Storytalking with Lakshya

Over the last weekend, I got to be a part of a lot of ideas, discussions, and stories as a speaker and mentor at Startup Weekend Amsterdam 2019. In this episode (#80) of Storytalking with Lakshya, I break down what I learned over the weekend, and why I chose to learn what I have learned over the last 5 years of running Launchora. And it all starts with one question...

Live from Amsterdam, I present to you episode #79 of Storytalking With Lakshya, where I talk about the difference between writing and typing, how much I’ve done of both during this trip, why traveling is like experiencing “alternative narratives”, and how I write and put together a speech or talk (something I will be doing this Friday, March 29 in Amsterdam during Techstars Startup Weekend).

I spent this past week in the deepest depths of the storytelling multi-verse. Along with me for this ride are a bunch of movies, some screenplays, and a couple of my past selves. This episode (#77) is quite literally "Storytalking with Lakshyas".

Theatre, improvisation, reliving stories from your life from someone else's perspective, new words for old stories, writing a new story for old friends - there's quite a lot to unpack in episode 77 of Storytalking With Lakshya.

"Maybe love is a virus. And we're the carriers." I'm back (because I wanted to be) with a new episode of our (that's you and I / hum tum) ongoing Dual Stories series where I talk to you about how I'm putting together a story. Some big decisions are made in this episode (#75 of Storytalking!) - including the structure of the dual stories, the *final* (mostly) rules of Universe 1, and (surprisingly) how exactly the story in Universe 2 will work. I also contemplate if the universe we live in right now is immortal and just how insignificant we (and all our actions) are.

“Theatre is about energy. It’s about the audience being curious and generous to the actors… that’s how the magical moments happen.” In episode #74 of Storytalking with Lakshya, I sat down with Quasar Thakore Padamsee, aka 'Q' - renowned theatre director and producer, co-founder of QTP (a theatre and arts production company), and curator of TATA Literature Live. I ask Q about how he got into theatre, what led him to co-create QTP and Thespo (a youth theatre collective run by people under 25, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary), how he chooses the stories he wants to tell, what makes theatre the most authentic medium for a storyteller to use to communicate with their audience, and how the art form is being reconceptualized, and recontextualized, by the playwrights of today.

“Good journalism is about bringing down people in power who have done wrong things. But ironically, good journalism makes you very powerful.” My guest this week, Ravi Shankar Etteth (who said the above quote) is a seasoned journalist and author. I sat down with Ravi at his house in Delhi, to talk about his latest novel ‘Killing Time In Delhi’. We talk about how Ravi got into journalism, what drew him to writing fiction, how the idea of this latest book came to him, how he finds humanity in his characters, and how he manages to have fun while doing all of it. You can order Ravi’s book on Amazon. 

Is vulnerability a strength or a weakness? Is love a problem or a solution? Is immortality a gift or a curse? Those are just some of the things I talk about in this episode (#72) as I take my ‘Dual Stories’ concept to the next level and work on my characters, their backstories, and why their journeys are worth following. I also share some of the first draft of dialogue I wrote. Come for the writing process, stay for the fun of thinking about what it would be like if you were immortal.

“This book is an homage to our country’s rich culinary heritage and diversity.” - Shashi Tharoor said that about 'Bhagwaan Ke Pakwaan: Food Of The Gods’. In episode #71 of Storytalking, Lakshya sat down with the authors of the book, Varud Gupta and Devang Singh. The authors talk about their individual journeys that led to this milestone in their lives, how they pitched the book to Penguin (their publisher), what led to their multi-city, multi-culture, multi-cuisine tour of India to create the book, how they created the unique recipes and photography featured in the book, and what they hope to make their readers feel when they experience this book. 'Bhagwaan Ke Pakwaan' is now available for pre-order on Amazon, and will be in bookstores at the end of January 2019.