On June 25, 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of Emergency in India—an era marked by censorship, arrests, and a suspension of civil liberties. While the resistance within India is well-documented, far less is known about how Indians abroad responded. In this episode, on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, host Sandip Roy speaks…

In this episode, host Sandip Roy Show is joined by author Ruchir Joshi who takes us back to Calcutta in the early 1940s, an era charged with political upheaval, global war, and cultural ferment. Set against the backdrop of Tagore’s death, Subhash Bose’s escape, the Quit India Movement, and the looming Bengal Famine, Joshi’s novel Great Eastern Hote…

To what extent has gay representation in Indian popular culture evolved? Is it now simply trendy to include gay characters, or are these portrayals also becoming deeper and more meaningful? This week, to kick off Pride Month, we explore how the portrayal of gay lives in Indian popular culture has changed over the decades. Host Sandip Roy speaks to …

India recently saw heated debates around the three-language formula — a policy suggesting students learn a modern Indian language like Hindi, and English. While some saw it as a backdoor push for Hindi, the real picture might be far more layered. But as we argue over Hindi versus English, or regional versus national languages, a deeper concern ofte…

In 1975, Begum Wilayat Mahal and her children, Princess Sakina and Prince Ali Raza, moved into New Delhi Railway Station, claiming to be descendants of the House of Awadh. After a decade at the station, the government granted them Malcha Mahal, a 14th century hunting lodge deep inside a forest in Delhi. But were they really royalty, or was it all a…

Long before press freedom indexes were even conceived, the Urdu newspaper Pratap was speaking truth to power in undivided India — and paying a heavy price for it. Launched in 1919, Pratap quickly ran afoul of the British Raj but remained defiantly independent. After independence, its legacy continued with the launch of Vir Pratap, its Hindi success…

In this episode, we discuss how early Christian missionaries encountered Hinduism during colonial rule depending on where they landed and whom they met and how they saw very different faiths with different gods, rituals, and customs. Host Sandip Roy is joined by author and historian Manu S. Pillai to discuss his new book, "Gods, Guns and Missionari…

Social media has revolutionised the world of home chefs, bringing everyday cooks into the spotlight. From a woman in the Northeast showcasing her daily thali of fermented foods to a mother-son duo in rural Bengal cooking over a mud stove, food storytelling is more diverse than ever. Cookbooks are emerging from Dalit kitchens to Saraswat Brahmin tra…

For millions in India, the cow is sacred, and many states have laws prohibiting its slaughter. But this raises a question—what do we do with all these cows? And while India reveres the 'Mother Cow,' does the cow herself want to mother anyone beyond her own calf? In this episode, host Sandip Roy speaks with Yamini Narayanan about her new book, Mothe…

While India has long been known as a tea-drinking nation, the specialtiy coffee scene is rapidly growing, with consumption on the rise and the industry projected to surpass $1 billion by 2032. But is this growth as promising as it seems? In this episode, host Sandip Roy speaks to Raghunath Rajaram and Namisha Parthasarathy, founders of Aramse, an i…

A renowned conservationist and writer, Gerald Durrell, was known for his unique ability to describe even the most mundane creatures, like slugs, with the same enthusiasm typically reserved for majestic animals. In this episode, host Sandip Roy is in conversation with Lee Durrell, the Honorary Director of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and …

Once overshadowed by destinations like Rajasthan, Kerala, and Goa, the Northeast is gaining recognition as a hub for unique travel experiences. Beyond the famed Kaziranga rhinos and Shillong waterfalls, cultural festivals like Arunachal’s Ziro Music Festival and Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival have firmly established the region on the travel map. In t…

Award-winning journalist Neha Dixit, in her latest book, The Many Lives of Syeda X, tells the story of a young, working-class Muslim woman, spanning from the early 1990s to the present day. Through her narrative, Dixit also traces the profound social, cultural, and political transformations of a changing India. This week, host Sandip Roy speaks to …

Over the past few years, Indian craft chocolatiers have been earning accolades at some of the world's most prestigious international competitions, including the UK-based Academy of Chocolate Awards. To explore this growing chocolate culture, host Sandip Roy speaks with Chaitanya Muppala, Vikas Temani, and Patricia Cosma. Together, they discuss the …

The transformative discovery made in 1924 by John Marshall, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, revealed the existence of the Indus Valley Civilisation, pushing back the origins of Indian civilisation by millennia. Now, Devdutt Pattanaik’s new book, Ahimsa: 100 Reflections on the Harappan Civilisation, offers a unique perspectiv…

At a time when the news about the environment seems to be worsening by the day, historian Ramachandra Guha's latest book, Speaking with Nature, sheds light on India's early environmentalists. These pioneers raised alarms about ecological concerns at a time when the focus was on industrialization as a means to alleviate poverty for millions. Their s…

In her memoir, This Land We Call Home, Nusrat F. Jafri reflects on the history of her nomadic ancestors, members of the Bhantu tribe from Rajasthan, who were once branded "criminals" under British colonial law. As a response to caste-based discrimination, her family ultimately embraced Christianity. Through the book, Jafri weaves a narrative that e…