The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma

Journalist and author Malini Goyal shares insights on deep journalism, city exploration, and societal values. The podcast covers the rarity of curiosity in journalism, challenges of investigative reporting, career evolution, personal struggles, and embracing change. Topics include writing international research, Bangalore's evolution, tech innovation, data challenges, city culture, imposter syndrome, dating dynamics, and Bengaluru's talent landscape.

Utsav Mamoria delves into philosophy of travel, intentional living, creativity, and authenticity. Conversations on slow travel, accountability clubs, architectural narratives, childhood memories, human nature, beard trends, and unexpected Andes mountain adventures. Insights on cultural influences, market research, unique strengths, budget travel tips, and music/film recommendations.

Karthik Muralidharan, an expert on Indian state reform, delves into the challenges of bureaucracy in India with Amit Varma. Topics include state capacity in development economics, the bureaucratic maze, challenges in the Indian state bureaucracy, and the impact of government salaries on recruitment scams and staffing quality.

Policy and comics merge in a fun discussion with Khyati, Anupam, and Pranay, exploring civic education through their book 'We the Citizens'. They emphasize relatability in teaching economics, the impact of skilled teachers, and the evolution from personal comics to public policy. The conversation navigates political polarization, government intervention, and policy evaluation while advocating for clear writing to enhance communication skills.

Entrepreneur Deepak VS shares radical ideas on entrepreneurship, education, morality, and life. Delve into ethical decision-making, flaws in education systems, philosophical debates, determinism vs free will, challenges in incubators, resilience in entrepreneurship, and personal habits. Explore lucid dreaming, childhood memories, mortality reflections, and philosophical insights through books for a fascinating journey of thought-provoking conversations.

Listen to the podcast as Manjula Padmanabhan shares insights on her unconventional journey as a comic-strip artist and science fiction author, challenging norms and societal expectations. Explore topics like navigating identity, embracing creativity, transforming criticism into motivation, and the impact of societal perceptions on assault and sex work. Delve into personal anecdotes, reflections on personal belongings, and the evolution of creativity in a digital world.

Ram Guha reminisces about past friendships and a world gone by, discussing personal writing, historical narratives, and the art of letter writing. The podcast also explores the impact of influential figures on shaping lives, challenges to intellectual work, and the importance of mentorship in writing and intellectual development.

Academic Yugank Goyal challenges conventional thinking on education, elections, colonisation, society and history. He discusses elitism, interdisciplinary thinking, cultural influences, colonial impact, alternate frameworks, academic pursuits, decentralized data in India, creditworthiness algorithms, labor dynamics in coal mines, sex work in Delhi post-smartphone era, discrepancies in Indian elections, leadership accountability, campaign financing in politics, voting dynamics in India, youth influence on BJP, and colonial writings.

Exploring the life and learnings of Ira Pande, a writer and translator sharing insights on cultural shifts, Indian cinema, family dynamics, and societal challenges. Uncovering taboo topics through language, generational communication barriers, and personal memories. Reflecting on the impactful journey of an immigrant girl, societal biases, and translation challenges. Delving into the evolving language ecosystem, reading habits, and the book 'One Foot on the Ground'.

He's a master of the longform conversation, a connoisseur of the past, a man steeped in culture. Syed Mohd Irfan joins Amit Varma in episode 368 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, his times, his learnings -- and Guftagoo! (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Syed Mohd Irfan on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. 2. Guftagoo with Irfan. 3. Guftagoo at Sansad TV. 4. Guftagoo at Rekhta. 5. Interviewing as a tool of archiving of knowledge and memories -- TEDx talk by Syed Mohd Irfan. 6. Preserving Moments: The Significance of Audio-Visual Records --  TEDx talk by Syed Mohd Irfan. 7. Irfan on Memorywala. 8. Irfan interviewed by UnReported India. 9. Ek Mulakaat with Senior Journalist Mr Syed Mohd Irfan. 10. Do Ankhen Barah Haath -- V Shantaram. 11. Amitava Kumar Finds the Breath of Life — Episode 265 of The Seen and the Unseen. 12. Aadha Gaon — Rahi Masoom Raza. 13. Hind Pocket Books. 14. Bhagat Singh, Dhoomil, Krishan Chander, Amrita Pritam, Shivani and Vivekananda. 15. The Story of My Experiments with Truth -- Mohandas Gandhi. 16. Ankur -- Shyam Benegal. 17. Aakrosh -- Govind Nihalani. 18. Premchand on Amazon and Wikipedia. 19. Pita -- Govind Nihalani. 20. Stage Whisper -- Vimal Bhagat. 21. Walk on the Wild Side -- Lou Reed. 22. Ranjit Hoskote is Dancing in Chains -- Episode 363 of The Seen and the Unseen. 23. Father Returning Home — Dilip Chitre. 24. Guftagoo with Raghuvir Yadav. 25. Guftagoo with Gulzar. 26. Guftagoo with Dr Guri. 27. Guftagoo with Imtiaz Ali. 28. Guftagoo with Jaideep Ahlawat. 29. Guftagoo with Ram Gopal Bajaj. 30. Guftagoo with Mohan Agashe. 31. Guftagoo with Jackie Shroff. 32. Jackie Shroff talks about his mom in Guftagoo. 33. Guftagii with Danish Husain. 34. Danish Husain and the Multiverse of Culture — Episode 359 of The Seen and the Unseen. 35. कविवर -- सुरजीत पातर. 36. Irfan's Instagram post on magazines like Madhuri.. 37. The Life and Times of Vir Sanghvi — Episode 236 of The Seen and the Unseen. 38. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India — Akshaya Mukul. 39. The Gita Press and Hindu Nationalism — Episode 139 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshaya Mukul). 39. Kashi ka Assi -- Kashinath Singh. 41. Sone ki Chidiya -- Shaheed Latif. 42. Caste, Gender, Karnatik Music -- Episode 162 of The Seen and the Unseen (w TM Krishna).. 43. Kumar Gandharva on Spotify. 44. Dhanraj Bhagat, Benode Behari Mukherjee, Balraj Sahni and Ritwik Ghatak. 45. Meghe Dhaka Tara -- Ritwik Ghatak. 46. अपनी खबर -- पांडेय बेचन शर्मा 'उग्र' 47. Pedagogy of the Oppressed -- Paulo Freire. 48. A Pedagogue's Romance -- Krishna Kumar. 49. Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen and Mani Kaul. You can write to Irfan at Irfan.rstv@gmail.com. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new video podcast. Check out Everything is Everything on YouTube. Check out Amit’s online course, The Art of Clear Writing. And subscribe to The India Uncut Newsletter. It’s free! Episode art: ‘The Keeper of Memories’ by Simahina.