In this episode of The Literature Lounge, journalist and author Herjinder Singh Sahni unpacks how technology quietly rewired Indian politics — long before most of us realised what was happening.

Through a sharp, deeply observed conversation, Herjinder traces his early encounters with the Anna Movement, street protests, and newsroom reporting — moments when he first sensed that smartphones were doing something more than just connecting people. 

He also explains how mobile phones, WhatsApp, and big data transformed campaigning into an industry of persuasion — one built on voter profiling, micro-targeting, and personalised messaging. He explains how backroom strategists replaced ground workers, voters began receiving different truths, and WhatsApp emerged as the least regulated force in Indian elections.

A conversation about power without faces, politics without streets, and why the most consequential campaigns now happen quietly — inside your phone.

What this episode is REALLY about

• Not social media as neutral tools.
• Not technology as progress alone.
• Not elections as public spectacle.

It’s about:

• How smartphones changed political mobilisation
• WhatsApp as the real battlefield of elections
• Big data, voter profiling, and personalised persuasion
• Digital polarisation and shrinking political plurality
• How misinformation scaled faster than regulation
• From pamphlet propaganda to algorithmic influence

If you’ve ever wondered how political messages reach you or how democracy is being reshaped without public consent — this episode will change how you look at your phone.

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In this episode of The Literature Lounge, Mohit Batra, third-generation bookseller and the mind behind Jaipur’s iconic Rajat Book Corner, speaks about what it really takes to keep an independent bookstore alive in a world driven by discounts, algorithms, and digital convenience.

Through a deeply personal and reflective conversation, Mohit shares how a single request for a book set his family’s journey into bookselling in motion — and how his father’s belief that “passion comes before business” shaped everything that followed. From opening a small bookstore in Jaipur in 1992 to watching it grow into a cultural hub for readers, writers, and thinkers, this episode traces how grief, love, and resilience built something far bigger than a shop.

Drawing from his own life, Mohit speaks about losing his mother, finding meaning through books, and creating reading communities without advertising budgets, social media reach, or corporate backing — just word of mouth, curiosity, and human connection. He also reflects on the neurological and emotional power of print, why holding a physical book changes the way we think, and why bookstores still matter in an age of endless screens.

A conversation about books beyond commerce, community beyond algorithms, and why reading is not just a habit — but a way of being.

• Not bookstores as nostalgia.
• Not reading as a hobby.
• Not business as numbers.

• Turning passion into a life’s work
• Building culture without marketing
• Why physical books shape how we think
• Creating community in a digital world
• Grief, legacy, and the quiet power of stories

If you’ve ever wondered why certain spaces feel alive — why some bookstores become sanctuaries — this episode offers insight, warmth, and perspective.

If this conversation made you think differently about books, reading, or community, share it with someone who still believes in the magic of a real bookstore.

Subscribe for conversations on literature, culture, and the lives built around stories — told with depth, warmth, and curiosity.

Music Credits:

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In this episode of The Literature Lounge, author, disability rights activist, and changemaker Preeti Monga shares her extraordinary journey of survival, self-discovery, and resilience — from losing her eyesight as a child to rebuilding her life after rejection, abuse, and repeated failures.

Through a deeply honest and moving conversation, Preeti reflects on what it means to grow up blind in India, to be thrown out of school without explanation, to navigate depression and suicidal thoughts,

and to find the courage to start again — not once, but many times. She speaks about abusive marriages, motherhood, financial dependence, and the long, painful process of reclaiming dignity and independence.

Drawing from her lived experience, Preeti talks about how self-learning, persistence, and an unshakeable belief in one’s own worth helped her become India’s first visually impaired aerobics instructor, and later go on to found Silver Linings Trust, an organisation working with blind women and girls across India.

A conversation about disability beyond pity, survival beyond victimhood, and building a life on your own terms — even when the world tells you it’s impossible.

• Not inspiration as a slogan.
• Not disability as tragedy.
• Not survival by luck.

It’s about:

• Growing up blind in a society built for sighted people

• Being denied education — and still choosing to learn

• Leaving abuse and choosing economic independence

• Motherhood, fear, and the decision to live

• Building self-worth when institutions fail you

If you’ve ever wondered what resilience looks like beyond motivational quotes — in its raw, messy, and human form — this episode offers honesty, courage, and perspective.

If this conversation moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear that survival is not weakness — it is strength in its most honest form.

Subscribe for conversations on literature, life stories, resilience, and social change — held with depth, compassion, and truth.

Music Credits:

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any opinions expressed by our guests on our Show and its associated platforms.

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In this episode of The Literature Lounge, children’s author Aanchal Bedi, author of A Day Full of Possibilities, speaks about why children’s stories need to do more than entertain — they need to empower.

Through a thoughtful and deeply personal conversation, Aanchal reflects on how a simple 15-page story about an ordinary school day can help children step out of fear, boredom, and helplessness, and into curiosity, courage, and possibility. She shares why this book, while written for children, is equally meant for parents and educators — the first role models children learn from.

Drawing from her lived experiences as a parent, healer and writer, Aanchal talks about introducing children to the power of asking questions — especially one transformative question: “What else is possible?” Rather than positioning children as passive recipients of circumstances, her work encourages them to ask, imagine, and co-create change.

A conversation about moving beyond victimhood, parenting with consciousness instead of control, and trusting children with more freedom than we think they can handle.

• Not children’s books as moral lessons.
• Not parenting driven by fear.
• Not change imposed from above.

It’s about:

• Children as capable creators, not passive recipients
• Why ‘A Day Full of Possibilities’ is written for adults as much as children
• Asking questions instead of reinforcing victim identities
• Turning everyday challenges into moments of imagination and agency
• Conscious parenting: replacing “be careful” with awareness and choice

Breaking emotional loops of fear, anxiety, and helplessness early

Learning from children instead of constantly moulding them

Healing, perspective shifts, and the tools of asking better questions

Education today: hands-on learning, curiosity, and holistic growth

Giving children back the freedom to trust themselves

If you’ve ever wondered how stories can gently shape a child’s inner world — without preaching, pressure, or perfection — this episode offers clarity, warmth, and insight.

If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a parent, teacher, or anyone who believes children don’t need to be fixed — they need to be trusted.

Subscribe for conversations on literature, learning, parenting, and consciousness — held with depth, compassion, and intention.

Music Credits:

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any opinions expressed by our guests on our Show and its associated platforms.

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In this episode of The Literature Lounge, author of ‘Tales of the Panchkanya’, Eika Chaturvedi Bannerjee, talks about the rich tapestry of feminine wisdom embodied by the Panchakanya – Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara, and Mandodari delving into the timeless tales of these legendary figures, revealing their profound influence on Indian mythology and cultural heritage. Through an engaging discussion, she sheds light on the virtues, challenges, and resilience of these extraordinary women, providing insights into their enduring legacy. 

Join us as we journey through history, uncovering the deep-rooted significance of the Panchakanya and their relevance in contemporary times.

Drawing from decades in the corporate world, rigorous engagement with ancient texts, and an intergenerational collaboration with her mother, Eika speaks about reclaiming mythology from moral simplification, restoring choice and consequence to women’s narratives, and making Indian wisdom relevant without diluting its depth.

A conversation about stories as living memory, feminism beyond binaries, and wisdom as a way of being—not belief.

• Not mythology as fantasy.
• Not feminism as a slogan.
• Not wisdom frozen in the past.

It’s about:

Panchakanya reimagined: Ahalya, Tara, Mandodari, Kunti, and Draupadi as agents of choice

The meaning of “Kanya”: Innocence, agency, and why purity narratives fail

Multiple truths in myth: How context reshapes stories across time

Feminism in Indian wisdom: Beyond victimhood, beyond binaries

Choice and consequence: Living fully with decisions made

Gender-agnostic themes: Rage, fidelity, power, withdrawal, and desire

Writing in Hindi: Language as access, authenticity, and cultural memory

Intergenerational storytelling: Mother–daughter perspectives in authorship

Corporate life to conscious purpose: Eika’s journey across her “three lives”

Ekam Resonance: Bringing ancient wisdom into contemporary leadership and life

If you’ve ever questioned the stories you were taught, wondered whose voices were softened or silenced, or felt the pull to return to wisdom without abandoning modernity—this episode offers rare clarity and courage.

If this conversation stayed with you, share it with someone who believes stories are meant to be questioned—not just inherited.

Subscribe for conversations on literature, culture, power, and consciousness—held with depth, nuance, and intention.

Music Credits:

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any opinions expressed by our guests on our Show and its associated platforms.

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This episode of The Literature Lounge is a quiet yet powerful reflection on work, leadership, and inner discipline.

In a deeply thoughtful conversation, author Richa Tilokani opens up about her unexpected journey into writing—one that didn’t begin with ambition, but with self-doubt, curiosity, and handwritten notes as she tried to make sense of Karm Yoga for herself. What started as a personal search slowly grew into her book, 7 Lessons of Karm Yoga, shaped by real questions about pressure, conflict, and imbalance in modern life. The book speaks gently but directly to anyone trying to find clarity and purpose while navigating the chaos of today’s world.

This is not a conversation about renunciation or retreat.

It is about living fully in the world—while managing the mind that moves through it.

A dialogue on ambition without hostility, leadership without ego, and success without burnout.

What this episode is REALLY about

Not motivation slogans.

Not spiritual bypassing.

Not productivity obsession.

It’s about:

* Writing by accident: How self-doubt delayed creativity, and curiosity unlocked it

* Karma Yoga explained simply: Why managing the mind matters more than managing people

* Mindset management: Befriending the mind instead of letting it dominate you

* The three gunas: How excess ambition and inertia harm society

* Unsustainable growth: When Rajoguna and Tamoguna overpower Satvaguna

* Detachment redefined: Letting go of ego, greed, anger—not family or responsibility

* Leadership with purpose: Why true leaders grow with their teams and communities

* Work-life balance: Why overwork is as harmful as underwork

* Ego-driven conflict: From workplaces to politics

* Vasudeva Kutumbakam: Why collective success matters more than individual gain

* Ancient wisdom for modern problems: Addressing harassment, abuse, and diversity issues

* A timeless Gita shloka: Focusing on duty, not just outcomes

If you’ve ever felt torn between ambition and peace, effort and exhaustion, success and meaning—this episode offers a grounded way forward.

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If this conversation resonated with you, share it with someone navigating work, leadership, or burnout.

Subscribe for more conversations rooted in clarity, wisdom, and lived experience.

Music Credits:

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any opinions expressed by our guests on our Show and its associated platforms.

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This episode of The Literature Lounge is a raw examination of duty, conflict, and conscience.

Join us for an exclusive conversation with Shri Prakash Singh, a legendary officer of the Indian Police Service, as he shares insights from his memoir, Unforgettable Chapters: Memoirs of a Top Cop.

A conversation about the line between order and justice, and the weight of the uniform.

What this episode is REALLY about

• Not just war stories.
• Not political theory.
• Not abstract ideals of service.

It’s about:

• The moral calculus of counter-insurgency
• Commanding men in the “shoot-to-kill” zones of Nagaland and Punjab
• Fighting enemies outside the border and inertia within the system
• Taking the Union and State governments to court for the sake of reform
• The solitude of the honest officer in a political storm
• Leadership when your authority is questioned and your credibility weaponized
• The lifelong burden of decisions made in seconds
• Defining victory beyond the battlefield
• If you’ve ever wondered what it truly costs to hold the line, this episode has answers.

Support the Podcast  

If this conversation moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it today.  

Subscribe for more voices that rewrite the rules with truth, heart and courage.

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#IndianPoliceService #PoliceReforms #TopCopMemoir #NationalSecurity #CounterInsurgency

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This episode of The Literature Lounge is a sobering audit of the stories we are sold.

Author Umesh Upadhyay, a veteran journalist with four decades across print, radio, TV, and digital, unpacks his book Western Media Narratives on India from Gandhi till now. He dissects the persistent lens of bias, born from his experience watching the skewed portrayal of India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A conversation about who controls the narrative, who inherits it, and the cost of a silent media.

What this episode is REALLY about

• Not objectivity.
• Not neutrality.
• Not dry academic theory.

It’s about:

• The hidden history behind today’s headlines
• The politics and racism embedded in Western coverage
• Indian media’s complicity in a flawed narrative
• Isolation as inspiration: writing a book during a lockdown
• How a legacy of bias stretches from Gandhi to the Ram Mandir
• The paradox of JNU: a past beacon vs. a present symbol
• Why Indian success stories are often met with Western skepticism
• A practical toolkit for readers to challenge dominant narratives
• The future of India’s story and who gets to write it

If you’ve ever questioned why the world sees India the way it does, this episode has evidence.

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This episode of The Literature Lounge is an archaeological dig into the deep, forgotten fabric of India.

Author Zilka Joseph excavates the 2,000-year story of the Bene Israel Jews—from their ancient arrival on the Konkan coast to the sweet, shared rituals that bind communities—revealing a history that predates modern nations and lives on in a handful of flattened rice.

A conversation about the flavors that outlast empires and the quiet matriarchs who cooked a culture into being.

What this episode is REALLY about

• Not a single narrative.
• Not an isolated identity.
• Not just recipes.

It’s about:

• A 2,000-year-old community living in India centuries before it was “India”
• The shock of ancient roots: arrival in 175 BCE, woven into the Konkan coast
• Sweet Malida: a ceremonial dish that cools the body and connects the spirit
• Food as shared language: coconut, festivals, and common tables with all neighbours
• The unthanked mothers and grandmothers who are the true archivists
• A global family: finding kinship with Jamaican, African, and all Jews of Colour
• The mission: to peel back layers and reveal histories older than Europe’s

If you believe a country’s soul is found in its oldest stories and shared meals, this episode is a revelation.

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#JewishHistory, #IndianCulture, #ForgottenHistory, #FoodMemories, #Diaspora

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This episode is a profound shift in perspective on the mind itself.

Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Pallavi Joshi reveals her journey from gynecology to psychiatry, a pivot sparked by personal crisis and a mentor's crucial question. She shares groundbreaking cases from her Mumbai residency and her mission to replace stigma with science and strength.

A conversation about the courage to change, the myths that imprison us, and building resilience in a fast, fragmented world.

What this episode is REALLY about:

Not just illness.

Not quick fixes.

Not silent suffering.

It’s about:

• A life-altering pivot: from delivering babies to healing minds
• Debunking the dangerous myths around depression and medication
• The hidden epidemic: childhood depression and early trauma
• The corporate mind: burnout, balance, and psychological safety
• Digital dopamine: navigating social media addiction
• The stories that redefine hope, from a former terrorist to everyday struggles
• Her urgent book, Fast but Lost, diagnosing urban loneliness
• The foundational question: What does true mental wellness look like?

If you’ve ever felt lost in the modern rush or wondered how to build a resilient mind, this episode offers a map and a lifeline.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by our guests are their own. We do not endorse and are not responsible for any opinions expressed by our guests on our Show and its associated platforms.

#MentalHealthAwareness, #PositivePsychology, #BreakTheStigma, #UrbanWellness, #MindfulnessMatters

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