Raaja Bhasin

Bhasin’s most widely known work is his first book Simla: The Summer Capital of British India, which has been in print ever since it was first published in 1992, by Viking. Penguin published this book in 1994. Subsequently, a revised edition was published by Rupa Publications in 2011, the fifth impression of which came out in 2018. The foreword of this book is by the novelist M.M. Kaye.[8] This book has received mostly positive reviews. Critics have hailed Simla: The Summer Capital of British India for its distinctive narrative style and in-depth research on the cultural, social, and political life and times in Simla, the erstwhile summer capital of the British Raj. In 1999, the British historian William Dalrymple called this book 'the best modern book on Shimla'.[9] Mandavi Mehta of Business Standard Review mentions that this book draws upon first-person accounts of imperial Shimla written by a range of inhabitants, colonial newspaper accounts, which are woven together by Bhasin into a 'vivid portrayal' of the British Raj era in Shimla.[10] In a review of the revised edition published in 2011, Pankaj Vohra of Hindustan Times writes that this book's presentation of Shimla's colonial history is full of anecdotes and interesting insights that never let the reader's interest flag.[11]

Bhasin has written several other books since then, including one work of fiction (Flowerwoods Hotel, 2014).

As of 2019, Bhasin had authored nearly three thousand articles on a large number of subjects, which had been published in numerous popular media including national and international newspapers, travel magazines, and in-flight magazines.[12] Their subjects include Shimla's historical heritage, personal anecdotes from Shimla, and various topics related to Himachal Pradesh, such as travel and issues surrounding development, environment, tourism, and heritage conservation.

He has undertaken various commissioned projects for writing and editing from various state-level, national-level, and international multilateral organizations.[13][14][15]

Bhasin has appeared as an expert on Shimla in several national and international documentaries and TV shows. They include the following:

• 1996: The coverage of Shimla's Viceregal Lodge (Vol. II) in the Doordarshan show Surabhi (14:28 to 19:51).[16]
• 1997: William Dalrymple's documentary The British Hill Station of the 'Stones of the Raj' series (5:29 to 5:55; 17:47 to 18:05).[9][17]
• 2004: Michael Palin's Himalaya with Michael Palin, episode 2 (25:17 to 28:14).[18][19]
• 2007: The BBC documentary India with Sanjeev Bhaskar's episode 2 (22:59 to 25:00)[20]
• 2014: Anthony Bourdain's food documentary Parts Unknown's Season 3, Part 1, which showcases Bourdain's travels in the Indian Punjab and Himachal Pradesh (32:44 to 35:40).[21][22]
• 2016: The BBC documentary Kipling's Indian Adventures, alongside the British historian Charles Allen (41:31 to 42:21; 46:35 to 47:40; 49:18 to 49:40).[23][24][25]
• 2017: Gurinder Chadha's documentary India's Partition: The Forgotten Story (23:02 to 24:16).[12][26]
• 2018: BBC's Great Indian Railway Journeys from Amritsar to Shimla (Part 1 of 4), with Michael Portillo (51: 54 to 56:50).[27][28]
• 2018: Oli Hunter Smart's documentary The Road to Independence (14:54 to 14:59; 15:09 to 15:16)[29]

Bhasin served as historical consultant to the British period drama Indian Summers (2015).[30][31]

• Bhasin serves as co-convener for the Himachal Pradesh chapter of INTACH.[32][33]
• For many years, Bhasin has served as an 'expert lecturer' for the British travel companies Martin Randall and Great Rail Journeys, for their historical tours in north India.[34][35]
• He has directed and acted in several plays staged at Shimla's historic Gaiety Theatre.[36][37]
• Bhasin served as a 'non-official member' of the Tourism Development Board of the Government of Himachal Pradesh from 2003 till 2013.[38][39]
• Chairman, Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship India