get out. I was wondering all the time as to why it should worry you or the news viewer so much whether the KingFisher Airlines would make profit the next year or the year after. Your interview was conspicuously absent by any reference to the established and well known fact that the KingFisher Airlines has captured the Indian skies as the king among flying machines. If Dr. Vijaya Mallya can afford to give such kingly service to the Indian public even at a loss, I was wondering why should you be perturbed about it or the Indian public for that matter. The public in general are not so much concerned about profitability of the airline. They are concerned about their comfort, timely flights and in-flight comforts. In all these KingFisher has attained a unique status. It would have been appropriate on your part to applaud Dr. Mallya for this excellent achievement in a short span of time instead of accusing him with your interpretation of profit and loss. As a seasoned and astute business man, Dr. Vijaya Mallya certainly knows how to run his business, whether profitably or under loss and your non-stop quizzing has no relevance whatsoever. If you think you have earned his admiration and affection because he showered a couple of reluctant smiles, you are totally mistaken. Those smiles were merely at your arrogance and ineptitude, not a sign of admiration at all. I wonder what purpose your interview has served except to inflate your own highly inflated ego.
Best regards
YOUNG KRISTOPHER NAN
E-Mail: krishvalentine@yahoo.com
Karan Thapar’s ‘Devil’s Advocate’ is one helluva of show. It is perhaps the best that is on offer on Indian news channels and that too by a long margin. Its an absolute delight for the eyes and senses. I however am not able to watch its latest episodes but always try to get in front of the stupid box at 8.30 sunday night.
Kudos Karan, keep up the good work.
Seriously Karan Thapar is amazing, I was on holiday in India last month and seriously couldn’t get enough of this show! So much more serious and interesting than that gay show called “Kofee with Karan”!
Devil’s advocate deserves a thumbs up!
-Sarah
For Mr Karan Thapar,
Why do not you interview Narendra MOdi?
Karanji,
Why not try a hand on Sonia Gandhi? I think ,it will be a golden opportunity for you to eat up Sonia live on TV. Let the dumb public come to know about her skills. How come a lady who doesn’t even speak out two words in Hindi can even dream of becoming a PM.
Come on, you are the right person ……….!
Regards,
Narayan
Your interview, with Y.S.RajaShekar Reddy is really wonderful.
Sir,
Your interview with Dr. YS Rajasekhar Reddy is totally dominated by you. In such programmes, you should allow others to think and talk. They are not journalists like you. Everbody has capacity in his area. You should not try to defeat them in your area. You never bothered why previous governments kept quite so many years on the issue of his owning the lands.Are the previous governments not having the recods and information or they are attacking the CM due to Margadarsi episode. Did you ever question any opposition leader?It is very clear that the media is endorsing the violation of rules and regulations and anybody in this country can follow the footsteps of Margadarsi. Media should not talk about irregularities in respect of others. You quoted the Hindus comments in their editorial. Did the media really go into legalities of the issue or simply trying to corner a CM with so many motives attached. Somehow I feel that Media shoul feel more responsible atleast in respect of issues related to the people of this society. The media should feel accountable to the society on whom it always depends. Please do not harm the society for the sake of your programme glamour.
I think your interview with Dr Rajasekhar Reddy was excellent.
Especailly the point you raised about the IS IGNORANCE WAS A EXCUSE for a person sitting as Chief Minster for Andhra Pradhesh.
But one thing I am sure this kind of interview gives more information to the public about the governement and the corruption.
Agreed, the politicians are not the honest type and some of them are corrupt but then when I see your interview, it has more intimidation and a stage set to promote your ratings on the TV. more of a gimmick too me
It would be pleasant if you can give the other person to chance to speak, instead of interupting in between.
In the current time, where media spreads around - We as an indian, would be better off, with positive propoganda. Why not choose someone who has done good for the country. Why not get the positive energy out instead of pointing out or lashing out with no decency.
You are as corrupt as the one you are talking to with your own selfish agenda. Bring out the best in 2 before you lash at 8 politicians.
I remain.
An Indian.
this guy sucks! he is so full of himself, he might burst anytime! his whole expression is ‘i know everything!’. gawd! i wish these stupid journos and anchors like him or sardesai or ashutosh or who-ever-is-reading-the-news-right-now-on-any-indian-news-channel would learn to take themselves easy! breath! Don’t sit so stiff! fake sophistication! dont hold that head so high! u guys have nothing that you be so proud of! your style:
loud and over-the-top
incompetent perspective
poor awareness
twisted facts, often false
partisan & propagandist
establishmentarian
all in all – unsatisfying journalism
no connect with core issues
gosh! i am disgusted! just came across this page by sheer chance… could not help but write this bit…
Hi Karan,
The effort u are doing is excellent . definitly there will be rewards to society . very few people are concerned with the senstive issue of the society .
Do you think , is it enough to produce the results in a pace that is desired to transform India . There are very few right person who is a positive effect . But the same is countered by more 500 out of the 545 MP who are bent upon to sell of india for their pesronal gains.
India do not have the time temprmant to bear all the nonssense preached by the politician .
Please find out ways to treat the disease being spread by the politician . You have the brain and great resource of Media .
I wish , you call Amitab Bachan for interview and ask what is Uttam in Uttar pardesh or mouch money is required to be paid to Amitab Bachhan to Prove a Rotten egg to call a fresh apple.
it is so intresting that if u miss this show u ll really regret
Mr. Thapar, you are trying to copy a similar anchor on BBC. Please have some originality.
Your questioning and trying to redeem the reputation of your father in one of your earlier ‘Devil’s Advocate’ was in poor taste. I have served in the Army when your father was first the GOC-in-C Southern Command and then the Chief. We do not want to live through thsoe years.
Mr. Thapar, you are trying to copy a similar anchor on BBC. Please have some originality.
Your questioning and trying to redeem the reputation of your father in one of your earlier ‘Devil’s Advocate’ was in poor taste. We do not want to live through thsoe years when your father was first the GOC-in-C Southern Command and then the Chief. .
karanji, ur work is good .just intimate me how u prepare before an interview. i hope i wil get reply soon …….. thank you
Dear Karan Thapar:
Last evening I had the pleasure of enjoying your talk with Ratan Tata. During this first part of the two part series, yo asked him as to what does he think of India’s future, and the thing he specifically said that there is a need for Manmohan Singh and his party to take a ‘BOLD’ step, and by that he was really referring to the ‘reform’ agenda of Manmohan Singh. In my humble opinion he was in fact referring to the ‘labour reforms’, to which he is fully committed since 1991. Both you and Ratan Tata, however never thought it fit to elaborate on the ‘reform’ program. If you will permit me, I would like to send yo in detail the views of Manmohan Singh regarding ‘job creation’ and need for ‘flexible labiour market’, which is really what Ratan Tata was hinting at, but for political reasons did not want to elaborate on. During your talk with Ratan Tata tonight, may I humbly request you to ask him as to elaborate as to what he means by “BOLD’ steps, and do they include ‘labour reforms’ to which Manmohan Singh is fully committed to, but has no possibility to implement so lomg there is this ‘unholy alliance between the Congress an\d the Left.
A nice program that everyone must watch.
Mr.thapar garu u r doing well.i am a great fan for u r program “DEVILS ADVOCATE”.i am from andhra pradesh.so please concentrate on ANDHRA PRADESH govt.here congress govt is illegally taking actions againg u r colleague and “MEDIA TIKOON” Mr.RAMAOJI RAO.it is u r responsibility to carry our state news in central level.
ur interview vd modi was gr8
karan thapar rockzzzzzzzzzzzzz
karan , its tym to tak da interview of LALU
karan thapar is a fucking douche bag, he should interview his curropt father first, who is a disgrace to india
Dear Mr Karan Thapar,
Sub: MISUSE OF LAW BY WIVES (WOMEN)Please arrange an open house debate on this burning issue
I am Dr. M M Oza, Man-57 years, semi retired orthopedic surgeon from Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. I passed MS Ortho surgery in April 1979. My academic career was brilliant and was Gold Medalist all thro my studies. Even in schooling I was a rank holder. I worked as an Asstt. Prof. of orthopedic surgery at MP Shah Medical College of Jamnagar and I resigned from the post and started my private practice at Jamnagar on July 1st 1984.
I got married in the year 1980 to Priti Laxmiprasad Dave of my community from Rajkot. Ours was an arranged marriage. After about a year of marriage we had a girl child Payal. Then she conceived again during the period of lactation. She got this conception aborted only with the support of her parents but against the will of my parents, my self and even against the will of the treating lady doctor.
My marriage life was miserable right from the beginning, day one. She did not co-operate me for the biological needs and the sex life. Not only that but she off and on found excuses to run away to her parents home at Rajkot. I had to go to Rajkot from Jamnagar several times to convince her to come back to matrimonial home for which she used to blackmail me, harass me. Ultimately in 1984 she left my home on 31st Oct. and only within 5 days ie on 06.11.84 she was already in the court with application under sec 125 of Cr.P.C. such a great hurry to enter court shows her attitude and intentions to misuse the law favouring women.
My daughter was then around 3 years and looking to her tender age and future welfare, my lawyer friend advised me to reconcile at any cost. So I tried hard to reconcile several times thro several mediators and she, her brother and parents exhausted me of my all such efforts. They never talked what they actually wanted. They wanted me to come out with the offer of my own, for what they wanted. They squeezed / cornered me to such an extent that ultimately I had to surrender to all their demands without resistance. She always talked about her security. I really did not understand what she meant by security. Ultimately a friend told me that she is demanding money under the name of security. Then I asked her weather she also really meant money by asking for security. And then for coming back home she demanded Rs.50000 even if she allegated for Dowry against me in her application to the court. I paid her an amount of Rs.63000 for bringing her back home. It’s a unique case of REVERSE DOWRY. As per her another cruel condition, she also compelled me to leave my parents and live separately away from them even if I was the only son to my then old aged (Now late)sick parents. I lived in a small rented premises to fulfill her cruel demand for bringing her back, though I had my own modest residential facility.
Since, she demanded money for coming back, I thought she will cooperate me in all aspects of family life including the biological needs, if I give her money and wealth. So I purchased a flat in her name in the year 1992. She lived only as a house hold wife and not as a career woman, so she never earned a single penny on her own. For income tax planning and due to the rules of Indian Medical council, I raised capital in her name and did some business too. Ultimately, it so happened that on books of account, she earned much more than what I earned only because of my efforts only. She just signed the papers as and when required during the course of such business.
On 30.03.06 she left my home while I was a sleep in the after noon. She took away valuable financial instruments, passports, PAN cards, Gold and silver jewellary, key of my bank locker, clothes etc. As soon as I came to know about the episode, I started my efforts to bring her back home from the same day evening. Her mother and she threatened me and the mediators, that the laws in favour of women are so improved than those in 1984 that they will employ all the laws against me and break all my bones thro law.
The women might be being tortured by husbands and “in laws” in our rural as well as urban societies. But the women who are real victims, seldom make use of the laws favouring them, due to their ignorance and other reasons. While the urban women misuse these laws to their advantages to make marriages, a profitable business by blackmailing their husbands to extract maximum possible wealth from them with the help of lawyers and they too must be fulfilling their interests. Even such women are being exploited in many other ways by lawyers and all connected men in such issues. The lawyers, mostly men, take disadvantage of the situation, instigate women and earn their big chunks out of such situations.
Lately, in Oct. 06the Govt. of India has implemented a new law in favour of women for their protection (NOT FOR ATTACKING HUSBANDS/MEN), namely the Domestic Violence Act(2005). Its an appreciable decision of the vote seeker parliamentarians to frame such new law. But they, in their over enthusiastic move to bring such law, forgot that such laws have ample chances of being misused beyond imaginations. For Example, a police officer is given a gun to carry with, during the duty hours for his protection, protection of public and maintain law and order. He cannot use the weapon for his personal animosity with any one. Even in the hours of need, he first has to fire in the air, then to target the legs of the criminal and not the vital part of his body to kill him on the spot. What a big chaos can take place in the society if the police officers use their such weapons for attacking others for their personal causes. Similarly, if women are allowed to misuse these laws favouring women, against their men, there will be a big social chaos. Future generation men will NOT marry. There will be a very big social impact of such laws and the Indian social system of family life style will come to an end. The husbands will always be scared of these laws being misused against them by their wives and their relations will be under constant tention due to the ever impending pressure of law. The precious relations between the two genders will loose its natural charm and due to these laws, the family life will also loose the compactness. The laws favouring women do not have any provision to penalize the women who misuse these laws. Once if there are examples of women being penalized when found guilty of misusing these laws, the criminal misuse of these laws will reduce but still there is a great danger to the social structure of Indian society. These laws are meant for protection of victimized women but on the contrary these laws are more often used against men to attack them rather than the protection of women because these laws are deffective due to non provisio of penalty to the women when they are found guilty of misusing the laws. The law makers should have taken into consideration all the good and bad aspects of use of such laws before implementing them.
In the circumstances, I would request U to arrange frequent seminars, open debates in media channels to bring awareness of such laws to men in the society. If the media do not play their role in time, the husbands will be aware of these laws only by the examples of their misuse in the society. It will be very late then, because there will be irreparable damages to the social life and structure by then. Rather media should act in time so that the men are made aware in time to get these laws removed or modified by appropriate public interest litigations in the apex court. The social organizations, the human rights’ activists, lawyers, sufferer women and men, politicians, may be judges if allowed under the protocol, and the beaurocrates of law ministry should all be involved in such discussions, open house debates. The issue of such misuse of law favouring women should be given due importance and publicity for the social cause of future generation and society at large for which media persons like U should act accordingly looking to the social responsibility of your profession. This issue of misuse of law favouring women can victimize any men including the media men too. !!!!!!!!
There are web sites of NGOs where such examples of misuse of the laws favouring women are reported in plenty. But since web sites are not visited by most men, TV channel is one of the best media to bring timely awareness of this drastic law.
Hope You will look into the matter expeditiously and seriously and act accordingly
Thanking You,
Yours faithfully,
Dr M M OZA
(Phone No.s / 0288- 2551762, 2551995, 09427217280)
kal tera bap jit raha he gujarat me.
karan tera baap,modi
tumare baap ka nam yad he bhul gaya.
modi,modi your fucking father
teri maa se bhi puchh lena.
Dear Mr. Karan Thaper
Spies of Research & Analysis Wing are messaging my mind that I should meet you. Can you kind encough to share some of your precious time by giving an appointment to me .
With best regards
Sincerely Yours
Shakti Prakash
C/O, Mr. Nepal Singh
401F/2, Budh Vihar
(In Front of JNU North Gate)
Munirka-New Delhi
Phone : 09350310593
shaktiprakash
wo sala free he
jab bhi milna he jake mil le
Dear Mr. Karan Thapar,
Please concentrate on South also. We want you to interview Mr.Kalanithi Maran (SUN TV Proprietor). It would be a very interesting show for the people in South.
Regards
Revathy
Hi Karan, keep shining. You’re going great. A well wisher.
Sanjeev Punj(punjsanjeev@hotmail.com)
I think Karan is trying to imitate tim sabastin of bbc. tim sebastin naturelly was oiginal and successful. Karan does not have originality and therefore cannot be successful. Making a couple of public figures to become defensive in front of public glare may not be a great sign of intelligence. On the contrary most of what the interviewees say, they would say even if asked politely. Karan thappars arrogant syle may be entertainment, but not great value add to the viewer.
i WANT IMPRAS TO UR KNOWLDGE +ST
I am Suhas working in the software MNC in Bangalore. I am fan of yours. Devil’s Advocate is my favorite program and I am really can’t afford to miss it.
Now days I am concentrating on what I can contribute to improve the quality primary and secondary education system in India. I am fortunate, I borne in western part of the maharashtra, where there is no scarcity of the government schools. But the quality of the education is so poor that it cannot enable the children to last in the commutative world. This is not only true in case of SC/ST/OBC…ETC. but also in case of higher cast. Government is putting the lot of money to run these schools. But we are not getting the results. I have plan in my mind to implement the reward based system in the government schools such that it will be beneficial for both student and teacher so that teacher can also devote themselves to there job.
Yes, the government has implemented in acted information act in the country, but getting information is not easy. In today’s world where expect everything on the fingerer tip and one call, this is not applicable to this information.
I believe that as the government is running the campaign against the polio and HIV by advertisement and many other means because of which now most of the people are well aware about the both issue, if we run the same campaign to improve the quality of education we will definitely achieve the results.
Please let me know where can I paste my plans, where I will get the guidance that will remove its drawback and will add the valuable inputs.
Please help me if some one can.
Dear Karan Tapar
I had seen your interview and discussion with ex-army Chief Gen Mallik on 22.04.2008 at 10.30 P.m. regarding their pay demands and their fighting among themselves for their posting and protocol.
Can you give me an opportunity to discuss the discrimination, irregularities and unethical and illogical practices in the army. And also most irresponsible and indisciplined behavior with civilian academicians and their ill-treatment and harassment
With regards
Dr H N Suresh
Professor
Military College of EME, Secunderabad
9440469729
hnsu63@yahoo.co.in
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