[1][2] Thapar's family acquired wealth by making their fortune in trade during World War I, as commission agents for the colonial British Indian Army.
[3] Fabian socialism, which was fashionable in the universities of England in the years between the two world wars, had a deep impact on Thapar at a young age.
[3] After a couple of years, Thapar used some of his family wealth to start an English language magazine of his own, named Cross Roads.
[4][5] During his years in Bombay, Thapar was associated with IPTA, the theatre wing of the CPM[3] He was involved in story formulation and script writing for their films inspired by communist ideology.
Although he had known her earlier, it was after Nehru's death that Thapar became a part of the inner circle of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, along with politicians like Dinesh Singh.
Thapar served at various times as director of the India International Centre, of the National Books Development Board, of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), and as vice-chairperson of the National Bal Bhavan, Delhi (1967–1974),[4] all of which are government sinecures conferred on him by successive Congress party governments.
The couple lived in a flat in Mafatlal Park, in the upmarket Breach Candy neighbourhood of Mumbai, and were notable mainly for being well-connected socialites.
[9] Malavika and Tejbir have a son, Jaisal Singh, who runs as many as five wildlife resorts (the "Sujan" chain of boutique properties) in Rajasthan.
[10] Anjali is being groomed to take over the business empire built by her father; she has also been instrumental in the meteoric expansion of her husband's wildlife resort venture.