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The Wire Talks
The Wire Talks episodes
- Film Industry is Facing Many Challenges feat. Hansal MehtaOn this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by director Hansal Mehta. Hansal has made some highly critically acclaimed films such as Shahid and Aligarh, and recently dominated the OTT space with his web series 'Scam 1992' - a multi-part series that tells the compelling story of the stock market scandal of the 1990's. Hansal often also tweets on current topic and speaks up about industry matters.Here, Sidharth talks to Hansal Mehta about how the lockdowns have affected the film industry, the closure of cinemas, and the future of films and the wya films will be made in the coming months and years.Hansal also talks about not expecting this kind of euphoria and response for Scam 1992, at what point he realised they were working on something that would resonate, the combination of factors for the show's success, the 3 years it took to write and shoot the show, and lots more.They also talk about the banking system and frauds that have taken place over the years since Harshad Mehta's 1992 scam (Ketan Parekh, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya), how the pandemic has affected creativity among people, the big screen experience going away for the near future at least, how the benchmarks for success have changed and are not restricted to box office success anymore, the freedom to express ourselves, censorship, and tons more.
Follow Hansal on Twitter & Instagram: https://twitter.com/mehtahansal and https://www.instagram.com/hansalmehtaFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
33 min - The Whole Central Vista Has Been Non-Transparent feat. Gautam BhatiaAs India grapples with COVID-19, the incumbent in Delhi is going ahead with its planned redevelopment of the Central Vista - a 3km long path that connects India Gate with Rashtrapati Bhawan in the capital. The entire projects is estiamted to cost Rs. 20,000 crores and at the end of it, many distinct buildings will be demolished. A new parliament building, as well as new residences for the Prime Minister and the Vice President will come up. Some of the building that will be brought down include the National Museum, the National Archives and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. The entire plan has come under a lot of criticism - the expenditure, the lack of transparency, and needlessly building a new parliament, when the old one is still standing solid.Among the critics of this expensive project is Gautam Bhatia, architect, sculptor and author, who's books include - Punjabi Baroque and Other Memories of Architecture, Stories of Stories' 'Delirious City: Polity and Vanity in Urban India', and more.Gautam joins us today to discuss the Central Vista Project, why it's attracting so much flack.Sidharth and Gautam talk about what the Central Vista actually us and why it's important, what Gautam thinks about it as a Delhiwala, the Central Vista being a very elaborate piece of architecture, Edward Lutyens and his structures, what other architects think of the Central Vista, and tons more. Tune in for an eye-opening conversation.Follow Gautam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGautamBhatiaFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
47 min - Mental Health Problems Have Increased During the Covid Pandemic feat. Dr. Rajesh ParikhAlong with the COVID-19 pandemic, not just in India but around the world, doctors are noticing a rise in mental health issues. Dévora Kestel, Director of Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the WHO, recently said that poor mental health has become a parallel pandemic. In India, numbers of people going through psychological distress are rising. The same has been noticed in western countries such as the US and the UK, but also in our neighbour China. How do we address this?On this episode, host Siddharth Bhatia is joined by Dr Rajesh Parikh, Director of Medical Research and Hon. Neuropsychiatrist at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai. Amount has impressive credentials, such as teaching psychiatrist at The University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine and a former WHO Global Expert on Depression, he has been invited to speak at many international universities and has written over 150 papers for medical journals. Dr. Parikh has been observing and writing about this parallel pandemic.On this episode, Sidharth and Dr. Parikh talk about the rising levels of depression and mental health problems among people and why it's important to be aware of this issue. Tune in for a very important conversation.Get in touch with Dr. Parikh: https://www.jaslokhospital.net/find-doctor/rajesh-parikh/273Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
51 min - Satyajit Ray Was a Renaissance Man feat. Dhritiman ChatterjeeThis year marks the 100th birth anniversary of Satyajit Ray, the internationally renowned filmmaker with a canon of great films in his repertoire. This anniversary would have been marked with great fanfare, but it was affected by the pandemic and the elections in West Bengal. Nonetheless, Ray remains in the hearts of his legions of fans all over the world. For those who had worked with him, the memories are even more special.Dhritiman Chatterjee, who made his film acting debut in Satyajit Ray's 'Pratidwandi' is one of them. Pratidwandi was a landmark film, one of the very few that Ray made on the politics of the day, when Bengal was in the throes of violence. There are sharp touches of political commentary in the film which captures the spirit and zeitgeist of the times.On this episode, Dhritiman Chatterjee speaks about his memories of Satyajit Ray, his style of working and his own illustrious career as an actor since then. Tune in for an exhilarating conversation.Follow Mr. Chatterjee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iDhritimanFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
50 min - Muslims Are Feeling Excluded feat. Ali Khan MahmudabadIn recent years, India's Muslims have found themselves on the receiving end of violence, ostracisation, and even legislative measures that undermine their status as equal citizens of India. The media consistently runs propaganda campaigns, often with false narratives, against Muslims and the Citizenship Amendment Act was seen as a blatant attempt to to deprive them of their citizenship. Politicians spare no opportunity to attack them directly or through dog whistles statements. How do Muslims perceive these attacks? And why hasn't there when a backlash by the community or from anyone from the side of the community, be it leadership or people.Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad is a man of many parts - scholar, writer and poet. He has often spoken about this subject. A PhD from Cambridge University, and now the Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ashoka University. Dr. Mahmudabad has also recently published an English translation of an Urdu novel on the events of 1857 when Indian soldiers rebelled against the British. Sidharth and Dr. Mahmudabad talk about how the Muslim community is feeling besieged.Follow Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad on Twitter & Instagram: https://twitter.com/Mahmudabad and https://www.instagram.com/profakmahmudabadFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
50 min - Bengal is in the Midst of a Cultural Battle feat. Dr. Ranabir SamaddarThe assembly elections in West Bengal have turned into a battle for survival for the incumbent Mamata Banerjee, who is facing an unprecedented BJP onslaught with heavy weights like the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of India, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah respectively, pulling out all the stops against her. The BJP has never been able to win West Bengal and it is a big price for the party. Hindutva, unheard of in the state, has made big in-roads and threatens to alter the social structure of this state. If you listen to the big media, which only ever gives only one side of the story, the BJP has already won. How much of this is hype? How much of this is reality? Is Bengal today fundamentally different than even a decade ago?On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Ranabir Samaddar, one of the best known political scientists of West Bengal and of India. He's the author of several books and currently holds the the Distinguished Chair in Migration and Forced Migration Studies at the Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group. He is the best person to analyse what is exactly is happening in the state and the future implications of this electoral battle. Tune in for an eye opening conversation.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
40 min - AI Can Have Serious Consequences on People feat. Shalini Kantayya
This week, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by American filmmaker Shalini Kantayya, who's documentary 'Coded Bias' is currently streaming on Netflix. The documentary talks about facial recognition technology and algorithms, how they work, the moral and racial problems that they pose, and how this technology is being welcomed by police forces all over the world, from dictatorships to democracies. The documentary premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in 2020. Shalini's other films include 'Catching the Sun' and 'A Drop of Life', both highly acclaimed documentaries in their own right.
On this episode, Sidharth talks to Shalini about how Coded Bias alarmed and shocked him and how people often tell Shalini that they found the documentary disturbing and terrifying, and yet, somehow hopeful. They also get into whether this is actually something that we should worry about, how AI and facial recognition technologies need to definitely be vetted for racial bias, gender bias and other forms of discrimination, whom this technology could hurt, the need for proper laws that govern this sort of tech, how in the UK this technology resulted in 85% of people being misidentified by police, how these systems and AI are being trained, and tons more. Tune in for an extremely important conversation.Follow Shalini on Twitter & Instagram: shalinikantayya and https://instagram.com/shalinikantayya
Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah
bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
42 min - Bombay Begums is About Real Women feat. Pooja Bhatt
The Netflix show 'Bombay Begums' released early last month and immediately became much-talked-about, mainly due to its portrayal of its women characters. While it was attracting both admiration and criticism for its bold portrayal of women today, the State got involved.
On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia talks to actress and film director Pooja Bhatt about starring in Bombay Begums, it's characters and story, what made Pooja want to play the role of Rani on the show. They also talk about what it was like for Pooja to get back into acting after 21 years despite being very active behind the camera over the past few years, meeting Alankrita Shrivastav (creator and director of the show), how audiences and the processes have changed in the field of acting, and tons more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
54 min - Analysing Violence Among Indians in Australia Feat. Dr. Surjeet Dhanji
Tensions are said to be rising among many members of the Indian community in Australia. Last month, a car belonging to some Sikhs in Sydney was damaged by some men with bats and it was captured on CCTV. Restaurants have said that they are being caught in a crossfire between Sikhs and others. The police are investigating this and other incidents and some reports say that deportation may be considered. Why has this suddenly broken out in Australia, a country where there is no history of intra community violence among Indians.
On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Surjeet Dhanji of the University of Melbourne and the Asia Institute, who specialises in and has been studying migration issues for a long time.
Sidharth talks to Surjeet about the sudden outburst of tensions among Indians in Australia, how some of the anti-farmer hype in India has morphed into anti-Sikh hype in Australia, how this is the first time seeing such intra community violence in Australia where the Indian community has been living peacefully for a long time. Surjeet also talks about how social media has a part to play in the rising tensions, how police action could affect the Indian community's standing in Australia, how Indians are mostly considered a model minority in most countries, and lots more.
Surjeet also speaks at length about 2006-07 violence. Tune in for a eye opening conversation.Follow Dr. Dhanji on Twitter g LinkedIn: SurjeetDhanji and https://www.linkedin.com/in/surjeet-dhanji-52728614
Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah
bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
29 min - Oversized Statues Are About Identity Feat. Prof. Kajri Jain
Larger than life statues are visible throughout India. These are mainly of religious figures, but not limited to them, as the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat shows. In Mumbai, the government is contemplating erecting a tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the sea.
This week, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Prof. Kajri Jain, Professor of Art History and Visual Studies at the University of Toronto and author of 'Gods in the Bazaar: The Economies of Indian Calendar Art'. Kajri's work focuses on the imagery at the interface between religion, politics and vernacular business cultures in India.
On this episode, Sidharth talks to Kajri about her latest book 'Gods in the Time of Democracy', a book about such statue building that seems to be spreading not just in India, but all across the world.
Sidharth talks to Kajri about what lies behind this race to build such huge outsized statues. Is there a political dynamic involved, or is this an assertion of identity? Tune in for an eye-opening conversation.
Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah
bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
50 min
About The Wire Talks
From the publisher's feed
The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the…
headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media.