Best selling nonfiction books in India
A true book reader does not differentiate between fiction and non-fiction. If you love reading, chances are, you will go for any read that interests you- it could be a fictional story about magical monsters, or it may be a thrilling and inspiring autobiography of a person you admire.
But every good book leaves an indelible mark in your mind and a profound wisdom that makes you contemplate about new truths in serenity. Such is the power of great non-fiction. In this article, we will talk about the Bestselling nonfiction books in India.
In this modern era when newspapers, magazines and websites get around to making top 10 lists on various things in the year that was. So here is our list of the 5 best-selling books in India in the nonfiction category.
Poet- Gulzar
There is very little quality writing available in the Hindi film industry. Apart from the biographies of some stars, nothing much gets written. Gulzart is one exception to this. There are some biographies on him, but all of these books barely see on the creative side of him. What made Sampooran Singh Kalra, Gulzar.
In the Company of a Poet, Nasreen Munni Kabir talks to Gulzar, and the conversations bring out how Sampooran Singh Kalra became Gulzar. During this discussion, Gulzar talks with great passion about his different creative pursuits in life. From writing the superhit kajrare to what he thinks about Tagore's English translations.
The Sanjay Story by Vinod Mehta
Another best-selling nonfiction book in India, The Sanjay Story by Vinod Mehta, was first published in 1978 and was re-issued some years back. With this book, the writer has unravelled the myth around Sanjay Gandhi and concluded that he was a schoolboy who never grew up.
This book goes into great detail about the excesses of the emergency era. From nashbandi to the censors taking over the media, it covers all. Sanjay was not a part of the government in any way but ruled the country.
The Good, The Bad And The Unknown by Raj Tilak Roushan
Have you ever thought about what goes in the minds of criminals and police officers? What conditions make any person take up a life of crime? The Good, The Bad and The Unknown is a collection of short stories, it takes the reader on a journey through the minds of such people and attempts to uncover the layers of personalities hidden beneath.
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Each story of the book tries to portray different versions of the truth, of the many kinds of behaviour, and hidden emotions across a number of characters. Overall, this is a must-read for fans of criminal psychology and mystery and is among the best-selling nonfiction books in India.
Patriots and Partisans by Ramachandra Guha
Patriots and Partisans is a collection of fifteen essays that largely deal with all that has been and is going wrong in India. One of the finest essays in the book is titled A Short History of Congress Chamchagiri. It sounds unbelievable, but this essay on its own is worth the price of the book. Another great essay is titled Hindutva Hate Mail, where Guha writes about the mail he gets from Hindutva fundoos from across the world.
The problem with most Delhi-based Indian intellectuals is that they have strong ideologies. Their sensitivities are either to the extreme left or the extreme right, and those in the middle are stooges of the Congress party. And, India has just a few intellectuals who are liberal in the strictest of terms. Ramchandra Guha is one of them, his respect for Nehru and his slight left leanings notwithstanding. And what of course, supports is the fact that he lives in Bangalore and not in Delhi.
Why I am a Hindu by Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor's much-talked-about book of 2018, Why I am a Hindu, brings a profound exploration into the author's mind about his fascination towards what he calls one of the world's oldest and greatest religions.
In a country like India where liberal beings and fresh are often targeted as anti-Hindu and un-Indian. In this book, Shashi Tharoor provides a testimony to the love for his faith that has, in fact, taught him to be forgiving, and tolerant and introduced him to an all-inclusive community.
Why I am a Hindu is a reflection of Tharoor's ideas about Hinduism as an all-encompassing dharma, as opposed to how it has been distorted by extremist tenets of Hindutva for the modern era.
These are five best-selling nonfiction books in India, we hope you found this list helpful. Which is your favourite nonfiction book? Let us know in the comment section below.
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