What’s the difference between an autobiography and a memoir, you ask?

“An autobiography is the story of someone’s life, while a memoir is a story from someone’s life,” said a wise person. 

A memoir and an autobiography both offer personal narratives but differ in scope and focus. 

An autobiography typically provides a comprehensive account of the author’s life, covering a wide span from birth to the present, often in chronological order. It includes detailed information about various aspects such as family background, career, and personal achievements, aiming for a balanced, factual recounting of events.

A memoir narrows its focus to a specific period, theme, or experience, allowing the author to explore personal reflections, emotions, and insights in greater depth. Taking “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed as a case in point, that book is specifically about the 100-day hike that Cheryl undertook on the Pacific trail. That specific story from her life. Through the memoir, we discover a bit about her but it isn’t her entire life story. Memoirs are less concerned with a full life history and more with the emotional truth of particular experiences. They often take a more thematic or episodic approach rather than following a strict chronological order. 

In short, autobiographies offer a wide-angle lens on life, while memoirs provide a zoomed-in perspective on select experiences.

{We have also collated a list of Best Biographies in India that might interest you.}

Here’s a list of Indian autobiographies you might find interesting to read.

Autobiographies of Indian authors and poets

1. Ente Katha or My Story by Kamala (Surayya) Das
   
   Kamala Das was an Indian poet from Kerala who wrote in English as well as Malayalam. She majorly wrote about women’s issues, child care, and politics and was widely famous for her poems.
   
   Her autobiography includes the chronological narrative of her life starting from studying in missionary schools in Calcutta, her marital relationships, her awakening as a woman and a writer, and her experiences of being a mother.

2. Truth, Love & a Little Malice by Khushwant Singh
   
   Khushwant Singh was an author, journalist, lawyer, diplomat, and politician from Punjab. He became well-known for his novel Train to Pakistan based on the partition of India in 1947.
   
   The author is starkly honest about his life in his autobiography. Not only does it entail everything about the ups and downs in his career as a lawyer, journalist and writer, but it also deals with his family history and quite a few personal details such as his intrigue with death. He also writes about his experience as a politician by writing about various events and remarkable political figures of Pre-Independent and During Partition India.

3. The Revenue Stamp by Amrita Pritam
   
   Amrita Pritam was an Indian novelist, poet, and the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956. Along with The Revenue Stamp, she had penned two more autobiographical works – Black Rose and Shadows of Words.
   
   The Revenue Stamp, although an autobiography, does not narrate her whole life story in detail. The book mainly includes fragments of her life as an author, a daughter, and her trysts with love and relationships.

4. Whom To Tell My Tale – An Autobiography by Kartar Singh Duggal
   
   Kartar Singh Duggal was an Indian author known for his short stories, novels, dramas, and plays. He had been the recipient of Padma Bhushan as well as the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.
   
   Duggal, in his autobiography, pours his heart out about his painful experiences during the Partition of India. He writes extensively on the communal chaos in the 1940s. The book also includes accounts of his career as a prominent figure in Indian literature while he was also becoming a professional in All India Radio.

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5. The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian by Nirad C. Chaudhary

Nirad C. Chaudhary was an Indian writer who is mostly known for his autobiographical masterpiece.

In his autobiography, he writes about the influence of the places he grew up in and then about his experiences of living in British India. Later in the book, he talks about the rising nationalist movements in India, specifically in Calcutta.

6. Amar Jiban by Rassundari Devi
   
   Rassundari Devi was identified as the first Bengali and the first woman to write a proper autobiography in the modern literary spaces of Bengal.
   
   In her autobiography, she primarily focussed on the inequality and struggles of a woman living in an Indian society.
   
7. Bhitti by S. L. Bhyrappa
   
   Bhyrappa is an Indian novelist and screenwriter who writes in Kannada language.
   
   His autobiography does not hesitate to bring down facts in its cruel truth. He writes about the death of his mother and siblings at a very young age. He continues to dive deeper into the various hardships he had to endure while living with his abusive uncle and also about how he had to beg for food. The book mentions his struggles to continue and complete his education and his journey to become a novelist.
   
8. A Life Apart (aka Anya se Ananya) by Prabha Khaitan
   
   Prabha Khaitan was an Indian novelist, poet, feminist, and entrepreneur. She is well known for her writings in Hindi.
   
   Her autobiography is considered rare in the way she wrote about her life with stark honesty. She writes openly about her discomfort at being a woman who was looked upon differently for defying conventions and carving her own path in the world.
   

Autobiographies of Indian Sports Personalities

1. Playing It My Way by Sachin Tendulkar and Boria Majumdar
   
   Sachin Tendulkar is a former Indian cricketer who is widely adored for his capability to score runs higher than any of his contemporaries. He is often regarded as Little Master and Master Blaster by his millions of fans.
   
   The autobiography of Sachin, co-written by Boria Majumdar, covers the entire life story of the greatest batsman in Indian cricket. Right from the teenage years of Sachin, when he started to play test cricket to the final walk back to the pavilion, the book takes the reader through all areas of his life. It’s not just about his cricket career but also how he met his wife, his injuries, his failures and his achievements.

2. Ace Against Odds by Sania Mirza, Imran Mirza, and Shivani Gupta
   
   Sania Mirza is a former Indian Tennis player who has established herself as the most influential tennis player in India by grabbing the Championship Title at Wimbledon Girls’ Double, six times Grand-Slam Champion and various other wins in both singles and doubles tennis.
   
   Sania discovered her love for the sport from a very young age and this book stands as a testament to her adversity and sacrifices while also showcasing her devotion to the sport. Starting from her experiences as the winner of Wimbledon Championship Girls’ Doubles at the age of sixteen, Sania Mirza writes about her life thereon. Apart from her largely successful career in Tennis, Mirza often found herself caught in the traps of controversies which is also addressed in the book.

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3. Unbreakable: An Autobiography by M. C. Mary Kom
   
   Mary Kom is an Indian Olympic boxer and the only woman to win the World Amateur Boxing Championship six times.
   
   Her autobiography is a live proof of her struggles in her poverty-stricken childhood and her willpower to spearhead through the brutality of politics in Indian sports. The book also shows her relationship and family life. More than anything, it’s a prime example of how a woman has to struggle with a lot more to win in male male-dominated career.

4. The Test of My Life by Yuvraj Singh, Sharda Urga, and Nishant Jeet Arora
   
   Yuvraj Singh is a former Indian cricketer who was an all-rounder.
   
   His autobiography is mostly about his career in cricket and his encounter with cancer. In an extremely personal account, the famous cricketer opens up about his health issues and the resulting fears and doubts he faced while going through his treatment. The book also talks about his low episodes of life when the cancer sucked out his appetite, his energy, and despite all that, how he kept on fighting the battle for survival.

5. The Race of My Life by Milkha Singh and Sonia Sanwalka
   
   Milkha Singh used to run against trains for fun as a kid. Also regarded as The Flying Sikh, he was an Indian sprinter.
   
   The book consists of his family history, his childhood, his time in the Indian Army and how it threw a spotlight on his athletic capabilities. His autobiography then tells his experiences as a successful sprinter and his achievements at the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games, and the Summer Olympics.

6. A Shot at History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold by Abhinav Bindra and Rohit Brijnath
   
   Abhinav Bindra is an Indian businessman, Olympic Gold medallist, and former sport shooter.
   
   His autobiography reinstates his belief that inner desire and the desperate hunger for one’s dreams and ambitions are one of the most important markers for success. He talks about his inspirations like Anjali Bhagwat and Jaspal Rana. Not only did he write about how all his coaches and mentors helped him become the best version of himself at professional shooting but also his unique experiences as an Olympic sportsperson.

7. Sunny Days: Sunil Gavaskar’s Own Story by Sunil Gavaskar
   
   Sunil Gavaskar is the former captain of the Indian national cricket team.
   
   His autobiography starts right from his birth story to his childhood when he almost smashed his mother’s nose with a massive hit. The cricketer pens down his days of youth as he played cricket in schools and colleges. Gradually, he moved forward to tell about the life and career that propelled him to be a household name among the cricket fans of India and worldwide.

8. Playing To Win by Saina Nehwal
   
   Saina Nehwal is a prominent Indian badminton player who had been world no. 1 and have won more than two dozen international titles to her name.
   
   In this autobiography, we get a sneak peek into Saina’s life outside of Badminton as well. She writes about her childhood and growing up years. How she had to sacrifice many things as a normal girl to succeed in her goals, how rigorous her athletic life had been and what it takes to climb the ladders of success in a field leading to the Olympics.

9. Straight from the Heart: An Autobiography by Kapil Dev
   
   Kapil Dev is famous for being one of the best all-rounders in the history of international cricket.
   
   In this book, he writes truly from the bottom of his heart about his childhood days, his love life, his friendships, his career in cricket, and golf, and also about the controversies that have followed him. Apart from this book, he also wrote another autobiographical work called By God’s Decree.

{We have a list of Books by Indian Authors for Beginners. Take a look if you are new to reading or wondering what book to gift to a newbie reader.}

Autobiographies of Indian Politicians

1. An Autobiography (aka Toward Freedom) by Jawaharlal Nehru
   
   Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of Independent India. Along with this book, he has authored many other books including The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History, and Letters from a Father to His Daughter.
   
   He wrote this autobiography during the years of 1934 and 1935 while he was in prison (Alipur Central Jail and Dehradun Jail). The book is an extremely personal account of his life starting from his family’s migration from Kashmir to Delhi. The book largely deals with his own personal and mental growth concerning his devotion towards the country. Naturally, it covers his thoughts on nationalism but considering that the book was written during his wife’s ill health, the book also focuses a lot on his marriage life.

2. The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
   
   Mahatma Gandhi, as regarded by all of India and beyond, was an Indian lawyer and a freedom fighter who employed non-violent resistance movements across the country.
   
   Starting with his childhood, Gandhi mainly explores his experiences with every aspect of life like eating meat, drinking, and his childhood shenanigans. He writes about his thoughts on early marriage. Subsequent parts of the autobiography talk about his constant struggles all over the world as he would travel often to pursue his academic and professional desires. Eventually, he writes about his life in British India.

3. One Life is Not Enough by K. Natwar Singh
   
   Natwar Singh was an Indian diplomat and politician. He served as the Minister of External Affairs from May 2004 to December 2005.
   
   This book is an account of Natwar Singh’s life in various ministries and his experiences through several significant events in Independent India. His role as an insider allowed him to be a part of events that affected his political career immensely and he ensured to write about all such events including the downs that ended his career, the Volkner Report and the Iraqi food-for-oil scam.
   
4. Waiting For A Visa by B. R. Ambedkar
   
   Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian social reformer and political leader who contributed to the draft of the Indian Constitution and inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement.
   
   His autobiographical piece of work consists of six sections. The first four sections document his experiences as an Untouchable in various parts of India. Not just caste discrimination but his book also highlights how religious discrimination is also at the forefront of India. In the last two sections, he writes about other people who are untouchables and had to give up their livelihood and lives because of the brutal discrimination against lower castes such as untouchables.
   
5. Atmakatha by Rajendra Prasad
   
   Rajendra Prasad was an Indian politician, journalist, lawyer, and scholar, and also served as the first President of Independent India.
   
   His autobiography, Atmakatha, was written during his prison life in Bankipur Jail, and it chronicles his childhood, his student life in Calcutta, and his years of experiences as a politician in pre-Independent India. The book provides an interesting glimpse into India’s freedom struggle bringing alive the history of India on pages.
   
6. Wings of Fire by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
   
   Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, besides being the 11^th President of India, was an aerospace engineer who was lovingly known as the Missile Man of India due to his work in the development of the technology of missiles.
   
   Wings of Fire, his autobiography, largely recounts his early life, his hardships, and his experiences as a scholar of aerospace engineering in India and how it led to decades of research on nuclear and missile programs. He writes about his childhood and family, his education, and personal as well as professional struggles.
   
7. My Country My Life by L. K. Advani
   
   L. K. Advani is an Indian politician and one of the co-founders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
   
   Divided into five phases, Advani’s autobiography chronologically recounts his life events. Starting with his thoughts on India’s bloody history of partition, he writes about his journey from Sindh to Rajasthan. The later phases completely consist of his career in Indian politics and the ups and downs with it.
   
8. Why I Am an Atheist by Bhagat Singh
   
   Bhagat Singh is one of the legendary Indian revolutionaries who sacrificed themselves for India’s freedom movement.
   
   Bhagat Singh was often criticised by his friends for being an atheist because of his vanity. This autobiographical piece of work is a response to that explaining his notions of God and religious beliefs.

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Autobiographies of Indian scholars and researchers

1. My Tale of Four Cities by Jayant V. Narlikar
   
   Jayant V. Narlikar is a renowned Indian astrophysicist and emeritus professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). He developed the Hoyle-Narlikar Theory that synthesizes Einstein’s theory of relativity and Mach’s principle.
   
   His autobiography, originally written in Marathi, is divided into four parts. The first part deals with his early life from birth to his teenage years while he lived in Banaras. The second part details his life as a student at Cambridge, England. The third part is all about his life in Bombay. The last part of this book includes his achievements like starting a unique and internationally acclaimed university (IUCAA) in Pune. Apart from these, he also writes about his encounters with eminent personalities all over the world such as E. M. Forster, S. Radhakrishnan, Indira Gandhi, Narayanrao Vyas, and many more.

2. En Saritham by U. V. Swaminatha Iyer
   
   Swaminatha Iyer was an Indian Tamil scholar and researcher who made a monumental contribution to restoring long-forgotten classical Tamil literature and manuscripts from years ago.
   
   His autobiography was originally published serially in a Tamil weekly over two and a half years. It stands as a brilliant account of his life in villages and monasteries in the nineteenth century and chronicles his dedication towards the quest to save as many manuscripts as possible from destruction.

Autobiographies of Other Inspiring Indian Personalities

1. Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
   
   Paramahansa Yogananda was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in a Hindu family in India. He was a well-known monk for promoting spiritual practices through meditation and kriya yoga.
   
   His autobiography is popular worldwide for introducing many millions to meditation and yoga. He recounts his life from childhood to his search for his guru and his experiences of becoming a monk. The book includes his teachings as he had travelled across the USA to deliver his teachings in many institutions.

2. Atma Katha by Justice Anna Chandy
   
   Justice Anna Chandy was the first female judge in India.
   
   In her autobiography, Atma Katha, she opens up about her childhood and the struggles of being an unconventional and ambitious woman in those days. She writes about defying expectations and facing constant gender biases all through her life in a legal career. The book touches upon the Indian Judicial system of that time and not just her life story.

3. I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen by Phoolan Devi
   
   Phoolan Devi (aka Bandit Queen) was an Indian dacoit from the state of Uttar Pradesh who became an Indian politician.
   
   The autobiographical book covers her life in the cruel dungeons of poverty for lower caste people in India. She talks about her abusive marriage and horrifying gang rape that enrages her to become a dacoit and take justice into her own control.

{Looking to join a reading community? We have a list of Book Clubs in India.}

4. Living Shadows by Aribam Syam Sharma
   
   Aribam Syam Sharma is a music composer, singer, and film director from Manipur in India. He’s widely known for his contribution to Indian documentary cinema and was also awarded with Jewel of Manipuri Cinema. He has written about his life in his autobiography called Living Shadows.

5. My Music, My Life by Ravi Shankar
   
   Ravi Shankar, born to a Bengali family in British India, was an Indian sitarist and music composer.
   
   His autobiography describes his growth from a young dancer to a well-known Grammy-winning classical musician. He writes about his approach to Indian classical music and also mentions the art and craft of playing a sitar.

6. I Too Had a Dream by Dr. Verghese Kurien
   
   Dr. Verghese Kurien was a dairy engineer and a prominent personality in the space of social entrepreneurship. He is mostly known for the boom in milk production in India.
   
   In the pages of his autobiographies, he presents the story of his life in the simplest narrative and how he became the “father of the white revolution” in India.

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While we might have infinite resources to learn about people and culture and gain inspiration, reading autobiographies can provide us with raw accounts of real people’s experiences. Whatever might be the topic, learning from an eminent person’s life certainly becomes quite rewarding. We hope you’ve found at least one autobiography to pick from this list. Have you read any remarkable Indian autobiographies that you would love to add to this list?