thumb podcast icon

The Wire Talks

U/A 13+ • News • Society & Culture

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.

  • My Mahabharat Is Political feat. G. N. DEVY
    42 min 35 sec

    Indian audiences saw various versions of Mahabharat till date via books, TV shows and movies penned and produced by geniuses in the country. But which one gives out the actual deets about this tale that is packed with love, respect but also with warfare, jealousy, chicanery and morality, still remains a question.On this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia is in conversation with Indian literary critic, former professor and author G.N.Devy. The author in his latest book, MAHABHARATA: The Epic and the Nation has tried to answer the questions such as who wrote this epic, what is its history, why Vyas tried to write this poem and more. According to him, in our country, everyone loves Mahabharat, but nobody respects it. He adds Vyas Mahabharat was about womans heroism and not mans heroism. He also praises Mahabharat in his conversation as it gets great virtues of thoughts. Tune in for an eye opening episode.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah bombaywallah andhttps://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Unfolding of the forgotten mutiny: 1946 Naval Uprising feat. Pramod Kapoor
    51 min 9 sec

    Please do fill out our Brand Recall Survey: Brand Recall Survey IVM PodcastsFebruary 18, 1946 Royal Indian Navy mutiny also called 1946 Naval Uprising saw the Indian Naval Ratings, soldiers, police and civilians locking horns with the British Government. Indian Naval Ratings anger reached the boiling point due to poor services, racism and broken promises. Though this story has disappeared from our history syllabus, all thanks to our guest author Pramod Kapoor to get us thinking on it all over again.On this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia in conversation with the author Pramod Kapoor, speaks about this forgotten chapter from Indian history. Guest Pramod Kapoors soon to be releasing book, 1946 Royal Indian Navy Mutiny: Last War of Independence takes us back in time, and unfolds this almost erased chapter from our syllabus. 1946 Naval Uprising though was condemned by the Indian National Congress Party and the Muslim League, Communist Party Of India came in support of them.Follow Pramod Kapoor on Twitter and Instagram pramodkapoor andhttps://www.instagram.com/pramodkapoor/Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: ‎IVM Podcasts, or any other podcast app.

  • Hindutva RW Trolls feat. Dr. Audrey Truschke
    40 min 32 sec

    Trolling on social media is serious and menacing problem which has gone far beyond just heckling and whataboutry. Trolls now threaten violence and worse. Women, especially activists, journalists, academics and celebrities routinely face threats to them and even their family.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Audrey Truschke, historian of South Asia and Associate Professor at Rutgers University, who has been attacked ceaselessly for her allegedly antiHindu views. She writes about HinduMuslim relations during the Mughal Empire and her book on Aurangzeb, have made her a constant target of trolls.Sidharth and Dr. Truschke talk about when these online attacks against Dr. Truschke started. Hindu and Hindutva, facing antiSemitic hate and misogyny that she gets from Hindu nationalists, and lots more. Tune in for an eyeopening episode.Follow Dr. Truschke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AudreyTruschkeFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Congress Must Hold Internal Elections feat. Neera Chandhoke
    42 min 56 sec

    The grand old party of Indian politics is in shambles. With a weak presence in Parliament of only 44 seats, the Congress has lost much of its voice and influence. Its state governments are racked by internal dissent and the leadership cannot seem to makeup its mind.Much of the blame is laid at the door of the Gandhi family Sonia Gandhi and her two children Rahul and Priyanka and their grip on the party. But is that the only reasonOn this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Prof. Neera Chandhoke. She has been studying Indian politics for a long time. She was Professor of Political Science at Delhi University, and is now a Distinguished Fellow at Centre for Equity Studies. She has authors several books on politics and civil society, and contributes regularly to newspapers and online news portals.Sidharth and Prof. Chandhoke talk about the Indian National Congress loss in seats, popularity and even relevance, the BJPs systematic attacks and trolls on Rahul Gandhi having stuck, the problems with the Congress Party currently, whether the Congress is in crisis, how the top leadership cant stand each other, why they need to hold internal elections as to the leadership of the party itself, the Gandhi familys hold on the party, and lots more. Tune in for an eye opening conversation.Follow Prof. Chandhoke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChandhokeNeeraFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Making Gully Boy Was an Incredible Experience feat. Zoya Akhtar
    47 min 38 sec

    This week, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by the extremely talented filmmaker and screenwriter Zoya Akhtar. Zoya has been a part of some of the most successful and well received Hindi movies in recent years. With every film of hers, Zoyas reputation as a good and bankable director has only grown.On this episode, Sidharth and Zoya talk about how she got interested in movies, growing up in a film industry family with screenwriter parents and how that played into how she looked at films from a young age, how her films often feel like a blend between Indian as well as western influences, the gaze that keeps changing when making a film or any other project, how working on Gully Boy was different than working on Dil Dhadakne Do, how she got to work on Gully Boy and how she got in touch with rapper Naezy for it, the importance of layered characters, certain backlash that Zoya got for Dil Dhadakne Do, the various upcoming projects Zoya is working on, and lots lots more. Tune in for an amazing conversation.Follow Zoya on Instagram: https://instagram.com/zoieakhtarFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Tagore Was Always Against Narrow Nationalism feat. Prof. Sibaji Pratim Basu
    31 min 37 sec

    Rabindranath Tagore was a Renaissance man. An author, a poet, a musician and a playwright. He also wrote on a wide variety of issues. Tagore was a literary giant, not only in India, but across the world, and holds a special place in the hearts of all Bengalis. Today, Tagores name has been dragged into politics. With elections approaching in West Bengal, the BJP has now cited him as a big champion of nationalism, which goes completely against what he wrote about at the time.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Prof. Sibaji Pratim Basu, professor of political science and the Dean of Arts Commerce at Vidyasagar University in West Bengal.Among the many books that Prof. Basu has written is one called The Poet and the Mahatma: Engagement with Nationalism and Internationalism which compares the nationalisms of Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. Do tune in for a fascinating and eyeopening conversation on Rabindranath Tagore and his ideologies.You can get in touch with Prof. Basu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SibajiPratimFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahhttps://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Persecution of Comedians Has a Chilling Effect feat. Anuvab Pal
    50 min 43 sec

    At a time when comedians are being targeted by the State and mob attacks, such as the case of Munawar Faruqui, who has been in jail for a month as of this recording for a joke he did not make, or Kunal Kamra or Agrima Joshua, it is a good time to talk to someone like Anuvab Pal standup comedian, screenwriter and novelist, a veteran comedian, to talk about this dangerous trend.On this episode, Sidharth and Anuvab get into Anuvabs history as a comedian, being an English comic, his interest in the kind of comedy that has longevity, studying finance and dramatic writing at a university in Ohio and a playwriting diploma from Juilliard, how he met and became friends with Manish Acharya the filmmaker and the movie Loins of Punjab 2007, how he got a job with Reuters, coming back to India and what the atmosphere was like then, the evolution of the standup comedy scene and comedy audiences in India, the opening of The Comedy Store in Mumbai in 2010, which led to the first generation of comedians, the persecution of comedians that has become so mainstream nowadays, what comedians can and should do in times like these, how censorship and selfcensorship have increased in our country today, what the role of a comedian comes down to, and lots more. Tune in for a riveting conversation.Follow Anuvab on Twitter Instagram: https://twitter.com/AnuvabPal and https://instagram.com/anuvabpalFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahhttps://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Human Cost of Internet Shutdowns in Kashmir feat. Devdutta Mukhopadyay
    35 min 11 sec

    Internet data and voice were both shutdown for months in Kashmir, after the removal of Article 370 in August of 2019, that has given Kashmir some autonomy. This action split the state into three parts. Since then, the local governments have implemented internet shutdowns more often the latest being in Haryana and on the outskirts of Delhi where farmers are currently protesting. In addition to that, recent orders to Twitter to take lock several accounts have added another dimension to the governments move to curb the internet.On this episode, Sidharth talks to Devdutta Mukhopadhyay, a young lawyer whos part of the digital rights platform Internet Freedom Foundation. Devdutta has studied and written about internet lockdowns in india which are getting more frequent and bigger in terms of geography and duration. She shares her views on how Twitter cannot really reveal what the reason behind accounts being locked down are or who the order has been sent by, and, if ignored, they can be imprisoned for at least 7 years, why its important for companies like Twitter to give more time in getting more resources and content moderation in India and not only first world countries. Devdutta also touches upon how internet shutdown are different in Kashmir in comparison to most other states, how in Kashmir 18 out 20 districts dont have access to 4G, how, while there were internet shutdowns during the COVID19 pandemic, most of the doctors couldnt practice telemedicine and faced problems due to curbing of the internet, and even that there has been no academic season for 2 years. The economic cost of internet shutdowns in India have cost around 2.8 billion dollars. Devdutta also talks about the failures of our education system and how schools should teach children how to spot misinformation, because as internet penetration increases, internet shutdowns will occur time and again, but also how the government can use the internet to prevent internet penetration. All this and a whole lot more on this episode, so do tune in.Follow the Internet Freedom Foundation on Twitter: internetfreedomFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Australian Tech Deal with Big Media is Terrible feat. Christopher Warren
    44 min 15 sec

    On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Christopher Warren, a veteran journalist who is currently the media editor of Crikey, Australias leading independent news service. Christopher reports on media, old and new, and has been writing about media disruption and innovation for over a decade. He recently wrote a piece called How Australia Ended Up with the Worst Deal Possible. The deal referred to in the article is the fight and subsequent compromise between the Australian government and tech giants like Facebook and Google, about payment for content to the big media houses. This case is being followed closely by governments, media companies and readers worldwide.On this episode, Sidharth and Christopher get into this extremely meaty issue by talking about what the Australian government is trying to do with these proposals, whether its actually a good feasible path forward or whether its a terrible deal, why this issue has come about in the first place, where publishers stand in all this, what a more feasible option could be, and lots more. Tune in for a very important conversation.Read Christophers article on the topic: https://www.crikey.com.au/2021/02/24/mediadiversityhitoldmediabigtechcash/Follow Christopher on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisjwarrenFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahhttps://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Researching Victoria and Abdul Was a Big Challenge feat. Shrabani Basu
    32 min 59 sec

    On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Shrabani Basu, a journalist and author based in London, whos works have been on bestsellers lists.Her books include the critically acclaimed For King and Another Country, Spy Princess, the Life of Noor Inayat Khan, and Victoria Abdul: The True Story of the Queens Closest Confidant which became a major movie starring Dame Judi Dench and Ali Fazal. Her latest book is The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer: Arthur Conan Doyle, George Edalji and the Case of the Foreigner in the English Village, an unlikely story of a young Parsi in a small village in Victorian England, who is convicted for a strange crime and then appeals to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to help him.Sidharth talks to Shrabani about the process of writing each of her books, the kind of painstaking research it takes, the fascinating way she did her research for the Victoria Abdul, the letters of Abdul Kareem, the relationship between Abdul Kareem and Queen Victoria, how the letters Queen Victoria wrote to him had been destroyed after her death and what her opinion was about thr movie. Sidharth and Shrabani also talk abour Noor Inayat Khan, how she is now on a stamp and her recent rise in popularity. Plus, they get into her latest book The Mystery of the Parsee Lawyer and what attracted her to this story, how she came about it in the first place, and lots more. Tune in for a fascinating episode.Follow Shrabani on Twitter: shrabanibasuFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Mental Health Problems Have Increased During the Covid Pandemic feat. Dr. Rajesh Parikh
    52 min 19 sec

    Along with the COVID19 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 thisOn 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 its important to be aware of this issue. Tune in for a very important conversation.Get in touch with Dr. Parikh: https://www.jaslokhospital.net/finddoctor/rajeshparikh/273Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Whole Central Vista Has Been Non-Transparent feat. Gautam Bhatia
    48 min 33 sec

    As India grapples with COVID19, 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, whos 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 its attracting so much flack.Sidharth and Gautam talk about what the Central Vista actually us and why its 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 eyeopening 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 Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • This Regime is Frightened feat. Jawhar Sircar
    56 min 22 sec

    A new set of rules imposed by the central government recently, will make it almost impossible for retired civil servants to write and publish anything that is critical of government policies. According to these rules, any writing by retired bureaucrats and intelligence officers must be cleared by their former departments before it can be published. If they dont do so, the risk losing their pensions. Regular writers for publications and websites are stunt by these new regulations, already many of them have gone silent.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Jawhar Sircar, who has become a very familiar name with his prolific writing on issues of governance and more. Jawhar Sircar retired recently after 40 years in the civil services, and his last job was as CEO of Prasar Bharti, one of the largest public broadcasters in the world.Sidharth and Jawhar discuss the implications of these new set of rules. Tune in to this invigorating conversation.Follow Jawhar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jawharsircarFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Anti Digital Drive is a Distraction feat. Mishi Choudhary
    48 min 16 sec

    Internet freedoms have become a topic of worldwide debate. In India, we have seen growing government interference in the digital domain. The internet has been shut down at will, digital news platforms are threatened and stringent new regulations have been imposed on independent digital news sites. What does all this indicate and how can citizens resist this encroachment on their rightsOn this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Mishi Choudhari, a technology lawyer, online civil liberties activist with a pretty long record of raising these issues. Mishi is the Legal Director at the Software Freedom Law Centre in Delhi which she founded and practises in India and New York.The centre has conducted landmark litigation cases, petitioned the government of India on freedom of expression, and campaigned for WhatsApp and Facebook to fix a feature on their platform which has been used to harass women in India.Mishi and Sidharth talk about all this and more on this episode of The Wire Talks.Follow Mishi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MishiChoudharyFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Parsi Community Has Contributed a lot to India feat. Coomi Kapoor
    44 min 58 sec

    Coomi Kapoor is a well known journalist who has been writing on the the inner workings of the corridors of power for many many years. Her last book The Emergency: A Personal History chronicles the lives of her own family and her fathers during the internal emergency from 1975 to 1977. Hey new book is about Parsis, or more specifically, the icons of the community ranging from Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, the tycoon of the 19th Century, to Nusli Wadia, to Freddie Mercury, whos real name, as we all know, was Farrokh Bulsara.On this episode, Sidharth talks to Coomi about how she wrote and researched for her new book, how she got into writing, and tons more.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Introduction
    1 min 21 sec

    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.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Instagram and Twitter bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Jairam Ramesh on Indira Gandhi's Legacy
    1 hr 15 min 32 sec

    Welcome to the very 1st episode of The Wire Talks with Sidharth Bhatia, Founding Editor of The Wire, where he talks to thought leaders and opinion formers about various happenings in the news and beyond.On this first episode, Sidharth is joined by a most esteemed guest Jairam Ramesh, Member of Parliament and Author, to mark the 36th anniversary of the death of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Indias first woman Prime Minister, and discuss some key points from her political career, as well as talk about her indomitable legacy.For 18 years before her death, Indira Gandhi was the dominant political force in the country. She is mostly admired and remembered fondly, but also has her critics who say that she was an imperious nondemocrat who destroyed institutions. But ofcourse, its not as simple as that. Tune in to listen to Sidharth Bhatia and Jairam Ramesh discuss Indira Gandhi in great detail, tell some fascinating stories about her life and break down various aspects of her career on this episode.Check out Jairam Rameshs books: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B071W6792F/refcmswrcpapaAm.NFbYVF8RFV , https://www.amazon.in/dp/9386797267/refcmswrcpapaiRn.NFbAVG84AZ and https://www.amazon.in/dp/0670092320/refcmswrcpapaitp.NFbZAEP35BFollow Jairam Ramesh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JairamRameshFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • We See Ugly Jingoism During India-Pak Matches feat. Ayaz Memon
    1 hr 1 min 38 sec

    Cricket in India is a national obsession. Some say, even our national religion. Crowds turn up where ever India is playing in whichever format, from IPL to test matches. The teams fortunes are closely followed and most of all, players can make big money, especially those who perform well. Indians have always been fans of cricket and stadiums are packed on all five days during test matches going back to the 60s. But players got modest salaries well upto the 80s.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Ayaz Memon, sports writer, journalist, columnist, author and lawyer, has followed the trajectory of Indian sports, especially of cricket, for over four decades. He began as a cub reporter and grew to be one of the most authoritative commentators on the game, covering it for a number of papers, and now, like many others, has moved into channels and digital platforms. His new book Indian Innings: The Journey of Indian Cricket Since 1947, is a curation of articles written by some of the best known writers, journalists, academics on Indian cricket, going a long time back. He joins Sidharth on this episode to talk about his book and speak about not just cricket of the past, but also the present, and perhaps the future.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah.You can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Communalisation is a Feature of Society in UP feat. Gilles Verniers
    49 min 6 sec

    The forthcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh are crucial for the current incumbent Yogi Adityanath and his party, the BJP. The communal temperature has risen quite a bit in the last few years, and especially so in the last few months. Recently, new tensions were added after 8 people, including 4 farmers, died after a car, allegedly driven by the Union Ministers son, ploughed into them. Opposition parties, especially the Congress, have condemned the incident and are sure to focus on it during the campaign. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav have been drawing big crowds wherever they have travelled. How will all this play out Will it have an impact on the results and will polarisation between Hindus and others be the main plank of the Adityanath campaignOn this episode, Sidharth is joined by Professor Gilles Verniers, who is the Assistant Professor of Political Science at Ashoka University and CoDirector of the Trivedi Centre for Political Data. Apart from teaching, Prof. Verniers researches Indian political processes, identity politics and the intersections between gender and politics in India.Sidharth and Prof. Verniers talk about the Professors observations from his years of researches into politics in UP, especially in the months running upto elections, and tons more. Tune in for an eye opening episode.Follow Prof. Verniers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillesverniersFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • A communal poison has spread in Gujarat ft. Manishi Jani
    43 min 4 sec

    Communalism riots in Gujarat 2002 witnessed massacre, arson and protests, these riots are considered as one of the most gruesome riots in the history of India. Our guest on The Wire Talks, activist and documentary filmmaker, Manishi Jani gives insight about these spinechilling riots in Gujarat that went to the new depths of horror and threat with our host Sidharth Bhatia. In this episode, Manishi Jani spoke about Godhra train burning, destruction of shops, houses, restaurants owned by Muslims in Ahmedabad, more and the aftermath of these riots.He adds Godhra train burning was termed as an accident by Railway commission, while conspiracy by Nanavati commission. He continues 150 litres of petrol was used in putting this train on fire, that resulted in the death of 59 pilgrims returning from Ayodhya. Manishi Jani states, “Being a muslim in Gujarat is being nobody”. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahFollow Manishi Jani on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manishijaniYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios or any other podcast app.

  • Police Cases Against Farmers Must Be Withdrawn feat. Harinder Happy
    42 min 31 sec

    More than a year after the farmers protests started, PM Narednra Modi recently announced that the three laws that had angered the farmers would be repealed. The farmers, on their part, have refused to budge, and will now intensify their agitation. They have faced accusations from BJP spokespersons of being Khalistanis and terroroists, but the farmers havent budged. Many people have worked behind the scenes to ensure that the farmers pointofview is heard, especially in the media. One such person is Harinder Happy, himself the son of Dalit landless farmers in Rajasthan. He is currently Media Coordinator of the protests. He has an MA in Rural Development and Governance from TATA Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, and was about to pursue his PhD in Agrarian Sociology when the protests began.On this episode, Sidharth talks to Harinder about how he got involved with the farmers protest, why he felt the need to do so, the three laws that angered the farmers in the first place, why eventhough the repeal of the laws has been announced, the farmers will continue to protest, the progress thats been made, what is still left, why the farmers distrust the government so much, and tons more.Follow Harinder on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarenderHappyFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • It is Difficult for India and Japan to Work Together feat. Pallavi Aiyar
    48 min 49 sec

    Author and Journalist Pallavi Aiyar has led a life of wanderings all around the globe. As a student, she lived in England, worked in Delhi after that, and with her diplomat husband Julio, she has lived in China, Indonesia, Japan, and now lives in Spain. From her travels have emerged books that are fascinating studies of societies quite alien from her own personal experience in India. She writes about the countries society, culture, behaviour, and most of all, how she acts and reacts. Her latest book is Orienting: An Indian in Japan, where she talks about Japan and its beauty, but doesnt turn away from looking at its wars. On this episode, Pallavi Aiyar joins host Sidharth Bhatia, to talk about how she goes about planning her books, whether there is even a plan in the beginning to write a book, the ways she notices and observes things around her in all these different places, and lots more. Pallavi also talks about how she manages not to lose the enamour of being in a foreign country, how her own experiences and observations lead play a central role in her books. All this and tons more on this episode of The Wire Talks.Follow Pallavi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pallaviaiyarFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Dylan Mohan Gray on Vijay Mallya & Bad Boy Billionaires
    45 min 16 sec

    This week on The Wire Talks, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by the CanadianIndian filmmaker Dylan Mohan Gray. Dylan recently directed the much acclaimed King of Good Times section of the Netflix series Bad Boy Billionaires, which talked about the rise and fall of Vijay Mallya and his business empire. Dylan has also directed a 2012 movie called Fire in the Blood which depicts the international obstruction of access to lowcost drugs and medicines used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS to people on Africa and other parts of the global south. It talks about how this agenda is pushed by multinational pharmaceutical companies holding patent monopolies and how various governments consistently do their bidding.On this episode, Dylan talks about his career and background, being originally from Canada, living in Mumbai, also having lived in Budapest and Berlin, how he began working in the film industry in Europe, why a lot of his films are tied to topics in contemporary history, working on films like Bourne Supremacy, The Namesake, among others, working on an Aamir Khan movie 1947: Earth 199 as an Assistant Director, how Fire in the Blood came about, the monopolies that drug companies are granted by governments, how multinational pharmaceutical companies responded to the documentary, how he got to directing the Vijay Mallya section of Bad Boy Billionaires and how it ended up on Netflix, how they got Siddharth Mallya on the documentary and what he thought of it post its release, the response his documentary has been getting in general, and lots more. Tune in for a truly fascinating conversation.Follow Dylan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DylanMohanGrayFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Going undercover in Gujarat feat. Ashish Khetan
    26 min 2 sec

    This week on The Wire Talks, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by investigative reporter Ashish Khetan, whose new book Undercover: My Journey into the Darkness of Hindutva describes his many forays into Gujarat. He visited the state several times to meet and interview those who were involved with the brutal Gujarat violence of 2002, during which over 1,000 people were killed, majority of which were Muslims. Ashish, who was reporting for Tehelka in those days, had to resort to any number of tricks to meet the people involved, people who never gave interviews otherwise. The results, however, were great, with many of these people getting convicted, which shows the importance of good honest oldfashioned journalism.On this episode, Sidharth talks to Ashish about good oldfashioned journalism and its importance in todays times, the 2002 riots of Gujarat, the Godhra Train Burning on 2002 and the narratives that formed around the incident, what Ashish considers as the two turning points of recent Indian journalism, why he had to go undercover as a Hindu fanatic to talk to these rioters and conspirators, the deepseated hatred that all the perpetrators shared for Muslims and other minorities, the kinds of false facts that were spread about Muslims, why it seemed like the police and the CBI did not do their job aptly and why our institutions and authorities completely failed during the riots, whether the ere the perpetrators were any different on the ground than what we saw on the news, and lots lots more. Tune in for a hairraising and eyeopening episode, an indeed must listen.Follow Ashish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AashishKhetanFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahhttps://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Journalists in Jail is a Stain in a Democracy feat. Robert Mahoney
    41 min 24 sec

    Journalism in India has become an extremely hazardous profession. It was never easy, but in recent years, journalists are being intimidated, imprisoned, and even killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists CPJ headquartered in New York, monitors the safety of journalists worldwide.This week, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Robert Mahoney, Deputy Executive Director of CPJ, who leads the organisations reporting, editorial and advocacy worldwide. A former journalist from Reuters, Robert is familiar with India having served in the New Delhi in the 1980s.On this episode, Sidharth talks to Robert about his thoughts on the global scenario of journalism as it stands today, what differences or changes he has observed through 2020 and beyond, whether its gotten better or worse for journalists over the years around the globe, the trend of seeing some democracies becoming increasingly authoritarian over the last 10 to 15 years, and much more. They also discuss where India stands in terms of press freedoms and harassment of journalists especially when talking about journalists being killed with impunity and journalists being put behind bars. How did it come to this Tune in for an eyeopening conversation.Follow the Committee to Protect Journalists: https://twitter.com/pressfreedomFollow Robert Mahoney on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertMMahoneyFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahhttps://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Analysing Violence Among Indians in Australia Feat. Dr. Surjeet Dhanji
    30 min 51 sec

    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 antifarmer hype in India has morphed into antiSikh 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 communitys standing in Australia, how Indians are mostly considered a model minority in most countries, and lots more.Surjeet also speaks at length about 200607 violence. Tune in for a eye opening conversation.Follow Dr. Dhanji on Twitter g LinkedIn: SurjeetDhanji and https://www.linkedin.com/in/surjeetdhanji52728614Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Bombay Begums is About Real Women feat. Pooja Bhatt
    56 min 3 sec

    The Netflix show Bombay Begums released early last month and immediately became muchtalkedabout, 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, its 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.

  • The BJP Has Not Taken Well its Loss in West Bengal feat. Suhas Palshikar
    52 min 48 sec

    The general elections are are at least three years away, and already the first stirrings of political activity have already begun. Of course, the state elections seem like good indicators as to where voting patterns lie, but as we know, in the past, state elections have not been good representation of how the national vote would go. Nonetheless, the BJP, which is always in election mode, has started preparing because it also has to now go fight elections in the crucial state of UP, and the opposition is trying to see what possibilities exist.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Suhas Palshikar, eminent political scientist. Dr. Palshikar is an Indian academic and social and political scientist. He taught Political Science at the Savitribai Phule Pune University, and is the Chief Editor of Studies in Indian Politics. He is also codirector of Lokniti Programme on Comparative Democracy, CSDS. Tune in as Dr. Palshikar breaks all this down, and tons more.Follow Dr. Palshikar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PalshikarSuhasFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • In UAPA Process is the Punishment feat. Shadan Farasat
    34 min 2 sec

    The death of Father Stan Swamy, an 80 year old who was in prison for 9 months, facing charges of terrorism, has once again focused sharp attention on the issue of human rights. A crusader for the rights of tribals, Father Swamy has been started under the dreaded Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, which allows the police to hold the accused for almost unlimited period and bail is virtually impossible to get. 15 others including Prof. Anand Teltumbde and trade unionist and activist Sudha Bhardwaj have been in jail for 3 years also under this very law. Human rights have always been a controversial subject in India. Governments have been openly hostile and the public suspicious of what they mean. This has allowed the police, under all kind of political dispensations, to reply disregard civil liberties laws and arrest suspects at random, many of whom are found to be totally innocent many years later.What exactly do we mean by missing human rightsOn this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by advocate Shadan Farasat, who had defended many individuals targeted by the State. A graduate of the National Law School of India and Harvard, he practises in the Supreme Court. His areas of practise include Constitutional Law, Civil and Criminal Law and also Commercial Law.Follow Shadan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadanhciFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • UP Anti-Muslim Violence Led by State feat. Ghazala Wahab
    38 min 12 sec

    Violence against Muslims has escalated in different parts of the country. The recent incident of many houses belonging two Muslims in Tripura being burnt down, is the latest in a long series of attacks that begin in 2014. Add to that, the many new legislative measures to marginalize the community, such as the Citizens Amendment Act and the socalled Love Jihad Law in Uttar Pradesh. The coming elections in UP may have something to do with it, but this antiminority campaign goes much deeper than that.On this episode, Sidharth is joined by Ghazala Wahab, Executive Editor of FORCE magazine, who just published her new book Born a Muslim: Some Truths About Islam in India. The book explores some of the issues mentioned above, and brings together history, politics, and Ghazals own personal stories. Some of the stories are quite distressing and discomforting, but they make essential reading because it gives a perspective and insight into what could happen to any Muslim from middleclass, uppermiddle class to the marginalised and the poor. The book is extremely relevant in these fraught times.Follow Ghazala on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ghazalawahabFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah.You can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Religion as Politics Does Not Work in Kerala feat. Manu Pillai
    43 min 46 sec

    History has become a battle ground between those who want to change it and rewrite it, though selectively, and those who say our history has been well researched and is fine the way it is. The latest target is the Moplah Rebellion of 1921 in Kerala, which has been so far seen as a revolt of the peasantry against the British colonial government. The BJP and the RSS now disagree and call the Moplahs an early example of a Taliban mindset. That may have something to do with the fact that the Moplahs are Muslim. But these are strong words and have offended many Keralites as well as established historians.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Manu Pillai, author and historian, to talk about and explain why Ram Madhav, who holds a prominent position in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS, has brought this up suddenly. Manu has written very wellregarded books like The Ivory Throne, about the Travancore royal families, and Rebel Sultans, about the rulers of southern kingdoms. Tune in for an eyeopening conversation.Follow Manu on Twitter Instagram: https://twitter.com/UnamPillai and https://www.instagram.com/waatcoconutFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Jallianwala Bagh Redesign is INSENSITIVE to the MARTYRS feat. KBS Sidhu
    31 min 24 sec

    The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is a story every India knows. On April 13, 1919, a crowd that had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar to protest against the arrest of Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satya Pal, was fired upon by soldiers led by Brigadier General REH Dyer. As the crowd tried to exit from this one solitary path open that day, hundreds of people were killed and the estimated now are said to be anywhere between 400 to 1000 people who were killed in the massacre. Over 1200 people were injured. The Bagh, since the, has become a memorial. a very simple one, to replicate what happened on that particular day in 1919, with bullet holes very much visible, and the narrow exit still looks the same, giving visitors a chilling idea of what it must have been like to be trapped in. Now, the central government in its wisdom has redesigned the path with phases of all kinds of Punjab scenes, including Baisakhi celebrations. This has drawn widespread condemnation.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by KBS Sidhu, a retired IAS officer who served for 37 years, and is among those opposed to this redesign of the Jallianwala Bagh. KBS Sidhu commented on Twitter about the matter, Im literally heartbrokenHaving served as Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar from 1992 to 1996, this has not been an easy thing for Mr. Sidhu to accept. Tune in for an eyeopening and important conversation on this episode of The Wire Talks.Follow KBS Sidhu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kbssidhu1961Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • "I Have to Avoid Some Names in My Show" feat. Akash Banerjee
    55 min 8 sec

    Its a tough time to be a comedian or satirist in India today. They are being harassed online and even jailed, like Munawar Faruqui was. Munawar has been prevented from holding a show anywhere in the country.In such a climate, Akash Banerjee is thriving. His YouTube channel and show The Deshbhakt has more than 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 500k Twitter followers, and 450k on Instagram. Akash is a former radio jockey and TV anchor, and has worked in print, publishing, television, radio, and is now on a digital platform. He makes pointed comments about the hypocrisy of politicians, journalists, and even judges.Akash Banerjee joins Sidharth Bhatia on this year ender episode of The Wire Talks, to sum up 2021 in his inevitable style, talk about the state of satire in India, the need to be aware and cautious, and what he would do if he ever got targeted for his videos and other content criticising and asking questions of the statusquo.Follow Akash and The Deshbhakt: www.youtube.com/c/thedeshbhakt/ and https://twitter.com/TheDeshBhaktFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • A Novel on Fake News feat. Amitava Kumar
    43 min 49 sec

    Fake news has become an endemic problem all over the world. With the advent of social media and sharing platforms, fake news travels in seconds and often ends up hitting the target much before the real news even begins to go out. Refuting or exposing every bit of fake news is a futile task because the damage is done. People seem to be more inclined to believe the fake news that conforms with their wellset beliefs.So far, authors have not engaged with the issue in any kind of major way, but a writerjournalist reacts much faster. Author, writer and journalist Amitava Kumar is just such a person.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Amitava Kumar, teacher, journalist and author, Amitava Kumar has come out with a new novel A Time Outside This Time which grapples with fake news and the harm it can do. Of course, the novel is far more complex than just that it talks about Hindutva, about identity, and about the narrators own personal story.Amitava Kumar teaches at Vassar College, a small but exclusive liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, and has written for very prestigious newspapers and magazines, along with writing 11 booksSidharth and Amitava talk about his book, the spread of fake news in todays India through Whatsapp and other means, the real world consequences we have seen due to this blind belief in fake stories, how people succumb to lies, the art of satire and how satire can be a liberating way to contest and critique the truth, getting put on the hitlist of the New York offshoot of the Bajrang Dal, and lots more. Tune in for an extremely important and fascinating episode.Follow Amitava: https://twitter.com/amitavakumar and https://www.instagram.com/amitavawriterFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • India's reputation is taking a big hit in the west in recent years Ft. Jason Stanley
    42 min 22 sec

    This week on The Wire Talks our host Siddharth Bhatia interacts with Jason Stanley, American philosopher and professor at Yale university. The episode has our guest Jason decoding his book, How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them published in 2018.During their conversation, Jason throws light on cultural wars in the nations history leading to threat, minority being scapegoat, past of fascism, protest against fascism and more. He doles out examples from America and India, where he speaks about the rise and history of fascism. Further explains the idea of fascism, proliferating thus making the democratic societies go weak in the knees.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahFollow Jason Stanley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonintratorYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Violence in India Has Grown feat. Thomas Blom Hansen
    54 min 18 sec

    Please do fill out our Brand Recall Survey: Brand Recall Survey IVM PodcastsViolence seems to be all around India and growing. Several sickening incidents have come to light in the most ghastly manner. This episode raises the question if the violence in the country has increased or it is just more prevalent these days as one witnesses it more on their phones and computer in the current timesOn this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia talks to Social scientist Thomas Blom Hansen, a Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani professor of anthropology of Stanford University, director of the centre of South Asia on it. Our guest throws light on escalating violence in the country, how it has changed over the period of time, how statistics available with the cops are not reliable and more.Thomas Blom Hansen has extensively written about violence and more in his thought provoking books such as The Saffron Wave, Wages Of Violence: Naming And Identity In PostColonial Bombay, with the recent one being, The Law Of Force: The Violent Heart Of Indian Politics. Tune to this latest episode on IVM Podcast as our guest throws light on escalation of violence in the country.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: ‎IVM Podcasts, or any other podcast app.

  • 360 Degrees Surveillance of Citizens is Emerging in India feat. Anushka Jain
    39 min 27 sec

    Facial recognition technology is a contentious and controversial subject all over the world. It enables law and order forces to identify faces and check them against databases, except that the technology has inbuilt biases because of which minorities and other marginalised communities suffer. There are other issues with it as well. A new worldwide campaign Ban The Scan has been launched by Amnesty International and the Delhibased Internet Freedom Foundation IFF, a digital liberties organisation, is leading it in India. The campaign demands that police stop using this tech. The IFF has files an RTI request asking the police in Hyderabad, where it is apparently being used, to reveal its database. Thus far, the police have not complied.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Anushka Jain, lawyer and policy researcher, Associate Counsel: Surveillance Transparency at Internet Freedom Foundation, who is interested in disruptive technologies such as facial recognition and artificial intelligence. She is the one spearheading the Ban The Scan campaign on behalf of the IFF. She joins Sidharth to talk about the issues and dangers of this kind of tech are, and why facial recognition by machines is so sinister and perhaps shouldnt be allowed to proceed, and how it affects all of us.Follow Anushka on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anushkajaina0396b175Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Why Are the Beatles So Popular Even Today? feat. Oliver Craske
    42 min 43 sec

    The Beatles are back in the news. Not that they ever were out of it, but now with the release of the threepart series The Beatles: Get Back by director Peter Jackson, with so far unseen footage, has put them back in the limelight. What is the secret of their longevity that their music sounds fresh to every new generation of music loversOn this episode, Sidharth is joined by Oliver Craske, author and freelance editor, has been associated with several prominent projects about The Beatles. He was one of a team of four editors of the huge official The Beatles Anthology in 2000, and he was Project Editor of the new Get Back book which has come out along with the movie. Olivers book Indian Sun: The Life of Music of Ravi Shankar was published in 2020 to rave reviews. Its been extremely wellreceived everywhere. Among the many books he has edited was Olivia Harrisons book on her husband George Harrison, which is yet another Beatles connection in Olivers career. Tune in for an amazing conversation.Follow Oliver on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ocraskeFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Climate Change is Visible in Mumbai feat. Nikhil Anand
    38 min

    Climate Change is a harsh reality and it is getting closer than we think. Coastal cities are in great danger because of rising temperatures in the oceans. Mumbai, which is on the Arabian Sea, is going to be particularly hit by the effects of climate change, like many other cities, like many other coastal cities of the world. A few days ago, the civic authority, i.e. the BMC, announced the creation of a climate adaptation and mitigation plan and invited experts to submit ideas and proposals.One of those who attended was Nikhil Anand from Mumbai, an Assistant Professor in the University of Pennsylvania and an environmental anthropologist, and author, whose research focusses on cities, infrastructure, state power and the environment. Four years ago, Nikhils award winning book Hydraulic City: Water and the Infrastructures of Citizenship in Mumbai was published by Duke University Press. He is currently writing a new book Urban Seas. He joins host Sidharth on this episode to his plan and proposal to the BMC for their plan to fight climate change, the effects of climate change we are already seeing in cities like Mumbai, and more.Follow Nikhil Anand on Twitter: https://twitter.com/liquidpersonFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Lynchings in India Are Worrying feat. Dilip Menon
    47 min 19 sec

    In recent years, Indian history is being rewritten. Cities are being renamed, historical events are being reinterpreted, and old books are being discarded for portraying what is called discarded history. Naturally, historians are aghast and are challenging this tendency to overwrite past history. But, what does all of this mean Does it mean that there is a campaign or are these local assertionsOn this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dilip Menon, a historian of modern India, a Professor of South Asian History at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. He has been observing these things mentioned above happening for some time. Dilip calls himself a historian who engages in writing and conceptualising history beyond the map of India inherited from colonialism. Dilip helps us interpret the warborne history in India, as she is being taught and learnt for generations.Follow Dilip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dilipmenon2606ab6Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The rise and fall of the Sassoon Dynasty Ft. Joseph Sassoon
    45 min 29 sec

    This episode of The Wire Talks hosted by Sidharth Bhatia is graced by Joseph Sassoon, Professor of History and Political Economy and Director of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University.The episode unveils the secret of the Sassoon dynastys rise and fall. They were one of the greatest commercial dynasties of the 19th century. The guest talks about Sassoon spreading their wings in the trade and political arena and more. Our guest Joseph Sassoon also speaks about his book, The Global Merchants: The Enterprise and Extravagance of the Sassoon Dynasty.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Aadhar is Just the Beginning to Link All Databases feat. Srinivas Kodali
    56 min

    On this episode, Sidharth is joined by Srinivas Kodali to talk about Aadhar, the problems with it, what the original intention for it was, what its transforming into now, and tons more. They talk about how the idea of Aadhar was to remove fraud in a major way, the current move to link Aadhar with voter ID, the ability to transfer money digitally, why it seems to have grown to such an extent such that we cant seem to manage our lives anymore without it, people who were warning against such an ID even when Aadhar was being launched, and more.Follow Srinivas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/digitalduttaFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Arshia Sattar on India's Many Ramayanas
    37 min 1 sec

    The Ramayana is an integral part of the Indian ethos. Every child in India knows the basic story of the Ramayana. There are hundreds of versions of the story in the country and in other parts of southeast Asia. Apart from the cultural traditions that reflect the diversity of this vast land, the Ramayana has now also become a political weapon of sorts.With Diwali right around the corner, on this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Arshia Sattar, an inspiring Indian translator, facilitator, author and director. Her book Valmikis Ramayana, is an abridged translation of the epic an epic which is said to be written 2500 years ago. A PhD in South Asian languages and Indian civilizations from the University of Chicago, Arshia has also studied under the famous scholar, Wendy Doniger, and the scholar poet A. K. Ramanujan.On the episode, Sidharth talks to Arshia about how different people see the Ramayana, and what she feels about how it should be looked at as a piece of literature, or an epic, or as mythology, or as tradition or history, or something else altogether They also discuss how Arshia got interested in working in this field and what got her interested in Ramayana in particular, how every language and every subculture has its own Ramayana, how its become the fulcrum of the nationalist culture, how it has increasingly become about Ram Rajya or the idea of the ideal kingdom, how the epic actually celebrates diversity, the idea of chastity in relation to the Ramayana, how different cultures and different people put their own twists on the Ramayana, like author Anand Neelakanthans book Asura, why Hanuman played a huge part in why she got interested in this and how she went about translating the text which is one of the thickest things in the game. All this and more, on this episode of Cyrus Says.Check out Arshias book: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1538113686/refcmswrwaapafabt1xBtQFbSG1J7N7Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Pollution Hits the Poor More feat. Siddharth Singh
    42 min 59 sec

    Smog issues in parts of India, especially in the north, have reached hazardous levels. This is the case not just in Delhi and its neighbourhoods, but in most of North India. Residents are breathing not just foul smelling air, but also air which is extremely dangerous to their health and wellbeing.This week on The Wire Talks, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Siddharth Singh. Siddharth Singh is the Lead India Analyst and Coordinator at the International Energy Agency IEA, and is the author of the book The Great Smog of India. Thats exactly what he joins Sidharth Bhatia to talk about on this episode. They discuss why it seems like nothing major and effective has been done on the matter of the smog in all these years, eventhough we know by now that this is an annual issue, and more importantly, what can infact be done to battle this major health hazard. They also talk about some health issues caused by the smog, including Vitamin D deficiencies, respiratory problems, and more. Tune in for a truly informative episode.Follow Siddharth Singh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/siddharth3Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Parallels Between the Plague and COVID-19 Pandemics feat. Prashant Kidambi
    41 min 31 sec

    125 years ago, Bombay was hit by a deadly disease called the plague. Nobody had seen anything like it, a large number of people were losing their lives everyday due to this disease, and the hospitals were full of patients in trying to combat it. The plague spread to other cities and localities as well. By the time it ended, more than a million people had lost their lives. The colonial administration, which ran Bombay at the time, took matters in their own hands and went about the task of containing the disease with clinical ruthlessness crowded homes were demolished, people were displaced and entire areas were cleaned up. In the end, however, a newly laid out city emerged.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Prashant Kidambi, author of the book The Making of an Indian Metropolis: Colonial Governance and Public Culture in Bombay, 18901920 and Associate Professor of Colonial Urban History at the University of Leicester, to talk about how he traced the genesis and aftermath of the plague, a time when new roads, suburbs and a new way of living was born, and to explain the parallels between the Bombay plague of 1896 and the COVID19 pandemic. Tune in for an amazing and informative conversation.Check out Dr. Prashants aforementioned book: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1138564710/refcmswrcpapafabcMUHZFbTWD6BGVFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Love Jihad and Anti-Minority Violence feat. Harsh Mander
    49 min 25 sec

    This week on The Wire Talks, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Harsh Mander, author, columnist, teacher and social activist. Harsh is an activist for harmony and love. In 2002, Harsh Mander left his job as an IAS officer after the riots in Gujarat. He has since worked on Right to Information at the policy level, and also worked with victims of marginalized and disadvantaged communities. In 2017, he took a Karwan e Mohabbat, a caravan of love, on a journey of atonement and solidarity, and found minorities everywhere in the country living in fear.On this episode, Sidharth and Harsh talk about Harsh leaving his IAS job, what made him leave the IAS, why he felt that our country was losing everything that was precious to us, why our constitution is in need of protection, why our system seems to always let down victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots, the Delhi antiSikh riots of 1984 and the Bombay riots of 199293, what it was like being a human rights defender for the Gujarat riots victims, the similarities between all these historical unrests and the current scenario, how our leaders and authorities can do right by these victims of mass violence, how things in this regard have gotten even worse today in Delhi, why minorities are living in fear today, communal violence and lynchings, the problem with calling interreligion unions as love jihad, and lots lots more. Tune in for an eye opening conversation.Follow Harsh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/harshmanderFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • This Government is Against Dissent feat. Aishe Ghosh
    33 min 24 sec

    In December 2019, the students of JNU Jawaharlal Nehru University were attacked by a mob that broke onto the campus. The students were protesting in support of their demands, which included the scaling back of the fee hike that had just been implemented. More than 20 students were injured in the attacks among them was Aishe Ghosh, scholar and student leader at JNU, President of the JNU Students Union and a member of the Students Federation of India, who had to be hospitalised because of her injuries, but instead of helping her, the Delhi police charged her with vandalism.This week, Aishe Ghosh joins Sidharth Bhatia on this episode of The Wire Talks, to talk about that incident in detail, what led to the unrest and the attacks on the students, the problems with the fee hikes not only at JNU but also at colleges across the board, what it seemed like the authorities wanted with the violence, how that backfired for them and instead became a unifying issue across the country, why the current government doesnt want diverse thinking and is actively taking action to suppress any form of dissent, and lots lots more. Tune in for an eyeopening conversation.Follow Aishe on Twitter Instagram: https://twitter.com/aisheghosh and https://instagram.com/aisheghoshFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah : https://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The New Farm Laws Will Finish Off a Way of Life feat. Prof. Pritam Singh
    42 min 44 sec

    For the past month and a half, thousands of farmers of Punjab and Haryana have been camping near the borders of Delhi to protest against the three new laws passed by the Modi Government. The farmers feel that these laws will favour the big cooperate buyers are these protest only about incomes.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Prof. Pritam Singh, Indian Academic, Educationist Professor of Economics at Oxford Brookes University. The professor gives us an overview of the farmer protest, why the green revolution was passed and how it has affected India in imports and exports, how there will be two laws and two markets working at the same time due to these laws, people from Bollywood also raising their voices for the protest and how many of them have roots in villages, Prime Minister Modi saying that many farmers delegations from Punjab have met him and have supported the laws and how farmer agitation during colonel rule has been evoked in this current agitation. Tune in for an amazing and informative conversation.Follow Prof. Pritam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pritamsingh78006815Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahhttps://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Internet Shutdowns Don't Decrease Violence feat. Raman Jit Singh Chima
    40 min 46 sec

    The Indian government is flexing its muscles to control the internet and social media platforms. A prolonged internet shutdown near Delhi due to the farmers protests and orders to Twitter to block accounts all these actions speak of tougher government measures. All of this has been closely followed by organisations such as Access Now. Where does India stand among other countries with regards to internet restrictions Also, apart from shutdowns, what else should we as citizens worry aboutOn this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Pacific Policy Director and Senior International Counsel of Access Now an international nonprofit organisation working on human rights in the digital age.Sidharth talks to Raman Jit about why the Indian government is becoming so tough offlate on supressing internet access, why these actions have now backfired on the government with regards to international attention, why suppressing news or suppressing peoples access to the internet usually doesnt help with the issue at hand, what we as citizens can do to combat this, and lots more. Tune in for an important eyeopening conversation.Follow Raman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamewildcardFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahhttps://twitter.com/bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Oversized Statues Are About Identity Feat. Prof. Kajri Jain
    51 min 29 sec

    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. Kajris 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 eyeopening conversation.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • AI Can Have Serious Consequences on People feat. Shalini Kantayya
    44 min 24 sec

    This week, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by American filmmaker Shalini Kantayya, whos 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. Shalinis 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/shalinikantayyaFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Bengal is in the Midst of a Cultural Battle feat. Dr. Ranabir Samaddar
    41 min 22 sec

    The 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 inroads 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 agoOn this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Dr. Ranabir Samaddar, one of the best known political scientists of West Bengal and of India. Hes 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 Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Muslims Are Feeling Excluded feat. Ali Khan Mahmudabad
    50 min 51 sec

    In recent years, Indias 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 hasnt 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 Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Satyajit Ray Was a Renaissance Man feat. Dhritiman Chatterjee
    51 min 17 sec

    This 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 Rays 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 Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Film Industry is Facing Many Challenges feat. Hansal Mehta
    34 min 40 sec

    On 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 multipart series that tells the compelling story of the stock market scandal of the 1990s. 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 shows 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 Mehtas 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 Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Government is Becoming More Intolerant feat. Manjul
    40 min 27 sec

    The Indian government has been regularly asking Twitter to take down posts especially of those who are critical of it. Recently, it told Twitter to remove the tweets of a few people, and one of them was the cartoonist Manjul, whose cartoons appear all over the place. No one knows which particular department wrote to Twitter, but the social media platform, in the notice that they sent to Manjul, said, We are writing to inform you that Twitter had received a request from Indian law enforcement regarding your Twitter account MANJULtoonsz that claims that the content violates the laws of India. No details are available on what particular tweets violate which laws of India.Shortly after this happened, it emerged that this notice is office sent out two account holders. Manjul simply ignored it and went about his work but almost immediately after, his contract with a news portal was abruptly cancelled. The cartoonist has been in the business for many many years, but rarely talks to the media or even publishes his photos online. His cartoons are very sharp and I think they speak for themselves. In the past, Manjul has been critical of past prime ministers and governments as well.Manjul joins host Sidharth Bhatia on this episode of The Wire Talks to talk about the background to what is happening, his philosophy to cartooning, and a little bit about his early days.Sidharth and Manjul also talk about whether Manjul ever got pressure when criticising previous governments and PMs, the types of journalists and editors running news outlets today, why this government seemingly gives more importance to Hindi news, the cartoonists who inspire him, and more. Tune in to this amazing conversation.Follow Manjul on Twitter and Instagram: https://twitter.com/MANJULtoons and https://instagram.com/manjultoonsFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Hindutva Cannot Reconcile With Kabir feat. Purushottam Agrawal
    47 min 15 sec

    School children are taught that Kabir was weaverpoet from the 15th or 16th Century, and that he wrote dohas. That he spoke of unity and harmony and offered simple wisdom about love. And when he died, Hindus and Muslims both claimed him one wanted to cremate him and the other bury him. Apart from that, very little details were given to the average student. But, Kabir was, of course, much much more than that. He was a prominent poet of the Bhakti Movement, one which angered the Brahmin orthodoxy, and in fact, his dohas go much beyond what is widely known.On this episode, Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Purushottam Agrawal, who has been interested in one might even say obsessed with Kabir since his student days in Jawaharlal Nehru University JNU. Kabir was a subject of his PhD dissertation and he has already written one book in Hindi on Kabirs poetry. Purushottams new book Kabir, Kabir: The life and work of the early modern poetphilosopher takes his research much further and squarely places him as the voice of modernity, and as somebody who wrote in everyday language instead of in Sanskrit or Persian, which the elite used. As such, he was the voice of the people.On this episode, Purushottam talks to Sidharth about why Kabir is not only significant, but also relevant to our times. Tune in for an amazing and fascinating conversation.Follow Purushottam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/puruagFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Women Scriptwriters Have Been Ignored in Bollywood feat. Anubha Yadav
    39 min 15 sec

    The writer is a critical part of making a film. Yet, in India, the credit goes to only the director. Audiences, and even critics, ignore the screenplay writer completely, and really, who remembers the names of the writers of even well known and admired films Women screenwriters are even more ignored and even academic books and encyclopaedias do not acknowledge them. Why is that soOn this episode, Sidharth is joined by Anubha Yadav, Professor of Broadcast Studies in Delhi University, and also a fiction writer, set out to find more and track down many women who have written for films throughout the history of Hindi cinema, but still remain unrecognised. Her new book Scripting Bollywood: Candid Conversations with Women Who Write Hindi Cinema begins in the 1930s with Devika Rani and Jaddanbai, and ends with contemporary writers like Juhi Chaturvedi. Sidharth and Anubha talk about her book and what she discovered when she researched and spoke to the women.Follow Anubha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/anubhayadavaFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The Restaurant Sector is in a Crisis feat. AD Singh
    33 min 56 sec

    Among the sectors hit badly due to the prolonged lockdown because of the COVID19 pandemic, is the hospitality business. This includes, not just the big hotels, but also independent it stand alone restaurants and bars and even very small joints which have been operating for years. Many of them couldnt pay their employees and rents. There was some respite during the relaxation last year, but after the second wave, it is back to another round of the lockdown. Even now, in cities like Mumbai, restaurants can remain open only till 4pm this has just changed to 10pm recently.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by AD Singh, Entrepreneur and Founder Managing Director of the Olive Group of Restaurants, to tell us more about how badly the hospitality business has suffered through the pandemic.Follow AD Singh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ADsinghOlive and https://instagram.com/adsingholiveFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • Afghans Say the World Has Forgotten Us feat. Taran Khan
    50 min 13 sec

    Afghanistan, which till the other day had thousands of American troops, has fallen to the Taliban. The swift manner in which the Taliban occupied Kabul, with the Afghan army offering no resistance, has shocked the world. The Taliban said it has changed and will not revert to its old ways, but not everyone is convinced. Ordinary citizens are scared and trying to get out of the country and the biggest impact is likely to be on the women of Afghanistan, who will have restrictions imposed on them, including the compulsory wearing of the burqa and hiding the face.On this episode, host Sidharth Bhatia is joined by Taran Khan, an Indian journalist and author who recently wrote the book Shadow City A Woman Walks Kabul. Taran went to Kabul several times between 2006 and 2013, staying there for several weeks or months at a time.Taran shares her experiences and perceptions about staying and living in Kabul and Afghanistan. Tune in for an eye opening conversation.Follow Taran on Instagram and Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/tarankhan and https://twitter.com/tarankhanFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallahbombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

  • The rise in communal violence ft. Ashutosh Varshney
    53 min 5 sec

    In this episode of The Wire Talks our host Sidharth Bhatia talks about the rise in communal violence in the story. He speaks about violence against minorities, especially Muslims, residing in the states ruled by the political party in power currently. Joining him in this conversation is Ashutosh Varshney, a Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science at Brown University. He also directs the Center for Contemporary South Asia. He has penned books such as Battles Half Won: India’s Improbable Democracy 2013, Collective Violence in Indonesia 2009, Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India Yale 2002, India in the Era of Economic Reforms 1999, and Democracy, Development and the Countryside: UrbanRural Struggles in India Cambridge 1995.Follow Ashutosh Varshney on Twitter ProfVarshneyFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wires website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

Language

English

Genre

News, Society & Culture

Seasons

1

Author

IVM Podcasts