CineInk Mulaqat

Ghazala Amin has spent more than 40 years in radio, television and theatre as an actress, broadcaster and news reader. And, at the same time she enjoyed working at the Jesus and Mary College in New Delhi where she taught history for about 35 years as an Associate Professor. 

She reminisces how she passed her first audition with a passage starting "Joseph Apni Zoja Ko Lekar Jab Jahaz Se Jazeere Par Utra' at All India Radio in Delhi to her exciting days at the BBC in London where she acted in the Urdu version of legendary BBC Drama "Yes Prime Minister".

Ghazala Amin is in conversation with Pervaiz Alam in this episode of Cine Ink podcast ‘Mulaqat’. This podcast was recorded in July, 2023.

Broadcaster, Playwright and Academic, Prof. Danish Iqbal is in conversation with Pervaiz Alam. 
Danish Iqbal joined All India Radio as a Programme Executive and went on to head AIR’s National Drama Unit where he produced radio plays, winning national awards. He was instrumental in shaping AIR’s FM channels after their launch in the early 1990s.

Based in NCR Delhi, Danish Iqbal is currently a professor at the Anwar Jamal Kidwai, Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia. He has written and directed a number of stage plays, including musicals and dance dramas. 

Prof Danish Iqbal discusses his journey as a radio man to stage productions based on the lives of Dara Shikoh, Ghalib, Amrita Pritam, Sahir Ludhianvi, Sara Shagufta and Noor Jehan.

Saba Naheed Arshad was not a celebrity. She was not even famous. But she was a trailblazer in her student days and played a significant role in enriching the literary and theatre activities in the Aligarh of the 1970s. She became the first woman secretary of the Aligarh Muslim University Drama Club. In conversation with Pervaiz Alam, Saba shared memories of her time at the university and people who played a part in her growing up. 

After a 10-year, off-and-on battle with cancer, Saba passed away on 29 April, 2024, in Dubai. 

This interview was recorded in several sessions during 2020- 2021. 

Cineink is a podcast hub based in London.

Rama Pandey, Writer, Theatre Director, TV Producer and Broadcaster is in conversation with Pervaiz Alam, sharing her life, work and siblings, including advertising giants Piyush Pandey, Prasun Pandey, actress and musician, Ila Arun and writer, Tripti Pandey. Her younger brother Piyush Pandey of Ogilvy fame is credited with campaign- ‘Abki Baar Modi Sarkar’ - for the Bharatiya Janata Party and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during the 2014 general election. 

Rama Pandey joined the BBC Hindi Service, London, in 1981 where she presented and produced radio programmes. She became quite popular for covering the 1983 World Cricket Cup, followed by several interviews with the winning captain Kapil Dev and other members of his team. After her return to India in 1987, she started producing television programmes such as Jaane Apna Desh for the state TV, Doordarshan. 

Born in Jodhpur, India, Rama Pandey is married to Najam Saqib, IAS, former secretary, J&K. She is currently based in Gurugram and Jammu, India, where she is busy writing, directing and producing TV and stage plays. 

Mulaqaat is a London-based cine Ink podcast series produced by Achala Sharma and Pervaiz Alam.

One of India’s best known psychiatrists, Dr Vinay Kumar, is in conversation with broadcaster Pervaiz Alam. Former President of the Indian Psychiatric Society and author of several books, Dr Kumar explains what India needs to do to meet the challenges posed by an increasing number of mental illness cases in the country. He also suggests five steps that could keep you away from the common ailments of the mind. 

Produced by Pervaiz Alam and Achala Sharma, Cine Ink podcasts are available on YouTube as well.

Saba Zaidi, a graduate of the National School of Drama in New Delhi, joined Doordarshan as a Drama Producer in 1976. She was instrumental in introducing some of the best known film actors of our time such as Anupam Kher and Irfan Khan to the television screen in 1970s and 1980s.

Saba Zaidi, in conversation with Pervaiz Alam, shares incredible memories of her working with Doordarshan when it was just in a start up mode. She worked with legendary filmmakers, Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal and MS Sathyu.

Saba Zaidi lives in Sydney, Australia, where she has been involved in launching a South Asia specific DTH service. She also runs her theatre group, Adakaar, and has recently started acting in web series and plays, made for various OTT platforms.

Cine Ink Mulaqat presents interviews in Hindi and Urdu with known and unknown newsmakers.

Based in London, Cine Ink is a platform of digital programming in Hindi and Urdu. Founded by veteran broadcasters, Achala Sharma and Pervaiz Alam, Cine Ink has been producing programmes in all genres, bringing you podcasts of Hindi-Urdu short stories, Kavita, Shayari, History, Culture and Politics.

Dr Anamika is a professor of English literature in Delhi. She is also a prominent contemporary Indian poet, social worker and novelist writing in Hindi. Multi-faceted Dr Anamika is a recipient of the Sahitya Academy Award for her book of poems in Hindi, Tokri Mein Digant- making her the first and only female poet to have won the prize in the award's 65-year history. Dr Anamika is in conversation with Achala Sharma.

In response to a question about the restrictions on freedom of expression, Dr Anamika says one should fear the silence of a writer. Even in these challenging times, there are so many youngsters and students who are writing poetry of protest.

सिनेइंक मुलाक़ात के अंतर्गत सुनिये हिंदी की सुप्रसिद्ध लेखिका, कवियत्री, स्कॉलर और दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय में अंग्रेज़ी की प्रॉफ़ेसर डॉ अनामिका के साथ अचला शर्मा की बातचीत।

अनामिका- जिन्हें आप आज की स्त्री की आवाज़ कह सकते हैं। आज की यह स्त्री उनके कथा संसार, चिंतन मनन और कविता में मुखर है। औरत का वजूद, उसके सुख दुख, संघर्ष और प्रश्न, उनकी कविता में साँस लेते है। आज के संदर्भ में अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता पर अंकुश लगने के प्रशन पर वह कहती हैं “किसी भी लिखने वाले, बोलने वाले की चुप्पी से डरना चाहिये क्योंकि वो एक सोख़्ता काग़ज़ की तरह होती है।”

अनामिका - जिन्हें अपने कविता संग्रह ‘टोकरी में दिगंत- थेरी गाथा’ के लिए सन् दो हज़ार बीस का साहित्य अकादमी सम्मान मिला। टोकरी में दिगंत के अलावा उनके अन्य प्रमुख कविता संग्रह हैं- गलत पते की चिट्ठी, बीजाक्षर, अनुष्टुप, समय के शहर में, खुरदुरी हथेलियाँ, दूब धान।

Vijayalaxmi Chhabra is a renowned Instagram Influencer, award-winning radio producer and former Director General of India’s state broadcaster, Doordarshan. She is in conversation with Pervaiz Alam who worked with her at All India Radio in New Delhi.

Vijayalaxmi talks about her life as a broadcaster and storyteller on Instagram.
The Mulaqat is a Hindi/Urdu podcast produced by Cine Ink in London.

Veteran BBC Broadcaster Rajni Kaul, 91, says her husband Mahendra Kaul, former BBC broadcaster, had a heated verbal dual with India's late Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, during the course of an interview in the late 1970s.

In conversation with Pervaiz Alam, she candidly admits that her husband Mahendra Kaul used to flirt with the then British Prime Minister, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher.

Former BBC broadcaster Rajni Kaul, 91, opens up about her life in conversation with her fellow broadcaster, Pervaiz Alam. She shares amazing stories about Hindi cinema legends, Nargis, Raj Kapoor and Balraj Sahni, and political personalities, Fatima Jinnah, Sheikh Abdullah and Nikita Khrushchev.

Born in Peshawar, Rajni got married to Kashmiri Pandit, Mahendra Kaul, OBE and a legendary broadcaster. Recorded on location in Central London (2019).