Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, Off The Record With Sanya Talwar | Full Episode

Editor’s Note

What struck me most about Mr. Gopal Sankaranarayanan was the conviction with which he spoke. One could argue that a lawyer of his stature is meant to sound persuasive, but after years in this field, I can tell conviction apart from performance.

To me, Gopal Sankaranarayanan isn’t just one of India’s foremost lawyers; he’s an idea, one that many young lawyers and students strive to emulate. Whether it’s his academic precision, his courtroom command, or the quiet confidence he carries, the essence lies in the way he makes you feel seen, even when you don’t agree with him. There’s a rare non-judgmental energy about him, one that draws you in instead of pushing you to take sides.

My questions to him centred around ideology, politics, and gender, partly because he embodies strong viewpoints on these themes, and partly because I wanted to test my own. As journalists, we often slip into the habit of boxing people, even when we know better. I was prepared to be challenged, and I was. In fact, his answers turned the mirror back on me. I caught myself voicing biases I didn’t know I still held. Some of those moments may make me wince later (they’re all on camera after all), but that’s the beauty of honest conversation.

Perhaps the most powerful idea that stayed with me was his belief that every notion must be tested at its extremes. It reminded me why dialogues like this matter, not to win arguments, but to understand where conviction meets courage.

In sitting down with him, I met a lawyer, yes, but also a mind unafraid of being examined.