We sit with award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee, known for his roles in films like Satya, Gangs of Wasseypur, Aligarh, and the most recent, Gulmohar, as well as leading the running hit series, The Family Man.

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We sit with Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Smriti Mundhra, creator of the hit Netflix series 'Indian Matchmaking' and the four part docu-series 'The Romantics.'

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We sit with 6 time Emmy-nominated film and television composer, Siddhartha Khosla, lead singer of critically acclaimed band, Goldspot, and the man behind musical scores of hit shows like This Is Us and Only Murders in the Building, and his most recent film, Gulmohar.

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In 1948, when Israel declared itself as an independent state, it quickly sought for international recognition from other countries, including from a newly independent India. Nehru, who was Prime Minister then, was hesitant. Even Albert Einstein personally wrote to Nehru, requesting India's support but Nehru declined. Instead, India allied itself with the Palestinians, and when 33 nations at the United Nation voted in favour of an Israel, India was one of the 13 countries that voted against. However, today, India has become Israel's biggest and most dependable purchaser of weapons. What happened? We sit with Azad Essa, author of 'Hostile Homelands: The New Alliance Between India and Israel,' and discuss the history of the relationship between India and Israel.

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Did you know that a survey done in 2016 on caste in America revealed that one in three Dalits in the United States reported being discriminated against during their education? Did you know that same survey revealed that one out of four Dalits in America said they had faced verbal or physical assault based on their caste? Did you know that it also revealed that that two out of three Dalits in America reported being treated unfairly at their workplace because of their caste? We sit with Dalit American rights activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan, author of 'The Trauma of Caste,' and discuss caste in America. Get the book: https://amzn.to/3BY4Lm3

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We sit with award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia, who works across both film and television, and has firmly established himself as one of the world's most popular and celebrated documentarians. His documentaries include Senna, Diego Maradona, and Amy which won Best Music Film at the Grammy Awards and Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.

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Take the average child born in South India and the average child born in North India; one will live a healthier, wealthier, more secure life than the other, all because of which side of the country they happened to be born and raised in. We sit with data scientist Nilakantan RS, author of 'SOUTH vs NORTH : India's Great Divide' and discuss why there is such a large imbalance between the South of India and the North of India. By using hard data, we examine how and why states on one side of India are outperforming the rest of the country and what the consequences of that could mean for everyone in an increasingly centralized India.

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We sit with Jessica Hinchy, author of 'Governing Gender and Sexuality in Colonial India', and discuss the Hijra community during colonial rule. When the British ruled the subcontinent, one of their preferred methods of control was classification; they grouped and categorized people, reducing them inside their boxes. However, the British were not able to define the Hijra community into a category and that caused the British see them as threat. So what solution did the British come up with? They decided to exterminate the Hijra community through laws and policing. Get the book: https://amzn.to/3WhMVDQ Book mentioned on the episode: https://amzn.to/3ohbfJC

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We sit with British vocalist Sheila Chandra who first created waves in 1982 when she and her band, 'Monsoon,' reached number 12 in the UK charts with their single "Ever So Lonely." She was only around 16 years old at the time. The band split up and Chandra embarked on a solo career and released several albums. In 2002, she was featured in the movie soundtrack for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,' in the song, 'Breath of Life,' where she sings completely in Elvish. Sadly in 2010, she developed a rare chronic condition called Burning Mouth Syndrome which made it extremely difficult for her to even speak.

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We sit with Thomas Manuel, author of 'Opium Inc.: How a Global Drug Trade Funded the British Empire,' and discuss the historic opium trade which unleased two wars, and ultimately shaped human history.

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