A deeply personal tribute by Sohaila Kapur to legendary editor Krishan Chopra, recalling friendship, journalism, publishing, wit, integrity, and the unforgettable personality behind India’s literary circles.

Veteran theatre personality and writer Sohaila Kapur remembers legendary editor Krishan Chopra in this moving tribute that traces his journey through Indian journalism and publishing. From his days at The Times of India to shaping major publishing houses like Penguin India, HarperCollins India, and Bloomsbury, Chopra left behind a legacy defined by brilliance, integrity, humour, and humanity. This personal memoir captures the warmth, eccentricity, and enduring friendships of one of India’s most respected literary figures.  

Krishan Chopra was a maverick. Eccentric, sharp, observant, kind, philosophical, comic, dreamer, visionary, meticulous, fastidious, impeccable, immaculate, temperamental… he was all of these to everybody he knew. Opposing traits melted comfortably into his persona. That’s what made him unique. It was hard to pin him down with a few adjectives. He didn’t fit any box. He was his own boss and fiercely guarded his freedom.

A person so full of life that you would never believe him gone. So suddenly. Even his exit has been as quixotic and unpredictable as he was. Who would imagine he would remove himself from the scene so abruptly? He left us all stunned.

A Maverick In Indian Publishing

Krishan Chopra played senior roles in top publishing houses. He was Senior Editor at Penguin India and Executive Editor at HarperCollins India, where he launched and established The Harper Business imprint. His last job was with Bloomsbury Publishing before he retired.

As his obituary in the Indian Express read, “he brought Presidents, Central Bank governors, and some of the most influential voices of contemporary India into print…. His authors included former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, and L&T Chairman A.M. Naik, along with a host of public intellectuals.”

Krishan had the knack of spotting a great author or book before others did. That’s how he was the first to get Raghuram Rajan to write. Today, he’s a celebrity in the publishing circuit. From spotting talent, he began creating stars, says his former colleague Krithika, who is now with Westland Books.

The TOI Days: Youth, Journalism And Friendship

He may have hobnobbed with top people, but perhaps we knew him best (apart from his family, of course) from the beginning of our careers. We were raw, wide-eyed, looking for a place in the sun in the roiling world of journalism.

Ours was a group of trainees at The Times of India in Mumbai. Fresh from college, starry-eyed, ideological. We hadn’t yet entered the messy world of professional journalism. Krishan was literally the tallest of the lot, towering above us at six feet and a few inches. Lanky, with a flat-footed, floppy walk that reminded me of Charlie Chaplin. He would never look one in the eye during a conversation. Perhaps the world around him was far more interesting, considering he had a fuller perspective because of his height. And before we could end the discussion, he would interrupt with a, “Chalo yaar, let’s go for a cup of tea.”

It was maddening, and sometimes humiliating, to be cut short like that (at 20-plus, one tends to take oneself too seriously). But Krishan would break into his sudden chuckle and walk ahead. We couldn’t help but follow.

Somehow, his aquiline nose, tall bearing, wandering eyes, and Roman jaw led to us calling him “Chopie.” How it fitted him is anybody’s guess, but he took it literally in his stride, like everything else, marching off after our announcement. He bore it good-naturedly until the day he got a senior position in a publishing house, when he gently warned us not to use that name if visiting him in office. Chopie, we realized, had arrived.

The Man Behind The Editor

At TOI, he usually kept out of student and office politics. He befriended everyone, including those we snootily considered not of our ilk. He developed romantic feelings for one of our colleagues, who was the femme fatale of our batch. Her garrulity had him stumped. He would just stand and admire her while she chattered on about her adventures in the new city. I remember teasing him about it. He blushed red and did the thing he knew best… walk off.

Krishan kept his professional and private lives separate. For years, we never knew where he was working or if he had married. Till one day, he met me and told me he had quit journalism and joined Wimco as a marketing executive. I never knew about his married life, and only now, when he was severely ill, did I get to visit him and meet his wonderful wife Alka, daughter Vasundhara, and his delightful little granddaughter, Saanvika.

A Friendship That Endured

He was honest and forthright. He believed commitments were meant to be fulfilled, come what may. He got me a contract for a book many years ago. Because of a family emergency, I could not write it. I remember being terrified of meeting him again — and for good reason. He gave me an earful when I did and read the rulebook to me. I realized how embarrassing the whole episode must have been for him at his office. I apologized profusely. He didn’t accept it.

But a few days later, he invited me to India International Centre — his haunt — for tea, to share his favourite cheese sandwiches and pastries. We discussed world politics and he expressed an interest in what I was doing. He even came to see one of my theatrical productions despite not being well.

That was Chopie for you. Angry in a moment, and friendly the next… the episode forgotten, never mentioned again. He knew how to move on. That is why he had so many friends, admirers, and famous authors who kept in touch with him even after their books were published. It was a rare quality, deeply appreciated.

We all miss him. He was a wonderful editor, a compassionate human being, and a great friend once he trusted you. From the flood of messages the family has received, others clearly felt the same about him. There can be only one Krishan Chopra. They don’t make them like you anymore, Chopie. Peace be with you, wherever you are. You gave us all happy moments.

Krishan Chopra, Sohaila Kapur, Indian publishing industry, Penguin India, HarperCollins India, Bloomsbury Publishing, Raghuram Rajan, APJ Abdul Kalam, Indian editors, Literary tribute, memoir, Publishing legends India, Times of India trainees, Indian journalism memories, Obituary, Indian literary circles, Harper Business imprint, India International Centre, Indian authors and editors,