From taking on the Khalistan movement in Canada, and surviving an assassination attempt, to discussing multiculturalism (and why it is a double edged sword) and caste in Sikhism, in this episode Sandip Roy speak to Ujjal Dosanjh, the former Premier of British Columbia and federal minister — the first person of Indian origin to lead a government in the west.

In this conversation, Dosanjh speaks about meeting the Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, how Canada became a haven for Khalistanis, and his novel, The Past is Never Dead, that tells the story of a rural Punjabi family in search of a better life, and the ‘stranglehold of caste over Sikh immigrants in Britain.’

Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Utsa Sarmin
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

In this episode, host Sandip Roy interviews bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni about her latest novel ‘Independence’, which tells the story of three sisters who are separated after the Partition of Bengal. They discuss her approach to storytelling, why women are the central focus of her work, her beginnings as a writer, and her belief that (for the most part) there are no villains in the world.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

In this episode, Sandip Roy speaks to Dalit poet and publisher Yogesh Maitreya and discusses his memoir Water in a Broken Pot, the experiences that led him to becoming a writer, and why he places his hope on the power of literature.

Maitreya also speaks candidly about his beginnings, the alienation that Dalits often feel in academic spaces, and the pervasive nature of caste in Indian society and how it affects us all.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Abhishek Kumar

In her book, Lies Our Mothers Told Us, writer and journalist Nilanjana Bhowmick talks about how middle-class homes can be a laboratory for patriarchy, and the burden that women have to bear in India. In this episode, she joins Sandip Roy to talk about what inspired her to write the book, fighting patriarchy at home, the lack of women in public spaces, a possible solution to break the cycle of caregiving burden, and much more.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Writer and journalist Nilanjana Roy's new novel, Black River, is a police procedural set in a dusty little town in Northern India that revolves around the horrendous murder of an eight year old girl. In this episode, she joins Sandip Roy to talk about writing the book, why she likes killing in print, her adventures in reading, her advice for budding writers, and why Delhi is kinder than you think.

(Episode image credit: Gauri Gill)

Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

What is the actual state of elephants in India? How many of them are currently in captivity, and what are the reasons for that? And what challenges do conservationists face in trying to help them? After the recent Oscar win of The Elephant Whisperers, Vivek Menon and Alok Hisarwala Gupta join Sandip Roy to answer these questions, and talk about the extent to which a documentary like this helps the conservation cause.

Vivek Menon is the Founder Trustee & Executive Director, Wildlife Trust of India. Alok Hisarwala Gupta is a lawyer and founder of the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

The literary world may know him as the author of books like The Death of Vishnu, and The Age of Shiva, but Manil Suri is also a professor of mathematics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. And in his latest book, The Big Bang of Numbers, he writes about creating the universe in seven days using only maths. In this episode, he joins Sandip Roy to talk about the book, how maths helped save his life, why it is hard to teach it, and the time he danced to 'Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja'.

Also, listen till the end for an audio postcard about the 150th anniversary of Calcutta's trams.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed bby Abhishek Kumar


(Manil Suri's photograph by José Villarrubia)

Why did Pathaan become such a success? Is it just an action film or a 'daring act of subversion'? And what does it say about the role of Muslims in Hindi films? In this episode, host Sandip Roy talks to Professor Ira Bhaskar, and author Ghazala Wahab about the depiction of Muslims in Hindi cinema, and how it changed over the years according to the changing politics of the country.

Ira Bhaskar is Professor, Cinema Studies, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University. And Ghazala Wahab is executive editor, FORCE, and the author of the award winning book, 'Born A Muslim: Some Truths About Islam In India'.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Utsa Sarmin
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

In this episode, host Sandip Roy talks to the novelist and columnist Shobhaa De about her recently released memoir 'Insatiable' — from her early modelling career and how she developed her writing style, to her past controversies and her reaction to Pathaan.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Who is taking care of India’s elderly? UN statistics project that 48 million Indians will be over the age of 80 by 2050. That’s more than the population of California. But is India ready for that? In this episode, host Sandip Roy speaks to Himanshu Rath and Indira Jayaprakash about the lack of elderly care facilities in the country, the issue of accessibility and the impact of Covid, changing family dynamics, and economic concerns.

Himanshu Rath is the founder and chairman of Agewell Foundation Himanshu Rath, and Indira Jai Prakash is the former Professor of Post Graduate Department of Psychology, Bangalore University, who has researched ageing for years in India.

Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Utsa Sarmin
Edited and mixed by Abhishek Kumar and Suresh Pawar