Books and Authors

Lust, black magic, kidnapping, and murder feature in the story of P Rajagopal, founder of Saravana Bhavan. Murder on the Menu by Nirupama Subramanian shows us a man who stopped at nothing in his attempt to force a woman to marry him. Nirupama Subramanian talks to @utterflea about Murder on the Menu: The Sensational Story of the Tycoon Who Founded Saravana Bhavan.

Building a utopian community, the optimism and the bitter internal battles that were fought, the triumphs, great personal tragedies and philosophical struggles of the pioneers... @akashkapur talks to @utterflea about 'Better to have Gone; Love Death and the Quest for Utopia in Auroville

Shapeshifters, women who turn into tigers, drowned worlds, a son-in-law perplexed by his shadow... 'The Owl Delivered The Good News All Night Long' is a collection of fantastic folktales from across India. Lopamudra Maitra Bajpai who edited the volume talks to @utterflea about the themes and structures of folk lore and the ways in which these tales help you to understand the world.

Why Ratan Tata and Nusli Wadia fell out, Cyrus Mistry's connection to Mughal-e-Azam, Bhikaiji Cama and other fiery Parsi women, intermarriage, orthodoxy, and dwindling numbers - Coomi Kapoor, author of The Tatas, Freddie Mercury & Other Bawas; An Intimate History of the Parsis talks to @utterflea about all that on this week's Books & Authors podcast.

"There's been a shocking lack of academic curiosity or scholarly evaluation of Savarkar," says @vikramsampath, author of 'Savarkar; A Contested Legacy', the second part of his two-volume biography of the father of Hindutva. On this week's Books&Authors podcast, he talks to @utterflea about the dialogue between Ambedkar and Savarkar and the surprising similarity of their views, about the contribution of violent revolutionary activity during the freedom struggle, and the still unacknowledged anti-Brahmin pogrom in Maharashtra following the assassination of Gandhi.

"Ladoo-loving Ganesh in India has transformed into mooli-loving Binayaka in Tokyo!" @pallaviaiyar, author of Orienting; An Indian in Japan, talks to @utterflea about Japanese versions of Hindu deities, the society's surprising lack of tech saviness, its obsession with fantastic toilets, its unacknowledged caste system, and it's surprisingly empowered women on this week's Books & Authors podcast

From the terracotta toys of the Harappans to Shiva as Nataraj, from the pages of the Gwalior Quran to Jain scrolls and the divine body of the Buddha, Vidya Dehejia, author of India; A Story Through 100 Objects talks to @utterflea about the things that have created the multicultural medley that is India.

In her life that spanned 102 years, everyone's favourite feisty grandmother, Zohra Segal worked on stage, in film, and on television, and was successful abroad when few Indian actors were. Ritu Menon, author of Zohra! A Biography in Four Acts talks to @utterflea about Segal's difficult life, her epic perseverance, and her great spirit.

Why man gets wrinkles, why the cat buries its poop, why a doll is worshipped in a village called Kakching... L Somi Roy's 'And That Is Why; Manipuri Myths Retold' is full of wonderful tales. On this week's Book & Authors podcast, @somiroy talks to @utterflea about collecting the myths, Manipur's distinct culture, it's pre-Hindu legends, and its wonderful ponies and passion for polo, among other things.

"The Chinese have so much power that they don't think they need to accommodate India or tolerate any behaviour by India that they don't like," says Kanti Bajpai, author of India Versus China : Why They Are Not Friends, in conversation with @utterflea on this week's Books & Authors podcast.