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{{Short description|Book by Narasimha Rao}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox book
| italic title = no
| name = The Insider
| author = [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]]
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| published = 1998
| pages = 833
| image = File:The_Insider_(Rao_novel)_book_cover.jpg
}}

'''''The Insider''''' is a ''[[roman à clef]]'' by [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]], former [[Prime Minister of India]], that was first published in 1998. It was Rao's first novel and created a storm when excerpts from the original manuscript were published in the launch issue of the ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'' magazine in 1995.<ref name="frontline">{{cite journal|title=The tale of an outsider|journal=Frontline|date=April–May 1998|volume=15|issue=9|url=http://www.frontline.in/navigation/?type=static&page=flonnet&rdurl=fl1509/15091220.htm|accessdate=16 June 2013}}</ref><ref name="mainstreamweekly">{{cite journal|title=Nikhil Chakravartty|journal=Mainstream|date=28 June 2008|volume=XLVI|issue=28|url=http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article781.html|accessdate=17 June 2013}}</ref>

== History ==
P. V. Narasimha Rao had a long association with the literary world beginning with his founding of the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] magazine ''Kakatiya'', dating back to his years of political activism against the [[Nizam of Hyderabad|Nizam's rule in Hyderabad]]. A [[polyglot]], writer and translator in six [[Languages of India|Indian languages]], Rao is credited with translating [[Thomas Gray]]'s ''[[Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard|Elegy]]'' and the [[Constitution of India]] into Telugu. Rao has also translated the Telugu [[Jnanapith award]]ee [[Viswanatha Satyanarayana]]'s ''[[Veyipadagalu]]'' into [[Hindi]], and [[Hari Narayan Apte]]'s [[Marathi literature|Marathi novel]] ''Pan Lakshat Kon gheto'' into Telugu. He also wrote a short story in English titled "The Blue Silk Saree".<ref name="tribuneindia">{{cite news|title=His unfinished work—a sequel to "The Insider"|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041224/main5.htm|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=The Tribune|date=24 December 2004}}</ref>

When Rao began writing his novel, it was titled ''The Other Half''. It told the story of Niranjan, a member of the [[Indian National Congress]] party who goes on to become the [[Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh]]. It was as much a novel as also a series of essays on [[History of the Republic of India|independent India's history]]. Rao sent the completed manuscript to Nikhil Chakravartty, editor of ''Mainstream'' weekly. Rao was a long-time contributor to the weekly, writing under the pseudonym "Insider". Rao also contacted [[Mallika Sarabhai]], who ran Mapin publishing house, and the New York [[literary agent]] [[Lynn Franklin (writer, born 1946)|Lynn Franklin]] who asked him to complete the novel for publication. Rao initially planned to end his novel with the end of Niranjan's term as chief minister. Rao, who had by this time served as a Union minister under [[Indira Gandhi|Indira]] and [[Rajiv Gandhi]] was looking to retire politically and had intended to complete ''The Other Half'' by 1991. However, he was called upon to become the [[Prime Minister of India]]. Rao then informed Franklin that he would keep the novel's publication in abeyance during his term in office.<ref name="rediff">{{cite news|title=The second half|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/apr/16vir.htm|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=Rediff.com|date=16 April 1998}}</ref>

When ''[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]]'' magazine was launched in 1995 it was given the manuscript of ''The Other Half'' by Nikhil Chakravartty as a major scoop for the inaugural issue. ''Outlook'', however, focused on the book's amorous passages, which infuriated Franklin and Rao. After the Congress comprehensively lost [[1996 Indian general election|the elections the next year]], Rao's resigned as prime minister and finally found time to complete his novel.<ref name="mainstreamweekly" /><ref name="rediff" /><ref name="newyorker">{{cite news|title=The Talk of the Town|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1997/06/23/1997_06_23_045_TNY_CARDS_000378300|accessdate=17 June 2013|newspaper=The New Yorker|date=23 June 1997}}</ref>

Rao was paid a {{INR}} 1,00,000 advance by [[David Davidar]] of [[Penguin India]] for publication rights. The manuscript was edited to exclude much of the sexual content and Anand substituted Niranjan as the central character.<ref name="rediff" /><ref name="newyorker" /> It has been noted that the book draws on material from ''The Reshuffle'', a satirical political skit by Rao that was published by ''Mainstream'' in 1984.<ref name="frontline" /> The book was renamed ''The Insider'', the new title suggested by Kalyani Shankar, political editor at ''[[The Hindustan Times]]''.<ref name="rediff" /> ''The Insider'' was released in 1998 by Prime Minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] at a function in Delhi that had two former prime ministers and a [[President of India|president]] in attendance.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Inside Stuff|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/eyecatchers/story/19980420-ab-vajpayee-releases-pv-narasimha-raos-book-the-insider-826217-1998-04-19|access-date=17 June 2013|newspaper=India Today|date=20 April 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Rao tells all from inside|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/980531/plus8.html|accessdate=17 June 2013|newspaper=Sunday Times|date=31 May 1998}}</ref>

== Synopsis ==
The novel is set in the fictional State of Afrozabad, which is modeled on the Indian city of [[Hyderabad]], the capital of the state of the then [[Andhra Pradesh]] and present [[Telangana]] and follows the political career of its protagonist Anand a naive idealist who goes on to become the prime minister of the nation. Much of the story corresponds closely to Rao's own experiences and political career albeit fictionalised. Anand begins his political career by rebelling against Afrozabad's [[Nizam of Hyderabad|tyrannical ruler]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Phoney Idealism|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?205446|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=Outlook|date=4 May 1998}}</ref> As he rises within the political party of which he is a member, Anand is drawn into the tussle between Chief Minister Mahendranath, a character modeled on [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]], and his political rival Chaudhury, who is based on [[Kasu Brahmananda Reddy]]. As Chaudhary and his partner Shekhar successfully replace Mahendranath with Chaudhury as Chief Minister, Anand is made a minister under Chaudhary.<ref name="frontline" /><ref name="edition">{{cite news|title=Power Games – A former Indian premier talks about his debut novel|url=http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/98/0626/feat_1_books.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624214314/http://edition.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/98/0626/feat_1_books.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 June 2013|accessdate=16 June 2013|publisher=CNN- Asia Now}}</ref>

While serving as minister, Anand has a steamy affair with another legislator, Aruna whose character is said to have been based on the three-time Congress MP [[Lakshmi Kantamma]].<ref>{{cite news|title=There's nothing wrong...Rao & I had an emotional attachment|url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/ie/daily/19980420/11050834.html|accessdate=17 June 2013|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=20 April 1998}}</ref> Described as "the most convincing of the characters" and "Anand's only weakness besides his addiction to Congress politics", the two eventually break up. In the meanwhile power in Delhi shifts from [[Jawaharlal Nehru|Nehru]] to [[Indira Gandhi]] and Anand becomes her unwavering loyalist. Under her, Chaudhury resigns and Anand becomes the first high command "nominated Chief Minister" of Afrozabad. When he tries however to pilot a bill on [[land reforms]] through the legislature, the inability to do so being the original cause for Chaudhury's replacement, he encounters a strong landlord lobby and is moved out of the state by Indira Gandhi to undertake party work.<ref name="frontline" />

The novel then breezes through an epilogue that covers the political ascendancy of Indira Gandhi in the 1970s, [[The Emergency (India)|the Emergency]], the [[Janata government|Janata interregnum]], [[1980 Indian general election|Indira's second coming]] and [[Assassination of Indira Gandhi|assassination]], the rise and death of [[Sanjay Gandhi]] and the premiership of [[Rajiv Gandhi]]. As Anand opts to retire from politics, he is however called upon to become the Prime Minister and the novel ends.<ref name="edition" />

== Reception ==
''The Insider'' was Rao's first novel and had been in the making for 20 years before it was published in 1998 by [[Penguin India]]. The book largely received negative reviews from both reviewers and politicians. Reviewing Indian ''roman à clefs'' in 2010, Nilanjana Roy noted that "This 1998 novel by a former Indian PM is now justly forgotten [...] At 767 pages, [''The Insider''] suffered from the defects of a great deal of Indian political writing—the gossip wasn’t good enough to justify the prolixity".<ref>{{cite news|title=Speaking Volumes: The Desi Roman-A-Clef|url=http://nilanjanaroy.com/2010/04/06/speaking-volumes-the-desi-roman-a-clef/|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=The Business Standard|date=5 April 2010}}</ref> Similarly, Sunanda Ray of [[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|''The Telegraph'']]'' ''noted that "though grateful for the gift, I did not find the book gripping reading. Therefore, I have no idea whether Anand, the central figure, matches Narasimha Rao in every detail".<ref>{{cite news|title=Lover of Obscurity – The prime minister of consensus|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041225/asp/opinion/story_4169998.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041231011805/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041225/asp/opinion/story_4169998.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 December 2004|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=25 December 2004}}</ref> A revised and expanded edition of the book that was published by Penguin in 2000 was reviewed by'' [[The Hindu]] ''as "a book making heavy demands on the doggedness of a reader for withstanding an 833-page infliction from a former Prime Minister".<ref>{{cite news|title=Politicians, fixers and goons|url=http://www.hindu.com/2000/06/18/stories/1318017m.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624214308/http://www.hindu.com/2000/06/18/stories/1318017m.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 June 2013|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=18 June 2000}}</ref> On political grounds members of the Congress Party including [[Najma Heptulla]]h were critical of Rao's novel while many [[BJP]] supporters dismissed it as a piece of sleazy writing.<ref name="edition" />

The novel was reviewed favourably by [[Vir Sanghvi]] and welcomed by [[Mulk Raj Anand]] as an attempt at recording contemporary history by the players themselves.<ref name="tribuneindia" /><ref name="rediff" />

== Sequel ==
Plans for writing a sequel to ''The Insider'' were announced by Rao after the book hit the markets and was to have covered his term as prime minister. In 2003 it was announced that the sequel was at a crucial point of evolution and that it would be published soon.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sequel to 'The Insider' at crucial stage: Narasimha Rao|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2003/10/01/sequel-insider-crucial-stage-narasimha-rao|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=Asian Tribune|date=1 October 2003}}</ref> In his last years as he fought several cases on charges of corruption it was reported that periodic receipts of [[Royalty payment|royalty]] from the book helped Rao pay his lawyers.<ref>{{cite news|title=PV died in penury, claims book|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121224/news-current-affairs/article/pv-died-penury-claims-book|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624214317/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121224/news-current-affairs/article/pv-died-penury-claims-book|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 June 2013|accessdate=16 June 2013|newspaper=Deccan Chronicle|date=24 December 2012}}</ref> The sequel was however never published although [[Ayodhya 6 December 1992]], Rao's book on the [[Babri Masjid demolition|demolition of the Babri Masjid]] came out posthumously.<ref name="tribuneindia" /><ref>{{cite web|title=History of Penguin India|url=http://selfpublish101.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/history-of-penguin-india/|publisher=Penguin India|accessdate=17 June 2013}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XqPEo9FANw In Focus: Narashimha Rao] at YouTube (an interview with [[Karan Thapar]] that focuses on ''The Insider'')
* [http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?200009 Excerpts from ''The Other Half''] in ''Outlook''
* [https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/books/story/19980330-book-extract-p-v-narasimha-rao-insider-825999-1998-03-29 Extract from ''The Insider''] in ''India Today''
* "[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?200008 Now, Meet PV The Novelist]" essay by [[Sagarika Ghose]] on ''The Other Half'' in the ''Outlook''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Insider, The}}
[[Category:Indian literature in English]]
[[Category:Roman à clef novels]]
[[Category:1998 Indian novels]]
[[Category:Books by P. V. Narasimha Rao]]
[[Category:1998 debut novels]]

The Insider (Rao novel) - Revision history

ShondaLemos: Biography...