Amish Tripathi (born 18 October 1974), who publishes as Amish, is an Indian author known for fast-paced novels that retell Hindu mythology as adventure stories about human heroes. His first book, The Immortals of Meluha (2010), was rejected by many publishers before becoming a huge best-seller. The Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra Series that followed have sold millions of copies and been translated into many Indian and foreign languages, making him one of the most commercially successful writers in Indian publishing.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Amish Tripathi |
| Born | 18 October 1974, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Age | 52 |
| Occupation | Author, broadcaster; former banker and diplomat |
| Education | St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai; IIM Calcutta (MBA) |
| Genre | Mythological fiction, historical fiction |
| Children | 1 (Neel) |
| Known for | Shiva Trilogy, Ram Chandra Series |
Early Life
Amish was born in Mumbai and spent part of his childhood near Rourkela in Odisha, where his father worked for an engineering company. His grandfather was a Sanskrit scholar and priest in Varanasi, and the family home was full of discussion of religion and philosophy. He studied at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and took an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.
Career
He worked for about fourteen years in financial services, with firms including Standard Chartered, DBS Bank and IDBI Federal Life Insurance. He wrote his first novel in his spare time, much of it during his daily commute.
The Immortals of Meluha imagines Shiva as a Tibetan tribal chief who comes to the ancient land of Meluha and is hailed as its saviour. After some twenty publishers turned it down, Amish and his agent published it themselves in 2010 with an energetic marketing campaign that included a video trailer and free sample chapters in bookshops. It sold out quickly and was picked up by Westland. The Secret of the Nagas (2011) and The Oath of the Vayuputras (2013) completed the trilogy, which became the fastest-selling book series in Indian publishing history.
His second series retells the Ramayana from different viewpoints: Scion of Ikshvaku (2015), Sita: Warrior of Mithila (2017), Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (2019) and War of Lanka (2022). He has also written the historical novel Legend of Suheldev (2020) and non-fiction, including Immortal India (2017) and Dharma (2020), co-written with his sister Bhavna Roy.
From 2019 to 2023 Amish was director of the Nehru Centre in London, the cultural wing of the Indian High Commission. He has presented television documentaries, including Legends of the Ramayana with Amish.
Personal Life
Amish was married to Preeti Vyas, with whom he has a son, Neel; they divorced in 2020. He has said he was an atheist as a young man and returned to faith while writing his first book. He is a devotee of Shiva.
Books
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Amish Tripathi born?
Amish Tripathi was born on 18 October 1974 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and is 52 years old.
What is Amish Tripathi known for?
Known for: Shiva Trilogy, Ram Chandra Series.
Featured image: Amish Tripathi with copies of his books, March 2019. Photo by Mnvrsr74, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
