Cyrus Says

Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, legendary lyricist Mehboob joins Cyrus Broacha to look back at the stories behind some of the most memorable music of the ’90s and 2000s.Mehboob talks about how meeting Ram Gopal Varma changed his career, waiting two years before finally getting the call for Rangeela, and beginning a long creative partnership with A.R. Rahman. He shares what it was like writing through the night in Chennai, how Rahman reacts to words and phonetics, and why writing lyrics is very different from writing poetry.  

He also opens up about working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, his early journey with Ismail Darbar, the struggles behind becoming a film lyricist, and why a Bollywood song needs to be understood by millions without losing its depth. Mehboob also talks about his friendship with Adnan Sami and their new song Ishq Tamasha, while sharing stories from decades of working with some of Indian cinema’s biggest filmmakers and composers.
 
 Listen to this full episode of Cyrus Says for Mehboob on A.R. Rahman, Rangeela, Ram Gopal Varma, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Adnan Sami, Bollywood music, songwriting and the stories behind iconic Hindi film songs. 

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, automotive journalist Cyrus Dhabhar joins Cyrus Broacha for a full-throttle conversation about cars, speed, EVs, hybrids and the madness of driving in India.

Cyrus Dhabhar talks about growing up in a motoring family, how his father helped develop the Mahindra Thar, his own collection of 12 cars, and his journey through Autocar, ZigWheels, NDTV and Top Gear India. He also breaks down whether EVs are actually better than petrol cars, why hybrids could be a great option in India, and names some of the best cars he has ever driven, including the Ferrari 296, Lamborghini and Land Rover Defender OCTA. 

They also get into the real reason the Tata Nano failed, why Cyrus Dhabhar hates the Ambassador, the story behind Lamborghini taking on Ferrari, Indian driving habits and why dashcams should probably be mandatory.    

Listen to this full episode of Cyrus Says for cars, automotive journalism, EVs, hybrids, Mahindra Thar, Ferrari, Lamborghini and plenty of motoring stories.

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Comedian Punit Pania joins Cyrus for another chaotic edition of Cock & Bull, where political commentary, terrible jokes and the absurdities of everyday India collide.

The episode begins with Cyrus revealing that his wife has blamed Punit for the increasingly questionable humour on the podcast, forcing Punit to defend his reputation as a “clean” political comic. From there, the conversation moves through Indian politics, the Modi Chalisa event at Delhi’s Press Club, Vande Mataram, standing ovations, Mumbai street food and the crackdown on food colouring.

Punit and Cyrus also get into Gen Z work culture, after an intern reportedly prioritises the gym over a 9 AM court appearance, before discussing bizarre luxury fashion, surrogate advertising, AI-generated wedding videos, infrastructure, corruption and what Cyrus would do if he ran the PWD.

Along the way: expensive bags without chips, AI finding lost Crocs, political posters, dangerous food, Bengaluru audiences, Kandivali pride and a deeply unnecessary conversation about piles.

It’s political comedy, Indian news and classic Cyrus Says chaos with Punit Pania.

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, Ruhee Dosani talks about her journey from working regular jobs in the US to becoming one of India’s biggest digital creators and a finalist on Alliance. She opens up about moving to the US at 17, working at Dunkin’ Donuts, Amazon and in tech, and how creating videos during COVID unexpectedly changed her life.

Ruhee shares how Diljit Dosanjh reposting one of her early videos gave her a major push, eventually leading to collaborations with Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. She also talks about what it was really like inside Alliance, making it to the Top 3, bonding with contestants like Minnie Mathur and dealing with the pressure of living inside the show for 42 days.She also reveals a surprising side of herself, including her love for MMA, Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu, and why she would happily do another strategy or challenge-based reality show.

Listen to the full episode of Cyrus Says for Ruhee Dosani on Alliance, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Diljit Dosanjh, reality TV, content creation and her journey from a 9-to-5 job to social media fame.

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, casting director, actor and creator Karan Mally joins Cyrus Broacha for a hilarious conversation about what really happens behind the scenes of Bollywood casting.

Karan talks about working on projects like The Archies, Gully Boy, Made in Heaven, Dahaad and The Ba**ds of Bollywood, and explains how actors are auditioned, shortlisted, rejected and sometimes called back several times before finally landing a role. He also reveals what it was like working with Aryan Khan, who had a clear vision for even the smallest characters in The Ba**ds of Bollywood.
He shares the chaos of casting nearly 300 characters for Made in Heaven, including last-minute recasting calls at 4 AM, and looks back at how theatre helped him build the network that eventually led him into casting.

Karan also gets candid about leaving his long-time casting partnership, feeling disillusioned with the film industry, starting again on his own and how working on Musafir Cafe helped him rediscover his love for his work during a difficult phase in his personal life.
From Bollywood auditions and nepotism to Aryan Khan, expensive movie tickets, divorce, therapy and Cyrus trying to get himself cast in everything, this one goes everywhere.

Listen to this the full episode of Cyrus Says for an unfiltered look inside the world of Bollywood casting.

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On this episode of Cyrus Says: Cock & Bull, Cyrus Broacha is joined by Shantanu Anam for a characteristically unfiltered conversation that moves from male grooming and home haircuts to Bollywood, Indian podcast culture, music rivalries and everything in between.

Shantanu explains the surprisingly elaborate grooming routine he gets at home, before the conversation spirals into impressions of Ranveer Allahbadia and Raj Shamani, the strange language of hustle culture, and what exactly the Cyrus Says podcast would look like if it suddenly became serious.

The duo also dive into films and pop culture, discussing Awarapan, Emraan Hashmi, Bollywood sequels, box-office clashes and the legacy of movies that become cult favourites years after release. Later, they get into the long-running Honey Singh–Badshah rivalry, Punjabi music and a viral India’s Got Latent reference.

Expect Cyrus and Shantanu doing what they do best: derailing every serious topic within seconds.

Featuring: Cyrus Broacha & Shantanu Anam

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Cybersecurity expert, author and IIT Kharagpur graduate Amit Dubey joins Cyrus Broacha on Cyrus Says for a hilarious and fascinating conversation about hacking, cybercrime, online scams and the mindset of young hackers.

Amit takes us back to his IIT days, when an experiment involving a cloned Yahoo login page got him barred from the computer lab, before a professor recognised his skills and introduced him to ethical hacking and network security.

The conversation moves from legendary hackers and teenage cyber prodigies to one of India’s most alarming online frauds: the “digital arrest” scam. Amit breaks down how scammers impersonate police officers, create fake government and Supreme Court websites, use video calls to intimidate victims, and convince people to transfer money under the threat of arrest.

Along the way, Amit also talks about his early love for writing and poetry, his books The Hidden Files and The Return of the Trojan Horse, and why curiosity and fearlessness can make young people exceptionally good with technology.

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Welcome to Cyrus Says!

On this episode of Cyrus Says, Sikandar Kher joins Cyrus Broacha for a hilarious and wide-ranging conversation about films, family, golf, friendships and his journey through the entertainment industry.Sikandar talks about his recent run of projects, including Monkey Man, Citadel, Ikkis, Glory and his upcoming work. He recalls getting the rare opportunity to drive a T-72 tank while shooting Ikkis, discusses working internationally and shares why he jumped at the chance to work with the Wachowskis on Sense8.  

The conversation also gets personal as Sikandar talks about his long friendship with Abhishek Bachchan and the connection between their families. He also addresses the advantages that come with having access in the film industry, admitting that connections can help open doors while ultimately leaving the work to the actor. 

From his obsession with golf and working with Ajit Agarkar to upcoming projects alongside Rajkummar Rao and conversations about Bollywood, international cinema and life as an actor, this episode is classic Cyrus Says chaos.

Listen to the full episode for Sikandar Kher at his funniest, most candid and completely unfiltered.

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Varun Thakur joins Cyrus Broacha on Cyrus Says for a freewheeling conversation packed with comedy, everyday absurdities, Mumbai-style chaos and plenty of unexpected detours.

From the very beginning, Cyrus and Varun bounce between stories, jokes and observations with almost no regard for staying on topic. One particularly memorable tangent involves living 17 floors up, a lift that refuses to cooperate and the awkward economics of ordering food when the delivery person has to make the climb.

The conversation eventually moves into cricket, with Cyrus and Varun trading opinions, jokes and the kind of sporting banter that quickly turns into something much bigger than the original question.

Expect spontaneous comedy, ridiculous hypotheticals, relatable city-life frustrations and the trademark chaos of a Cyrus Says conversation.

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What will Indian cities look like in 2035? More cars, more traffic and more pollution, or cleaner, safer and easier to move around?

On this episode of Cyrus Says, Cyrus Broacha speaks with Amit Bhatt, who leads the India work at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), about the future of mobility in India.

Amit breaks down why electric vehicles are gaining momentum, whether EV range and charging anxiety are justified, why housing societies need to rethink charging infrastructure, and what India can learn from countries such as Norway, China and Nepal.

The conversation goes beyond EVs into the bigger problem of Indian cities: traffic congestion, poor pedestrian infrastructure, unsafe cycling, parking, road design, public transport and the way traffic itself is managed.

They also discuss vehicle emissions, the limitations of current PUC testing, congestion pricing, low-emission zones, electric buses and trucks, hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, EV incentives and what a realistic transition towards cleaner transport could look like.

Plus, Cyrus proposes the cheapest traffic solution of them all: work from home.

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