Kitaab Kaulum

Husband-and-wife-team, Danish Khan and Ruhi Khan share details of how London has emerged as a safe haven for those who want to escape the law in India in this 10th episode of Cineink podcast Kitaab Kaulum, presented by Achala Sharma.

In the podcast they highlight some of the cases covered in their book, Escaped:True Stories of Indian Fugitives in London, published by Penguin India. The book tells the stories of billionaire VIJAY MALLYA, diamond dealer NIRAV MODI, cricket bookie SANJEEV CHAWLA, music director NADEEM SAIFI, drug lord IQBAL MIRCHI and terror accused HANIF PATEL, paedophile RAYMOND VARLEY, NRI parents ARTI DHIR and KAVAL RAIJADA, alleged spy RAVI SHANKARAN, artefacts dealers NARANG BROTHERS, industrialists DHARMA JAYANTI TEJA and MUBARAK ALI AHMED.

In the trivia on books, broadcaster Mamta Gupta lists some of the top literary awards of India.

The 9th episode of Cineink podcast series 'Kitaab Kaulum' features a debut novel in Hindi 'Bisat Par Jugnu' by Vandana Rag.

Published by Rajkamal Publications, the novel covers a canvas from the 1840s to the beginning of 21st century. "Bisat Par Jugnu challenges the narrow definition of nationalism as it portrays how all sections of the society including Muslims, Dalits and women participated in the first battle of independence in 1857," says Vandana Rag while discussing her novel with Achala Sharma in this episode.

In the trivia on books, broadcaster Mamta Gupta looks at the top literary awards of the world.

'Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi: The Wonderful World Of Urdu Ghazals' by Anisur Rahman, a former professor of English at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, features in the 8th episode of Cineink Podcast 'Kitaab Kaulum'. The book is the first ever comprehensive collection of Urdu ghazals from its beginning in the 16th century to the present times.

Published in English by Harper Collins India, the book shortlists 65 poets from 7 literary periods. Broadcaster Achala Sharma talks to Prof. Anisur Rahman about the book and asks how difficult it was to translate ghazals into English, keeping the rhyme and rhythm of the ghazal intact.

In the trivia on books, broadcaster Mamta Gupta lists the most prominent book festivals in the world.

When journalist Taran Khan arrives in Kabul, she uncovers a place that defies her expectations. Her wanderings in Kabul reveal a fragile city in a state of flux: stricken by near-constant war, but flickering with the promise of peace; governed by age-old codes but experimenting with new modes of living.

Taran Khan shares her experience of writing 'Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul', with broadcaster Achala Sharma in this 7th episode of Cineink Podcast, Kitaab Kaulum. Winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award 2021, Shadow City has been published by Vintage, Penguin Random House India.

In the weekly trivia on books, Pervaiz Alam lists some of the best known travelogues written in English, Hindi and Urdu.

Cineink Podcast Kitaab Kaulum features the US-based broadcaster, Subhash Vohra, and his auto-biographical book 'JOURNEY OF A BROADCASTER', highlighting 50 years of his working with All India Radio, Deutsche Welle, BBC and VOA. Vohra shares anecdotes and experiences of his globe-trotting career as a radio man in this 6th EP of Kitaab Kaulum, a podcast about books and their authors, presented by broadcaster Achala Sharma.

In the trivia on books, Pervaiz Alam focusses on some of the most talked-about auto biographies.

Alka Saraogi, recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for her debut novel Kalikatha, Via Bypass, shares experience of writing her latest Hindi novel 'Kulbhushan Ka Naam Darj Kijiye' with broadcaster Achala Sharma in Cineink podcast Kitaab Kaulum, episode 05.

Published by Vani Prakashan, ‘Kulbhushan Ka Naam Darj Kijiye’ focusses on the trauma and nostalgic journey of migration through the story of Kulbhushan Jain, who migrates to India from Bangladesh before 1971.

In the trivia section on books, Pervaiz Alam discovers the longest novel ever written. The focus is on Marcel Proust's epic novel À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time), in seven parts, published in French as from 1913 to 1927.

Hindi novelist Bhagwandass Morwal discusses his latest novel 'Khanzada' with broadcaster Achala Sharma in Cineink podcast Kitaab Kaulum, episode 04.

Published by Rajkamal Prakashan, Morwal's Khanzada portrays political and social events in Mewat, India, from the 14th century rule of Feroz Shah Tughlak to the beginning of Moghul Babur's tussle with Mewar's ruler, Rana Sanga. The novel focusses on the Mewati chieftains, namely the Khanzadas, and in particular, Hasan Khan Mewati, who fought alongside Rana Sanga against Babur.

In another segment, Pervaiz Alam lists some of the most famous books that were banned due to various controversies.

Cineink Podcast 'Kitaab Kaulum' Ep 03 features an exclusive interview with Shrabani Basu about her critically acclaimed book: The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer: Arthur Conan Doyle, George Edalji and the Case of the Foreigner in the English Village, published by Bloomsbury in March, 2021.

Shrabani shares fascinating details about her life and process of writing with broadcaster Achala Sharma.

Shrabani is a Sunday Times best-selling author. Her book 'Victoria & Abdul' was adapted into a major motion picture by Oscar-nominated Director, Stephen Frears, featuring Judy Dench and Ali Fazal.

In the weekly trivia on books, Pervaiz Alam names 10 most expensive books of all time.

Presented by broadcaster Achala Sharma, the 2nd Ep of Cineink Hindi Podcast Series 'Kitaab Kaulum' features conversations with academic Saba Mahmood Bashir about Women of Prey, her English translation of legendary Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto’s Shikari Auratein, a collection of short stories. Published in 1955, these are the stories about women who are flirtatious and bold, and set out to achieve what they desire, unabashedly.

The last segment of the programme consists of a trivia on books. Pervaiz Alam finds out the bestselling novel of all time, selling more than 500 million books!
Music courtesy: Life by Geovane Bruno at Pixabay.

The Politician, a political thriller in English, is a debut novel written by the Delhi-based broadcaster and journalist, Devesh Verma. Published by Penguin India in Feb, 2021, the novel begins at the peak of Nehruvian era and ends in the early seventies. Author Devesh Verma joins Achala Sharma in a question and answer session about the novel.

The last segment of the programme consists of a trivia on books. In this episode, Pervaiz Alam talks about the first ever book that was printed on paper. Music courtesy: Life by Geovane Bruno at Pixabay.