Indian politician, former diplomat and writer, he is currently serving as Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram. He is also the current Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology.
He is also a prolific author, columnist, journalist and a human rights advocate. He has authored 22 bestselling works of fiction and non-fiction since 1981, all of which are centred on India and its history, culture, film, politics, society and foreign policy.
The author of the books Why I am a Hindu, The Great Indian Novel, Pax Indica, Show Business, Bookless in Baghdad, India Shastra: Reflections on the Nation in our Time, he has written columns for The New York Times, The Times of India, The Washington Post and other leading national dialies. He has won many awards and acclaims like the ‘Zakir Hussain Memorial Pride of India Award’ and the ‘New Age Politician of the Year by NDTV’.