Those who know Amrita Pritam’s work well also know of her checkered love life. Her unrequited love for Sahir Ludhiyanvi and the long loving decades she spent with her partner Imroz are no secret. Imroz, an artiste himself, always gave Amrita the respect and admiration that a great writer such as her deserved, keeping himself obscured in her shadows while she stood confident and alert in the limelight.

In her book Saat Sawal, Amrita Pritam interviewed artists from various fields. She also  interviewed Imroz . This interview is a glimpse into his thoughts on life and art, craft and religion. Her questions are direct and bare like her writing. His answers are calm and deep, like his love.

In the latest episode of my podcast, a memoir written by renowned actor Prithviraj Kapoor where he talks about his meeting with the formidable Hindi poet Nirala. Young Prithviraj and this theatre troupe were in Allahabad where the rebel poet led an almost bohemian life. Several giants of Hindi literature frequented gatherings at Nirala’s place and that is where young Prithviraj first met the poet.

Prithviraj Kapoor draws a picture of a time unthinkable for us today. This is a time when artists, actors, poets and writers had mutual respect and admiration for each other, that they let flow unabashedly. A time well before popularity became a blood sport and mediocrity could hide behind celebrity.

Listen to this if you like theatre, literature, films and that old city called Allahabad.

This episode was made in the midst of the Corona outbreak and while being confined indoors in quarantine.

Sharad Joshi is wondering when his guest, now having long overstayed his welcome, would leave. 

Corona, like the guest that overstayed, lingers on, eating away at our lives (if not our food...though in many cases that too metaphorically speaking!)

Enjoy this witty satire.

Sigh!

Harishankar Parsai employs his wit and imagination In this biting satire to create a world that was just as true in his times, as it is in ours. 

In this episode of StoryJam, a satire by noted writer Sharad Joshi.

StoryJam ke is episode mein Sharad Joshi dwara likhit ek hasya vyang.