Cyrus Says

Comedian Punit Pania joins Cyrus Broacha for another chaotic edition of Cock & Bull, where Mumbai life, festivals, relationships, politics and the week’s strangest stories collide.

The conversation kicks off with Ganpati season, Mumbai’s ever-expanding traffic hierarchy and the idea of Lalbaugcha Raja getting a Delhi “franchise.” Cyrus and Punit then get into crackers, Mumbai’s trains and metros, marriage, reality TV, comedians and the dangers of spending three uninterrupted days with your spouse.

Things get even stranger when they discover a man offering himself as a Garba partner for rent, with packages starting at ₹1,000 and increasingly elaborate benefits. There’s also the episode’s running “national birthday” gag, plus conversations around stray dogs and animal welfare, CBFC rules, artists and political expression, UPI, petrol payments and the absurdities of everyday Indian life.

And, naturally, Train Ka Pain makes its inevitable return.

Follow Punit Pania: @‌punitpania
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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, actor Aksharaa Haasan, daughter of Kamal Haasan, joins Cyrus Broacha to talk about her film Simulacra, her journey in the entertainment industry, and how technology is changing the way we live and connect.Aksharaa explains the idea behind 'Simulacra', a world where technology, artificial intelligence, reality and fantasy begin to blur. She also talks about growing up in a famous film family, finding her own creative path, starting out as a dancer and choreographer, and eventually moving into acting.

The conversation also gets personal as Aksharaa opens up about ADHD, dyslexia, brain fog and hyperfocus, while she and Cyrus discuss education, AI, human connection and our growing dependence on technology.She also shares her interest in directing and her dream of building a stronger community for artists.

Listen to the full episode for Aksharaa Haasan, Simulacra, AI, ADHD, acting, filmmaking and Cyrus Says madness.

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, actor Mihir Ahuja joins Cyrus Broacha after the success of Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar.Mihir talks about playing Baldy, a real-life Indian Air Force officer, and how he was locked for the role just 48 hours before shooting. He also shares what it was like sitting inside actual MiGs connected to the Kargil War, learning the technical side of a fighter pilot’s world, and taking on the responsibility of playing a real person.  

The conversation also goes back to his journey from Jamshedpur to Mumbai, living in a 12-sharing room, doing auditions from day one, his first ad with Virat Kohli, his roles in Made in Heaven and The Archies, and how Zoya Akhtar saw him as Jughead.   

Listen to this full episode for Mihir Ahuja, Operation Safed Sagar, The Archies, Kargil War stories, Virat Kohli, acting struggles and plenty of Cyrus madness.

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Joel D’Souza came to promote Dear Diary and accidentally gave us enough material for a financial investigation.

He tells Cyrus how he became a TCS employee without bothering with the minor formality of actually working at TCS, performed on a boat while his audience slowly disappeared, and watched Bumrah take over his show during an India–Pakistan match. Honestly, the projector had a stronger set.

They also discuss Baba Ramdev, Freddie Mercury, terrible gigs, credit cards, India–Pakistan sportsmanship and Joel’s suspicious enthusiasm for solo holidays.

Watch the full episode on the Cyrus Says YouTube channel. No comedians, credit cards or boats were financially secure during this recording.

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Pratik Gandhi join Cyrus Broacha to talk about their new film Ghamasaan, an action-packed crime drama set around the rugged world of Chitrakoot and Bundelkhand.

Tigmanshu talks about giving Ghamasaan the feel of a classic Western, why he didn’t want a stereotypical muscular cop as his hero, and how Arshad Warsi ended up playing one of the film’s most menacing characters. Pratik opens up about playing a gun-wielding STF officer for the first time and a character who slowly realizes that he may be fighting the very system he belongs to.

The conversation also goes beyond the film as Pratik talks about leaving his corporate career, where he was earning ₹28 lakh a year, and the unusual jobs he did along the way, from cleaning water tanks to hosting birthday parties. Tigmanshu also looks back at his journey from Allahabad, drama school and Bandit Queen to becoming a filmmaker.

Listen to this full episode for Ghamasaan, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Pratik Gandhi, Arshad Warsi, Indian cinema, action films, acting stories and plenty of Cyrus-style madness.

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, author Akshay Chavan joins Cyrus Broacha to talk about his new book, The Wealth Networks, and a side of Indian history shaped by trade, geography and commerce.
Akshay talks about how ancient India was connected to the world through spices, cotton, gold, silver, horses and major trade routes.
He also gets into the Golconda diamond mines, Bihar’s role in the global saltpeter and gunpowder trade, and how places like Paithan, Bharuch, Sopara, Hormuz and Mangalore became important trading centres.
The conversation also covers Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, India’s horse trade, the wealth of the Jagat Seths, and how coffee, cotton and silver connected India to Yemen and Europe.

Listen to the full episode for a fascinating look at The Wealth Networks, ancient Indian trade, Indian history, Golconda diamonds, Harappa and how geography shaped India’s wealth.

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Shamik Chakrabarti returns to Cyrus Says after performing across Europe and Australia, with stories about international comedy audiences, Melbourne’s little penguins and life on tour.

Cyrus and Shamik then move through a suitably unpredictable collection of stories: AI replacing workers and potentially CEOs, Bengal and Durga Puja, Navratri memories, Indian politics, population numbers, restaurant inspections, Liverpool fandom, unusual international competitions and Cyrus’ story about working with Preity Zinta.

Shamik also plugs his upcoming India tour before Cyrus ends the episode by turning the interview into an interrogation about his dating life.

It’s travel, current affairs, football, technology and complete studio chaos, in other words, another episode of Cock and Bull.

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, Kushal Shrivastava, Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Nikhil Ravi, the makers of Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar, join Cyrus Broacha to talk about recreating the Indian Air Force’s role in the Kargil War.

Kushal, who served in the Indian Air Force, along with Abhijeet and Nikhil, share how the series grew from an idea into a nearly five-year project. The team researched the Golden Arrows squadron, spoke to fighter pilots, veterans and families, and recreated intense MiG-21 missions, including bombing operations at extreme altitudes.

They also talk about shooting at real Air Force locations, correcting common film clichés, casting the right actors, and balancing authenticity with cinematic storytelling while respecting the real people behind the story.

Listen to the full episode for the inside story of Operation Safed Sagar, Kargil, the Indian Air Force, MiG-21s and the making of the Netflix series.

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Before Ishwak Singh became Imran Ansari in Paatal Lok and Dr Vikram Sarabhai in Rocket Boys, he was an architect designing schools, hotels and even his own house. He was also doing unpaid theatre in Delhi and appearing in film montages that his own friends struggled to spot.

In this episode of Cyrus Says, Ishwak talks about leaving architecture for acting, his blink-and-miss appearances in Raanjhanaa and Tamasha, learning from Manoj Bajpayee on Aligarh and finally finding his breakthrough with Paatal Lok.

He also reveals how Made in Heaven changed his dating life, teaches Cyrus some sign language from Berlin, discusses playing Taapsee Pannu’s husband in Gandhari and shares details about his upcoming projects, including the film during which he fractured his foot.

Expect architecture, Delhi fights, dating apps, martial arts, Cyrus’s questionable sign language and a particularly chaotic round of Cyrus Lies.

Watch the full episode now!

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Comedian Aakash Mehta joins Cyrus Broacha for another chaotic edition of Cock & Bull with Cyrus, covering everything from shampoo smuggling and European tour logistics to comedy controversies, Test cricket and Indian politics.

Aakash talks about travelling to London, Oslo and Amsterdam, carrying suspiciously specific gifts for friends abroad, and why Indians inevitably become international couriers for snacks, shampoo and other home comforts.

The conversation then turns to Samay Raina and India’s Got Latent, with Cyrus and Aakash debating outrage, offensive comedy and why making jokes about cultural differences can sometimes bring people closer rather than push them apart.

They also get into Mumbai restaurant hygiene and food inspections, Tukaram Mundhe’s enforcement drive, Indo-Chinese food, the decline of patient Test batting, Pakistan’s missing fast bowlers, Imran Khan, Bihar paying influencers to promote government schemes, Bengaluru traffic cops, VIP culture, PDA laws and the strange things politicians manage to get away with.

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