Currious List Podcast

In this mini-episode, I speak to Mythili Zatakia who is a professional Bharata Natyam and Ballet dancer. She has trained and studied in the United Kingdom and the United States and is currently pursuing her masters degree in performing arts specialising in Bharata Natyam. I find out about the immersive experience of art and dance and what it takes to be an Indian classical dancer today. [ Opening Music - Alarippu WithThirupugazh - Dance Celestial ]

Sooni Taraporevala is a screenwriter, filmmaker and photographer who is best known as the screenwriter of Mississippi Masala, The Namesake and oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay. She's also directed two feature films, Little Zizou and most recently Yeh Ballet that is streaming on Netflix. I speak to her about her films, her beginnings at Harvard University, her association with Mira Nair and her love for photography and dedication to screenwriter and directing.

In episode 3, we explore the world of fashion and how the fashion industry operates. To do this, we speak to three prominent figures in the industry. Mac Hadar, Abhishek Paatni & Tanya Ghavri. Mac from H.Lorenzo has retail stores in California, and brings in diversity to the high-end retail industry showcasing established and emerging designers from around the world. Abhishek Paatni has become the trailblazer of streetwear with his brand, Nought One. He's an engineer turned fashion designer and his brand has garnered the tag of being the change-maker in the Indian street scene. Tanya Ghavri, an established celebrity stylist, has styled some of the biggest names in Bollywood and is an influencer in her own right with her personal style always on point.  We speak to them about a number of relevant topics within the fashion space and ultimately find out what fashion really means to them.

In this mini-episode, Vicky Ratnani, one of India's top chefs speaks about his journey into the kitchen and what one needs to be a good chef today. He answers questions about food being an art or science, whether social media has positive and negative consequences towards the food he makes and why understanding the business is as important as cooking with passion.

In this mini-episode, Arjun Shah (AJ DJ) speaks about his beginnings and how his passion superseded the norm and drove him to become a successful DJ. He's shared the stage with the likes of Coldplay and Maroon 5 and speaks about the techniques DJs use to get the crowd going and tells us a little bit about the music scene in India.

In this mini-episode, Sanal Edamaruku, the president of the Indian Rationalist Association speaks about godman, spirituality, religion, superstitions and miracles. He answers questions about having faith, if astrology can predict our future and how one can become a spiritual guru. He also narrates his own shocking story of why he left India and hasn't returned in almost a decade.

In this mini-episode, Hrishikesh Shah, an Astro Numerologist, talks about the power of occult sciences (numerology, astrology etc) and if people can use them to better their lives. He speaks about why astrologists couldn't predict Covid-19 and ultimately reveals the strengths and weaknesses of this unique science.

In this mini-episode, Shakun Batra, a film director and screenwriter (ek main aur ekk tu, kapoor and sons) talks about how movies have influenced him through the years, if cinema can shape our thoughts and behaviours, and gives us insights on how future filmmakers can imbibe the world of cinema in their lives.

In this mini-episode, Yuvraj Nathani, a pianist and composer dives into the history of classical music by focusing on three composers - Bach, Mozart and Chopin and their styles of music thereby reflecting upon the musical period and culture of that time. Yuvraj speaks about the three periods of classical music and answers questions like - does one need to read music to be a better composer and where does one begin if they're interested in the world of classical music?

In episode 2, Anmol explores the rise of social media influencing by speaking to Natasha Pal, founder of 59th Parallel, a boutique digital marketing agency and image consulting company, Abhinav Mathur, a social media influencer and Saloni Chopra, an actor & Rahul Bhattacharya, a lawyer who manage an instagram account called Saerah Stamps. The episode dives into the world of social media influencing, its origins and how influencers connect with people and help brands reach their customers in a more authentic and personal manner. Through the course of the episode, we come to realise how social media influencing shapes the choices we make through content that has been created by the youth and watched by millions across the country.