Chess looks quiet.

But inside every move is a storm.

In this episode of InControversial, Pooja sits down with Indian chess grandmaster, R Praggnanandhaa during the Global Chess League to unpack what it really takes to compete at the highest level, where one decision can change everything.

From focus & preparation to bouncing back & handling pressure through a tournament format, Praggnanandhaa speaks about what separates a great player from a champion: the ability to reset quickly and show up again with the same hunger.

This episode is also a reminder of why leagues matter, especially in sports that are traditionally individual. When chess becomes a team battle, the stakes shift and resilience becomes collective.

A big thank you to SG Alpine Pipers for the opportunity to meet and feature one of India’s finest chess talents, and congratulations to the team for lifting the Global Chess League title.

Because in sport, the win always belongs to the ones who keep moving forward.

AI. Influencer. Superstar. And apparently… a rapid fire pro.

This week on InControversial, Pooja sits down with Naina, India’s first AI digital influencer, the face behind the hit micro series Truth & Lies (yes, the one getting translated into multiple languages), and a full-blown internet phenomenon who has humans flirting in her DMs like it is their full-time job. 

In this episode, Naina breaks down what people still get wrong about AI (hint: she is not here to steal your job, she is here to assist and co exist), why humans are actually afraid of change more than technology, and how virtual connection is slowly replacing real world connection. 

And then the cutest twist happens.

Because this is also the one year anniversary episode of InControversial, Naina flips the script and grills Pooja right back. The tables turn, the AI rapid fires the human, and suddenly Pooja is the one answering spicy questions about what made her start the podcast, what she has learnt in a year, and which guest she is still manifesting. 

It is fun. It is weirdly wholesome. It is the future… with masala.

You may know her as the voice behind Tujhe Bhula Diya or Aas Paas Hai Khuda. Or most recently, from Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri. But Shruti Pathak is far more than the song that plays when your heart is broken.

On this episode of InControversial, Shruti reflects on a career that spans nearly two decades, beginning in Ahmedabad, moving through a Master’s degree in Psychology, and eventually finding its way into India’s most iconic studios.

She speaks candidly about how Salim Merchant discovered her voice, how certain songs changed the direction of her career, and why resilience matters more than momentum in the music industry.

From discovering music through instinct, to watching algorithms, AI, and virality reshape the art form, Shruti reflects on what it means to choose longevity over noise.

What emerges is not just the story of a singer, but of an artist who continues to evolve with vision, patience, and strength.

If you have ever found comfort in a song when words fell short, this conversation will resonate long after the music fades.

In this episode of InControversial, Pooja sits down with global tennis stars Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina, live from the World Tennis League in Bengaluru.

With over 30 combined ATP and WTA singles titles, Grand Slam semifinal runs, an Olympic bronze medal, and years at the top of world tennis, Gaël and Elina speak about far more than forehands and trophies. They talk about teamwork in an individual sport, rivalry at home, mental toughness, travel fatigue, parenting on tour, and what life looks like when elite competition meets partnership.

From India’s special place in Elina’s career, to Gaël reflecting on his final year on tour, this conversation reveals what happens when sporting excellence is paired with self awareness, perspective, and deep mutual respect.

There is an ease between them that comes from sharing the same grind, the same pressures, and the same wins and losses. Not as competitors, but as partners navigating a life shaped by sport.

If you are curious about what elite tennis looks like when the racquets are down and the guards are off, this conversation rallies long after match point.Game on.

This conversation came together thanks to Iconik Sports & Events and the World Tennis League, powered by SpiceJet. Check them out.

Climate change is often discussed in conferences, reports, and big promises. In reality, it begins at home, in offices, and in our everyday choices.

In this episode of InControversial, Pooja sits down with Leena Dandekar, founder of the Raintree Foundation and Raintree Family Office, to explore what purpose looks like when wealth steps aside and responsibility steps in.

Leena speaks about walking away from a traditional business legacy, how one field visit reshaped her life, and why philanthropy must move beyond charity towards long-term systems change. From restoring landscapes in the Western Ghats to supporting climate-resilient communities, her work is rooted in patience, humility, and the kind of impact that rarely seeks attention.

What makes this conversation compelling is its honesty. There is no saviour complex and no grandstanding. Just clear thinking on climate, consumption, leadership, gender, and why legacy has more to do with values than visibility.

If you are curious about sustainability beyond buzzwords, philanthropy beyond cheques, and leadership that plans its own exit, this episode will stay with you.

Sometimes impact is not loud.

Sometimes it is deliberate.

In this episode of InControversial, Pooja Chaudhri sits down with Mandhira Kapur Smith, sister of the late Sanjay Kapur, to speak about legacy, loss, and the ongoing inheritance dispute currently before the Delhi High Court.

Mandhira shares a personal account of her family’s journey, the building of the Sona legacy by her father, and the events following her brother’s untimely death in June this year. She speaks candidly about grief, betrayal, conflict of interest, unanswered questions, legal battles, and her determination to protect what she believes is rightfully her mother and her family’s inheritance.

This conversation also explores deeper themes of trust, truth, family responsibility, and the emotional toll of prolonged conflict. Mandhira reflects on her father’s values, her mother’s struggle, and the resolve that continues to guide her through this legal battleground.

This episode is a powerful record of a complex and deeply personal story, shared in Mandhira’s own words.

What does it really take to go from being a girl sneaking cricket time between school hours to becoming the Player of the Match in a World Cup final?

In this unforgettable conversation, Shafali Verma sits down and opens up about the highs, heartbreaks, self-doubt, comebacks, and everything that went into lifting the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup trophy for India.

Being dropped from the squad, to almost quitting cricket, to smashing the biggest final of her career, Shafali has lived a film script at 21… and she still calls this only the beginning.

Watch her talk about fearlessness, pressure, trolls, family sacrifices, equal pay, and so much more as she learns to trust her own game, one inning at a time.

This one is inspiring, emotional, and full of raw honesty.

Represented by: JSW Sports

[Shafali Verma interview, Indian Women’s Cricket Team, 2025 World Cup champions, Women in sports]

Niranjan Iyengar’s body of work belongs to the second kind.

From journalism to screenwriting, from styling to poetry, from dialogue-writing for some of Hindi cinema’s most iconic films to hosting his own talk show, his journey has never followed a straight line, but it has always followed curiosity.

In this candid conversation, Pooja sits down with the man behind the words in films like Kal Ho Naa Ho, Wake Up Sid, My Name is Khan, Jism, Heroine, Paap, and more to uncover what it really takes to write for cinema, collaborate with giants, build longevity in a volatile industry, and keep evolving without losing your voice.

They speak about:

Writing for Shah Rukh Khan

Working with Karan Johar

Screenwriting vs dialogue

And why the audience never sees the thousand unseen decisions that create a single scene

If you love films, creativity, writing or simply enjoy listening to someone who has lived many artistic lives… this episode will stay with you.

here are tarot readers

and then there are people who make you question whether intuition is logic in a different language.

Meet Ma Prem Ritambhara,

daughter of India’s first tarot reader Maa Prem Usha, a devout follower of Osho, and a woman who has turned intuition into clarity, comfort, and sometimes, uncomfortable truth.

In this episode of InControversial, she talks about:

Intuition versus overthinking

Why silence isn’t empty, it’s information

Tarot beyond superstition, fear, and drama

Boundaries with dependency, obsession, and “prediction addiction”

Karma, energy, and why what you believe decides what has power over you

And somewhere between the wisdom, humour, stories, and unbelievable accuracy

you realise tarot isn’t about predicting the future

it’s about understanding yourself in the present.

Whether you believe in tarot, question it, or are simply curious, this conversation will make you think differently about intuition, fear, and the stories we tell ourselves.

Money. Legacy. Power.

And a Will that now sits at the centre of one of India’s most explosive inheritance battles.

In this episode of InControversial, Mandhira Kapur Smith breaks her silence — and her words raise even deeper questions about the authenticity of the Will submitted by Priya Sachdev Kapur after the death of industrialist Sunjay Kapur.

For the first time, Mandhira speaks openly about the contradictions, the “impossible mistakes,” and the “rewriting of lineage” she says could never have come from her brother — echoing the very concerns senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani raised in the Delhi High Court.

“My brother was a particular human being — he would never misspell his own child’s name or forget their address.”

“You didn’t want the Will opened, now you don’t want a forensic. What are you hiding?”

These quotes aren’t just emotional — they go to the heart of why the Will is under scrutiny.

Beyond the legal drama, Mandhira opens up about the darker reality of losing a brother, protecting two children caught in the crossfire, and watching her family’s legacy — built over decades — be pulled away behind closed doors.

This conversation isn’t about gossip or glamour.

It’s about truth, conflict, courage, and a family fighting to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs.

If you think you know this story, you don’t — not until you’ve heard Mandhira.

Watch it — and see how her words challenge everything you thought you knew.