To use a cliche, something Pothan Joseph abhorred, he was an institution by himself. Among the ‘greats’ of Indian journalism, during a period when giants abounded in the Indian press unlike at present, Joseph was as much admired and loved for his personal qualities as he was respected for his writing skill. The man of integrity in the profession is generally assumed to be either aggressive or unapproachable. Joseph was neither. He could tear a pompous public figure to pieces without in the least sounding offensive, and was a soft-spoken but sparkling conversationalist. The present reviewer had the privilege of working under him for a short time in the Indian Express. There were two giants at that time on that newspaper—Khasa Subba Rau was the other. The two were a study in contrast. Khasa was a meticulous writer; he laboured hard on every piece, and the result was almost invariably superb.
In the next room was Joseph, who would dash off his editorial at one go and forget about it—and the product was no less superb if far less ponderous.