Amish Tripathi

Amish Tripathi (born 18 October 1974) is an author, former diplomat and broadcaster from India. He is among the fastest-selling authors in Indian publishing history, known best for ''The Shiva Trilogy'' and ''Ram Chandra Series''.

His books have sold over 7 million copies and been translated into 20 Indian and international languages since 2010. He served as Minister (Culture & Education) at the High Commission of India in the UK and Director of the Nehru Centre, London from 2019 to 2023. In addition, he is a host & producer for TV documentaries, most recently with Warner Bros Discovery TV, NDTV and Jio Cinema. His documentaries include ''Legends of the Ramayana with Amish'', ''The Journey of India'' with co-host Amitabh Bachchan, ''Ram Janmabhoomi: Return Of A Splendid Sun'' (most successful Indian documentary of 2024), Mahakumbh Tales with Amish, and Legends of Shiva with Amish.
Amish has also recently started a Podcast called Immortal India with Amish, which has garnered more than 100,000 subscribers in just 5 months.

Early life and education

Amish Tripathi was born in Mumbai and grew up near Rourkela, Odisha. He is an alumnus of The Lawrence School, Lovedale; Cathedral & John Connon School; St. Xavier's College, Mumbai; and Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

Career

Banking

Amish studied at IIM-Calcutta. Following graduation, he worked in the financial services industry for fourteen years, in organisations such as Standard Chartered Bank, IDBI Bank, Development Bank of Singapore and IDBI Federal Life Insurance.

Writing

'' The Immortals of Meluha'', Tripathi's first novel and first in the Shiva Trilogy, was published in February 2010. The second book in the series, '' The Secret of the Nagas'', was released in August 2011, and the third and final installment, titled '' The Oath of the Vayuputras'', was released in February 2013. The Shiva Trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.

'' The Scion of Ikshvaku'' was released in June 2015. It is the first book in the Ram Chandra series. It follows the story of Ram and is a prequel to the Shiva Trilogy. ''The Scion of Ikshvaku'' won the Crossword Book's "Best Popular Award". '' Sita: Warrior of Mithila,'' the sequel to ''The Scion of Ikshvaku'', was released in May 2017. It became the highest-selling book of 2017. '' Raavan: The Enemy of Aryavarta'', the third book in The Ram Chandra series, was released in July 2019. The fourth book in The Ram Chandra Series, War of Lanka, was released on 3 October 2022. The Ram Chandra Series is the second-fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.

'' Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India'', his first historical book and first book in Indic Chronicles, was released in June 2020.

Tripathi released his first non-fiction book, Immortal India, in August 2017. He also released ''Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life'' in December 2020, co-authored with his sister Bhavna Roy. He released ''Idols: Unearthing the Power of Murti Puja'', also co-authored with his sister Bhavna Roy, in 2023.

Amish's literary works have been translated into nine regional languages, including Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, as well as four international languages, including French and Polish.

Speaking to News4masses in an interview at the Kolkata Literary Meet in March 2022, Tripathi revealed his plans to come up with a book on Mahabharata soon.

In June 2024, Amish, in collaboration with bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, announced the launch of the IGF Archer-Amish Award for Literature at the 6th annua
India Global Forum (IGF)
in London. The award, with a monetary prize of $25,000, aims to nurture talent in contemporary Indian fiction and celebrate storytelling that makes a significant contribution to the India story.

Film

In September 2020, he announced that he is turning into a producer with an adaptation of his novel, '' Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India'', under the banner Immortal Studios, with Wakaoo Films and Casa Media.

In August 2024, Amish announced his role as Creative Director for the film project ''Shri Radha Ramanam'', which aims to bring the tale of Lord Krishna to international audiences. The film, set for release in February 2026, is produced by Creativeland Studios Entertainment and features a script that explores themes of love and compassion.

Broadcaster

Amish began his career as a documentary host with Warner Bros Discovery programme, ''Legends of the Ramayana with Amish''. This programme, produced by Wide Angle Films, won the Digital Reinvent award for Best Documentary. Amish also hosted an episode on Faith for the Warner Bros Discovery documentary series ''The Journey of India'', with co-host Amitabh Bachchan, where Amish paid homage to India's diversity of faiths.

On 25 January 2024, Amish's latest documentary on the history of the Ram Janmabhoomi and the life of Lord Ram titled, ''Ram Janmabhoomi: Return of a splendid sun'' premiered on NDTV and is available on JioCinema. Amish has hosted, conceptualised, and co-produced this documentary with Dilip Piramal'', renowned industrialist (through the Dilip Piramal Foundation). According to Ormax Media Report, ''Ram Janmabhoomi: Return of a splendid sun'' became the 4th Most-Watched Hindi Unscripted Shows of 2024.

In early 2025, two new documentaries were released that were hosted by Amish. The first was ''Mahakumbh Tales with Amish'', which was broadcast on NDTV in both English and Hindi. The other documentary was ''Legends of Shiva with Amish'' the second season in the successful Legends franchise on Warner Bros Discovery, and a sequel to the ''Legends of the Ramayana with Amish''.

On 7 September 2024, Amish expanded his influence beyond literature with the launch of the ''Immortal India with Amish'' podcast. This podcast is available on Youtube and various other platforms. This podcast reflects his deep passion for Indian history, culture, and values, offering a unique platform for discussions that bridge the past with contemporary issues. In Immortal India, Tripathi delves into a variety of topics, ranging from India’s rich historical heritage and complex mythology to its evolving economic landscape. The Podcast has already garnered more than 100,000 subscribers within a few months of launch.

Gaming

Amish Tripathi has partnered with veteran game producer Nouredine Abboud to create "Bharatvarsha / The Age of Bharat," a new gaming franchise set in ancient India. Scheduled to launch its first AAA fantasy video game by late 2026, the project aims to weave narratives of Indic heritage into digital interactive entertainment. Tripathi will lead narrative development, expanding the franchise into films, TV series, and merchandise. He emphasizes that gaming transcends mere play, offering a unique platform for storytelling rooted in ancient Indian culture.

Diplomacy

Amish served as Director of Nehru Centre, London, and Minister (Culture & Education) at the High Commission of India in the UK from October 2019 to October 2023. Amish as the director of The Nehru Centre was the youngest and the first literary figure in that role. During his four years as director, he led a positive change, making the centre more influential and known globally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amish held a range of online events and virtual engagements which not only sustained cultural momentum but also expanded The Nehru Centre's reach beyond geographical boundaries, including the Midlands, Scotland, Wales, and beyond.

Awards and recognition

* Global Personality Award in Literature at NBT Utsav (2024)
* Dwarka Prasad Agarwal Award at the Jaipur Literature Festival (2024)
* Aaj Tak Sahitya Jagruti Popular Writer Award (2023)

21st Century Icon Awards
London (2021)
* Golden Book Award - Legend of Suheldev (2022)
* Listed among Top-50 Most Powerful People by India Today (2019)
* Honorary Doctorate by Jharkhand Rai University for outstanding contribution to Art & Literature (2019)
* Hello Hall of Fame Awards for Literary Excellence (2019)
* Jashn-e-youngistan Award (2018)
* Ustad Bismillah Khan Award (2018) for contribution to Indian culture
* Kalinga International Literary Award (2018)
* Distinguished Alumnus Award (2017) from IIM - Calcutta
* Raymond Crossword Popular Fiction Award for his book ''Scion of Ikshvaku'' in (2016)
* Selected as an Eisenhower Fellow
A prestigious American programme for young global leaders
(2014)

Bibliography

Shiva Trilogy

* '' The Immortals of Meluha'' (2010)
* '' The Secret of the Nagas'' (2011)
* '' The Oath of the Vayuputras'' (2013)

Ram Chandra Series

* '' Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku'' (2015)
* '' Sita: Warrior of Mithila'' (2017)
* '' Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta'' (2019)
* '' War of Lanka'' (2022)

Indic Chronicles

* '' Legend of Suheldev'' (2020)

Non-fiction

* ''Immortal India: Young India, Timeless Civilisation'' (2017)
* '' Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life'' (2020)
* ''Idols: Unearthing the Power of Murti Puja (2023)''

Filmography

See also

* List of Indian writers

References

External links

Between History and Mythology: Amish Tripathi

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tripathi, Amish
Indian male novelists
Living people
Writers from Mumbai
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta alumni
Novelists from Karnataka
Writers from Kanpur
21st-century Indian novelists
Novelists from Uttar Pradesh
21st-century Indian male writers
1974 births
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai alumni