Qisse Kahaniyaan

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Qisse Kahaniyaan episodes

April 17, 2025From Outlaw to Icon: Phoolan Devi’s Story | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast
She was born into oppression. She rose in defiance. Phoolan Devi was not just a woman—she was a storm. Branded a criminal, hailed as a warrior, she walked the razor’s edge between vengeance and justice, fear and reverence.
From a child bride to a feared dacoit, from a prison cell to the Indian Parliament—Phoolan’s life was a tale of survival, rebellion, and an unbreakable will. They called her the ‘Bandit Queen,’ but she was far more than that. She was a woman who refused to be erased, a force that demanded to be reckoned with.
In this gripping dramatized episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, Phoolan Devi speaks.
Through the voice of an artist, she tells her own story—raw, unfiltered, and unapologetic. Alternating between her words and the anchor’s narration, we relive a saga that shook the nation.
Step into the legend of Phoolan Devi and uncover:
The brutal injustices that turned a village girl into a feared outlaw.
Her reign over the Chambal ravines, where she became both savior and terror.
Massacre that made her a symbol of vengeance and resistance.
Her shocking transformation—from fugitive to elected leader of the people.
Was Phoolan Devi a criminal or a revolutionary? A bandit or a queen?
Her story isn’t just history—it’s a legend carved in blood and fire.

Anchor & Script: Athar Rather
Voice of Phoolan Devi: Shelly Walia
Sound Design: Athar Rather
Executive Producers: Ritu Kapur, Shelly Walia

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19 min
April 10, 2025 Safdar Hashmi: Art, Activism, and a Lasting Legacy | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast
Some artists perform. Safdar Hashmi provoked. A playwright, poet, and activist, he didn’t just tell stories—he fought battles with them. As the founder of Jana Natya Manch (JANAM), he wielded theatre as a weapon, crafting bold, politically charged performances that laid bare corruption, inequality, and exploitation during Indira Gandhi's era.
His art was defiant. And on January 1, 1989, he paid the ultimate price for it—murdered mid-performance for daring to speak truth to power.
In this dramatised episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, the spirit of Safdar Hashmi returns—his voice, his struggle, his unwavering fire—brought to life through a powerful performance.
As Safdar narrates his story alternating with Alif's storytelling, we trace the journey of a man who never backed down.
Was Safdar Hashmi merely a playwright, or the voice of a revolution?
His words ignited minds, his stage was the streets, and his legacy still echoes.
Tune in to hear his story.

Anchor & Script: Athar Rather
Voice of Safdar Hashmi: Siddharth Sarathe
Sound Design: Athar Rather
Executive Producers: Ritu Kapur, Shelly Walia

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20 min
April 03, 2025 SHIV KUMAR BATALVI: The Poet Who Lived His Verses | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast
In this dramatised episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, Shiv Kumar Batalvi returns through the voice of an artist, narrating his own life. Blending poetic melancholy with an anchor’s narration, the episode takes you on a journey through his celebrated yet turbulent existence. A rebellious spirit, he defied societal norms, challenging conventions with his impassioned and often controversial themes. But behind his literary brilliance lay an inner turmoil—an anguish that ultimately led to his untimely demise, cementing his legacy as an immortal voice in Punjabi literature.

His meteoric rise to fame was driven by Loona, the epic verse play that captivated readers and earned him the distinction of being the youngest recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award. Was Shiv Kumar Batalvi a poet cursed by love, or a misunderstood dreamer chasing the unattainable?

Tune in to experience his story—raw, poetic, and unforgettable.

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30 min
March 27, 2025 M. F. HUSAIN: BEYOND THE CANVAS | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast
Few artists have shaped modern Indian art like Maqbool Fida Husain (M.F. Husain)—a painter whose bold strokes told stories of beauty, culture, and controversy. Known as the ‘Picasso of India’, Husain’s life was a canvas filled with triumphs and trials, adored by some and criticised by others.
In this dramatised episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, we bring Husain’s voice to life through a skilled artist, letting him narrate his own journey.
Step into the world of M.F. Husain and discover:
His rise from painting Bollywood posters to becoming India’s most celebrated modern artist.
The vibrant and thought-provoking artworks that made him a legend.
The controversies that led to legal battles, protests, and eventual exile.
His journey from India to Qatar, and the unbreakable spirit of an artist who refused to be silenced.
Was M.F. Husain a fearless visionary, a misunderstood genius, or both? Hear his story—raw, unfiltered, and as colourful as his art.

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27 min
March 20, 2025 Saadat Hasan Manto: Between The Lines | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast
Step into the world of Saadat Hasan Manto, the literary genius whose stories stirred hearts and sparked debates. In this episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, Manto, brought to life by a talented voice artist, narrates his own story—his rise to fame, the controversies that defined his life, and the legacy that endures.
Alternating between Manto’s evocative voice and the anchor’s compelling narration, this dramatised podcast takes you on an unforgettable journey:
Was Manto a rebel, a genius, or both? Hear his story, told the way only he could tell it—raw, unfiltered, and profoundly human.

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19 min
March 11, 2022 Aayinaa Part 3: A Time Capsule of Forgotten Stories
This is the story of an antique mirror that has lived through historical times.

Crafted by Ustaad Azhar Ali in Shahjahanabad, the mirror finds itself in royal possession when it's gifted by his creator to the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

But the glory of living in a Mughal court was short-lived.

In 1857, as Bahadur Shah Zafar's forces clashed with the British Army, the mirror flinches as the horror that is unleashed. The British manage to vanquish the Mughal Empire and Emperor is arrested and exiled to Rangoon.

The mirror too is lost and forgotten in a cellar. It is only in 1919, that it sees the first rays of light after it is taken out of a cellar and presented to its new owner General Dyer.

What happens next? Tune in this episode to find out.

About The Podcast

Stories are at the core of our living – we all love to hear stories but we also take refuge in the world of stories through the characters that we hear about, read, and watch.

We laugh when they laugh, feel their pain when they are sad and their first love... well, that reminds us of our own.

My name is Alif and I am a storyteller, and Qisse Kahaniyaan is my attempt to bring you some such memories wrapped in words, dressed in sound, and juiced with nostalgia and memories.

Voiceover and Production: Athar Rather

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20 min
March 04, 2022 Aayinaa Part 2: A Slice of History Preserved in Memory
Ustaad Azhar Ali, a talented craftsman of Shahjahanabad, wants to make a mirror – a masterpiece worthy enough to be presented before the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar during Shaan-e-Hindustan, an annual festival that is held in the city of Shahjahanabad.

In this episode, the mirror that now lies in the dusty corner of an antique shop in modern Delhi, narrates the story of how it found its new owner and also what happened in the year 1857.

The mirror catches the reflections of the best and the worst of those days and the story that unfolds in between.

Tune in to this episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan for more!

About the podcast

Stories are at the core of our living – we all love to hear stories but we also take refuge in the world of stories through the characters that we hear about, read, and watch.

We laugh when they laugh, feel their pain when they are sad and their first love... well, that reminds us of our own.

My name is Alif and I am a storyteller, and Qisse Kahaniyaan is my attempt to bring you some such memories wrapped in words, dressed in sound, and juiced with nostalgia and memories.

Voiceover: Athar Rather

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12 min
February 25, 2022 Aayinaa Part 1: Reflections of The Time Bygone
An old mirror lies in a dusty corner of an antique shop in New Delhi's Janpath Market.

Over the years it has passed through many hands and although the mirror has lost its sheen now, it has seen a lot of history.

In this episode, the mirror tells us the story of its maker Azhar Ali — a skilled but poor carpenter who used to reside in the city of Shahjahanabad.

Tune in!

About the Podcast

Stories are at the core of our living – we all love to hear stories but we also take refuge in the world of stories through the characters that we hear about, read, and watch.

We laugh when they laugh, feel their pain when they are sad and their first love... well, that reminds us of our own.

My name is Alif and I am a storyteller, and Qisse Kahaniyaan is my attempt to bring you some such memories wrapped in words, dressed in sound, and juiced with nostalgia and memories.

Voiceover: Athar Rather

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12 min
February 18, 2022 Candyman: Temptations and Curiosity of a School Boy
Pappu, a 9-year-old boy, is intrigued by a man who he sees distributing candies to children outside his school.

Even though he resists his temptations, his curiosity grows. While he is skeptical of approaching a stranger, he also wonders why this man is giving away free candies to all his friends?

Will he make a move for it, or will he remember the 'stranger danger' rule?

Tune in to this episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan Season 2.

About This Podcast

Stories are at the core of our living – we all love to hear stories but we also take refuge in the world of stories through the characters that we hear about, read and watch.

We laugh when they laugh, feel their pain when they are sad and their first love... well, that reminds us of our own.

My name is Alif and I am a storyteller, and Qisse Kahaniyaan is my attempt to bring you some such memories wrapped in words, dressed in sound, and juiced with nostalgia and memories.

Stay tuned!

Story by: Rohan Puri
Voiceover: Athar Rather

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15 min
February 11, 2022 Librarian Part 2: When the Lines of Partition Cut Across Books
As the subcontinent is set to be divided in two separate nations – Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, Amarjeet, a librarian in the small town of Amritsar gets a notice that his library will also be partitioned much like every other thing.

The task of separating the books becomes an emotionally taxing situation for him personally, for he must choose which book will go to which country.

How is Amarjeet going to decide about the fate of books? What is going to happen to the library?

Tune in to find out in this episode.

VO and Writing: Athar Rather

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11 min

About Qisse Kahaniyaan

From the publisher's feed

There is a special place in our memory for our first love. We cherish that sweetness of festivals when we were growing up. A song from the 90s invokes many a colourful memories. The smell of the first…