Prahlad Kakar, a legendary advertising filmmaker since the 1970s and author of "Adman Madman," shares captivating stories from his rich life. He discusses his adventurous career in advertising, lessons in leadership, and the impact of dyslexia on creativity. Prahlad also reflects on the art of visual storytelling and his experiences in the film industry. A thrilling anecdote about a python on set adds humor, while insights into the evolving advertising landscape reveal his views on creativity and personal growth in a changing world.

In this engaging discussion, Shaheen Mistri, the founder of the Akanksha Foundation and CEO of Teach for India, shares her inspiring journey to revolutionize education for underserved children in India. She explores the critical need for a compassionate approach to teaching, emphasizing lifelong learning and empathy. Mistri reflects on her personal experiences and highlights the transformative power of education, advocating for innovative, community-driven initiatives that prioritize curiosity and real-world relevance.

Probal DasGupta, a military historian and author of "Watershed 1967," shares intriguing insights into India's military triumphs and geopolitical dynamics. He highlights the often-ignored 1967 battle against China, revealing its significance in shaping contemporary ties. Probal discusses his experiences in the Indian Army and the personal growth derived from them, while reflecting on familial influences and the art of storytelling. His anecdotes, from competitive sports to moral dilemmas in military ethics, paint a vivid picture of resilience and curiosity.

Vishal Nevatia, the founder of True North, brings a wealth of experience from his journey in private equity, emphasizing the pursuit of values over profits. He shares his reflections on resilience after personal loss, navigating the complexities of leadership, and balancing ambition with integrity in business. Nevatia discusses the vital interplay between ethical practices and customer trust while advocating for a purpose-driven approach in professional growth. His insights on the importance of reading and connection to nature offer a refreshing perspective on holistic living.

In this engaging conversation, Shruti Rajagopalan, an acclaimed economist and public intellectual, shares her insights into the intersection of education, privilege, and economic thought. She critiques traditional educational frameworks, advocating for personalized learning experiences that nurture diverse talents. The discussion touches on the importance of critical thinking, the nuances of price communication in markets, and the role of institutional support in fostering innovation. With anecdotes and reflections, Shruti underscores the need for structural change in academia and beyond.

He's lived a rich life as a journalist, a human rights activist, an author, a columnist -- and now he's written a great book on Gujaratis. Salil Tripathi joins Amit Varma in episode 409 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, his learnings, these times we live in -- and the times that came before. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Salil Tripathi on Twitter, Instagram, Wikipedia, LinkedIn and Amazon. 2. The Gujaratis: A Portrait of a Community -- Salil Tripathi. 3. The Colonel Who Would Not Repent -- Salil Tripathi. 4. Offence – The Hindu Case -- Salil Tripathi. 5. Detours: Songs of the Open Road -- Salil Tripathi. 6. For, In Your Tongue, I Cannot Fit -- Edited by Shilpa Gupta and Salil Tripathi. 7. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism — Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul). 8. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India — Akshaya Mukul. 9. Saraswatichandra (Gujarati) (English) -- Govardhanram Tripathi. 10. Gujarat Ni Asmita -- KM Munshi. 11. I Follow the Mahatma -- KM Munshi. 12. Devdutt Pattanaik and the Stories That Shape Us — Episode 404 of The Seen and the Unseen. 13. Ahimsa: 100 Reflections on the Harappan Civilization — Devdutt Pattanaik. 14. Until the Lions -- Karthika Nair. 15. Gods, Guns and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity — Manu Pillai. 16. The Forces That Shaped Hinduism -- Episode 405 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Manu Pillai). 17. Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain -- Fintan O'Toole. 18. Understanding Gandhi: Part 1: Mohandas — Episode 104 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 19. Understanding Gandhi: Part 2: Mahatma — Episode 105 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ram Guha). 20. Gandhi Before India -- Ramachandra Guha. 21. Objects From Our Past -- Episode 77 of Everything is Everything. 22. The Diary of Manu Gandhi (Part 1) (Part 2) -- Edited and Translated by Tridip Suhrud. 23. The Ferment of Our Founders — Episode 272 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Kapila). 24. Lessons from an Ankhon Dekhi Prime Minister — Amit Varma. 25. Akhil Katyal's poem on caste. 26. Midnight's Children -- Salman Rushdie. 27. Bare Feet – a Poem about MF Husain -- Salil Tripathi. 28. My Mother’s Fault -- Salil Tripathi. 29. Jejuri -- Arun Kolatkar. 30. Yashwant Rao -- Arun Kolatkar. 31. The Patriot -- Nissim Ezekiel. 32. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne -- Satyajit Ray. 33. You're Missing -- Bruce Springsteen. 34. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salman Rushdie, Milan Kundera, Ved Mehta and John McPhee on Amazon. 35. All We Imagine as Light -- Payal Kapadia. 36. Niranjan Rajadhyaksha Is the Impartial Spectator — Episode 388 of The Seen and the Unseen. 37. On Tyranny -- Timothy Snyder. 38. Lant Pritchett Is on Team Prosperity — Episode 379 of The Seen and the Unseen. 39. Saving Capitalism From The Capitalists -- Raghuram Rajan and Luigi Zingales. 40. Check out Johan Norberg's great work. 41. The Life and Times of the Indian Economy — Episode 387 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajeswari Sengupta). 42. India’s Problem is Poverty, Not Inequality — Amit Varma. 43. Stay Away From Luxury Beliefs — Episode 46 of Everything is Everything. 44. On Inequality — Harry Frankfurt. 45. Economic growth is enough and only economic growth is enough — Lant Pritchett with Addison Lewis. 46. Sample SSR conspiracy theory: He’s alive! 47. Amit Varma's 2022 piece on the mess-up at The Wire. 48. Television Price Controls — Episode 27 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ashok Malik). 49. The Selfish Altruist -- Tony Vaux. 50. Sadanand Dhume's tweet on the hypocrisy around The Satanic Verses. 51. Bad Elements -- Ian Buruma. 52. Biju Rao Won’t Bow to Conventional Wisdom — Episode 392 of The Seen and the Unseen. 53. Can Economics Become More Reflexive? — Vijayendra Rao. 54. The Life and Times of Teesta Setalvad — Episode 302 of The Seen and the Unseen. 55. Aakar Patel Is Full of Hope — Episode 270 of The Seen and the Unseen. 56. The Wal-Mart Effect -- Charles Fishman. 57. Modern South India -- Rajmohan Gandhi. 58. The Adda at the End of the Universe — Episode 309 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vikram Sathaye and Roshan Abbas). 59. Whatever happened To Ehsan Jafri on February 28, 2002? — Harsh Mander. 60. Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat -- Narmad. 61. The Populist Playbook -- Episode 42 of Everything is Everything. 62. Where the Green Ants Dream -- Werner Herzog. 63. People's Linguistic Survey of India -- GN Devy and others. 64. The Refreshing Audacity of Vinay Singhal — Episode 291 of The Seen and the Unseen. 65. Stage.in. 66. Reading Lolita in Tehran -- Azar Nafisi. 67. Two Concepts of Liberty — Isaiah Berlin. 68. Understanding the State -- Episode 25 of Everything is Everything. 69. The First Assault on Our Constitution — Episode 194 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tripurdaman Singh). 70. Shruti Rajagopalan’s talk on the many amendments in our constitution. 71. Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back — Subhashish Bhadra. 72. Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysfunctional State — Episode 333 of The Seen and the Unseen. 73. Amitava Kumar Finds the Breath of Life — Episode 265 of The Seen and the Unseen. 74. Goodbye Solo — Ramin Bahrani. 75. The desire to help, and the desire not to be helped — Roger Ebert’s review of Goodbye Solo. 76. Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada -- Shahu Patole. 77. Firaaq -- Nandita Das. 78. How the BJP Wins — Prashant Jha. 79. The BJP’s Magic Formula — Episode 45 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Prashant Jha). 80. The Year of Living Dangerously -- Peter Weir. 81. Ingmar Bergman, Satyajit Ray, Francois Truffaut and Aparna Sen. 82. The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and London Review of Books. 83. Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain and Vilayat Khan on Spotify. 84. Nadine Gordiner, Fintan O'Toole, Ilya Kaminsky, Karthika Nair, Ruchir Joshi, Kiran Desai, Nilanjana Roy, Sunil Gavaskar and Mike Brearley. This episode is sponsored by CTQ Compounds. Check out The Daily Reader and FutureStack. Use the code UNSEEN for Rs 2500 off. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new course called Life Lessons, which aims to be a launchpad towards learning essential life skills all of you need. For more details, and to sign up, click here. Amit and Ajay also bring out a weekly YouTube show, Everything is Everything. Have you watched it yet? You must! And have you read Amit’s newsletter? Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It’s free! Also check out Amit’s online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘Asmita’ by Simahina.

Amitava Kumar, a celebrated writer and professor, returns to share insights from his trilogy. He reflects on the cyclical nature of life through trees and the impact of mortality on identity. Kumar discusses the evolution of language, the importance of curiosity, and the enriching connections made on travels. He also explores the significance of journaling in self-expression and the complexities of familial ties. Plus, he tackles societal divisions in India and the nuanced responsibilities of writers in addressing controversial topics.

Sarbpreet Singh, a historian and storyteller passionate about Sikh identity, shares his journey of rediscovery and cultural exploration. He discusses the deep emotional ties to significant historical places and reflects on childhood experiences in Sikkim that shaped his identity. Sarbpreet elaborates on the intersection of Sikhism and music, exploring how art can bridge generational gaps and cultural heritage. He also addresses the impact of the 1984 riots on collective trauma and the importance of storytelling in preserving Sikh history while advocating for social justice.

Sathya Saran, a veteran journalist and former editor of Femina, shares her journey navigating the complex world of women's empowerment and femininity in India. She delves into the evolution of women's magazines and their impact on societal perceptions, particularly the Miss India competition. Sathya also discusses her experiences in journalism, the art of biography writing, and the importance of storytelling. Through personal anecdotes, she reflects on self-worth, resilience, and the significant role of media in shaping narratives for Indian women.

Manu Pillai, author of 'Gods, Guns and Missionaries', delves into the fascinating evolution of Hinduism and its complex identity formation. He discusses how historical events, including colonial encounters, have intricately shaped Hindu nationalism. The podcast explores the diversity within Hindu beliefs, the impact of reform movements, and the tensions between modernity and tradition. Pillai also addresses the misunderstandings of Hindu practices during colonization and the adaptation of cultural identities amidst changing social dynamics.