One of India’s first few television journalists, known for his landmark reportage on what some name key reporting, his comic strip which is a popular one, and his bestselling crime thrillers, Juggi Bhasin is back with ‘Lies, Spies and Nuclear Rise’ (Vitasta), a razor-sharp novel that dives deep into the volatile mix of power, deception, and patriotism during South Asia’s nuclear race.
At the centre of this high-stakes drama is Prime Minister Priya Kaul, a leader on the brink, betrayed by her allies, hunted by global powers, and desperate to reclaim control. Her last gamble- authorising India’s first nuclear test, setting off a perilous clash between the CIA, ISI, and RAW.
As India becomes a chessboard of espionage, spymaster Rhino and atomic scientist Dr Venkat Iyer must race against time to pull off the impossible, or risk the nation’s downfall.
Blending cinematic storytelling with sharp political insight, Bhasin crafts a world where loyalty is fleeting, and survival depends on deception. Drawing from his experience, reporting from conflict zones, interviewing leaders like Kim Il Sung, and creating Agent Rana, India’s first graphic spy series in The Times of India, he brings authenticity, urgency, and edge to every page.
‘Lies, Spies and Nuclear Rise’ is a gripping fusion of realpolitik and storytelling, for readers who love thrillers with substance and stakes that feel all too real.
Juggi Bhasin is a former journalist and among the country’s foremost political thriller writers. As a senior correspondent with Doordarshan News, he covered landmark events such as the Babri Masjid demolition and the peak of militancy in Kashmir, and was the first Indian TV journalist to interview North Korea’s leader, Kim Il Sung, in 1992.
A former Lead Anchor with Lok Sabha TV, Juggi made his literary debut with The Terrorist (2012), which was followed by four more successful books, all published by Penguin Random House. His latest book, ‘Lies, Spies and Nuclear Rise’, marks his seventh publication.
Agent Rana, the first of its kind daily graphic spy series in a daily newspaper, was written by Juggi for The Times of India. Agent Rana ran two successful seasons across two years featuring in the TOI daily before the pandemic.
Beyond journalism and writing, Juggi is a trained behavioural counsellor from Sanjivini, Delhi. He also counselled Senior Corporate Executives, including being part of the core team conducting training sessions for global leaders of the Aditya Birla Group at their residential training facility in Navi Mumbai.
A theatre actor and podcaster, he hosts The CAA Show, a popular platform exploring geopolitics and global affairs.
To know more about Juggi’s latest release, Sonakshi Datta of GoaChronicle posed a few questions to the author.
‘Lies, Spies, And Nuclear Rise’ Author Juggi Bhasin
The title of your latest book is rather catchy and witty, how did you come up with the same?
A book is known by its cover, a film by its poster, a podcast by its thumbnail. The idea of the title of the book was a collaborative effort between the editorial of the publishing house and me. The idea was to trigger curiosity in the reader perhaps even provoke them a bit and I am glad it is working!
What made you write a geopolitical thriller, a rather unusual genre?
Geo-politics is the name of the game today. Look at what all is happening between India and the US, between India and Pakistan, and between India and the rest of the world. Everyone is so keen to know what happens next in these geo-political games. I have taken up a seventies’ geo-political issue, but it so modern and contemporary also at the same time and mirrors today what was happening then between India, the US, and Pakistan.
How does ‘Lies, Spies, and Nuclear Rise’ blur the line between fact and fiction?
The basic story idea and the main protagonist, that is the then Prime Minister and her struggles and compulsions and the behind the scenes, ruthless battle between our intelligence agents and those of the CIA and the ISI is all true. It really happened. But we do not know the facts. And that is where I have taken the liberty of attaching a fictional narrative to the basic truthful plot to engage the reader in the titanic battle that unfolds in real time.
Being a rather high-stakes drama, what emotions do you think would be invoked within a reader of your latest release, wherein obviously, a lot is happening at once?
There are layers of emotions and feelings that run through the book. There is the emotional struggle of a mother, even though she is the Prime Minister, trying unsuccessfully to repair her damaged relationship with her son and heir apparent in politics. The desperation of the same Prime Minister to regain her losing popularity and keep her external and internal enemies at bay. The insane working efforts of a band of scientists racing against the clock to build a nuclear device. The emotional draining and chaos their families suffer due to their efforts.
And the gut wrenching, edge of the seat titanic battle that breaks out between the intelligence agents of India and the US and Pakistan in a see-saw battle of subterfuge, violence and utter ruthlessness to finish the endgame.
What makes ‘Lies, Spies, and Nuclear Rise’ a must-read for all?
The book is a compulsive read of the most powerful woman in the world, torn by her own family contradictions and collapsing popularity in a state of siege opting for a kind of a Faustian bargain, a never-heard- of-before solution, a kind of a magic bullets to her problems that will change the destiny of a country forever. It is the most dangerous option in the world that can wipe out her existence or else carry her on the wings of a popularity and validation the world has never seen before.
