The Sandip Roy Show

Journalist Radhika Iyengar discusses her book 'Fire on the Ganges' which delves into the lives of Varanasi's corpse burners. Topics include building trust within the community, advocating for education, the normalization of domestic violence, struggles of Manikarnika Ghat workers, and emotional connections with the individuals featured in the book.

Krish Ashok, the author of the bestselling book "The Masala Lab," has become hugely popular on social media as the man who demystifies the science behind our cooking. In this episode, he joins Sandip to debunk myths about the Indian thali.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Sandip speaks to Arghya Sengupta, author of 'The Colonial Constitution,' exploring colonial influences in India's Constitution. They discuss Gandhi's alternative proposals, power decentralization concerns, the absence of enforceable economic rights, and the role of lawyers in drafting the constitution.

For two decades, Sanjay Patel served as an animator and storyboard artist for Pixar, contributing to beloved films such as Ratatouille, Cars, and Toy Story 2. Notably, he also wrote and directed "Sanjay's Super Team," a short film released in 2015 that earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film.In this episode, Sandip speaks to Patel, delving into his illustrious career, exploring how he drew inspiration from the Ramayana, discussing his response to criticism, and uncovering the factors that led him to pursue a career as an animator.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

What makes Indian secularism so unique? Why is it so often misunderstood? And what challenges does it face at the moment? In this episode, Sandip Roy speaks to Rajeev Bhargava, the Director of the Parekh Institute of Indian Thought at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, who addresses all this and more in his book, 'Reimagining Indian Secularism’.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed Suresh Pawar

They could be the biggest pop stars you've never come across. Absent from your social media feed, yet integral to the pop culture consumed by millions. Meet some of Hindutva's prominent pop stars who say they are on a mission, spearheading a cultural revolution.In this episode, Sandip speaks to journalist Kunal Purohit who in his book, 'H-Pop: The Secretive World of Hindutva Pop Stars', profiles key figures in Hindutva Pop, and delves into the motivations behind the audience's consumption of their 'daily dose of bigotry'.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Even though Rahul Gandhi is the guardian of the Nehru-Gandhi holy flame, at times it seems that his real mission is to reinvent his own party. On the other hand, many supporters of his party feel that the real stumbling block to its reinvention is Rahul Gandhi himself, who neither wishes to renounce it nor lead it from the front with gusto.Joining host Sandip Roy in this episode is journalist and author Sugata Srinivasaraju, who explores the politics and predicaments of Rahul Gandhi in the book, Strange Burdens.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

After the Supreme Court’s disheartening verdict on same-sex marriage, it appears that we are still struggling to make progress in this regard. However, if we were to look just beyond our northern border, we would realise that Nepal is actually several steps ahead of India on this issue.In this episode, Sandip Roy speaks to Sunil Babu Pant, one of the country's best-known LGBTI activists, about the lessons that India can learn from Nepal.Hosted, written and produced by Sandip RoyEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

India-Canada relations are currently at an all-time low. And it all started after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged active connections between agents of the Government of India and the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Pro-Khalistan leader.In this episode host Sandip Roy speaks to Ujjal Dosanjh, the former Premier of British Columbia and federal minister, to explore how this controversy is unfolding in Canada, what Trudeau aims to achieve through it, and why Khalistan is a ‘western’ movement now.Produced by Utsa Sarmin and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Over the past decade, India's top courts have presided over numerous landmark cases, including those related to Aadhar, Sabarimala, the Hijab row, anti-defection laws, privacy, Section 377, and the UAPA. While each of these cases holds significant importance individually, does a different narrative emerge when considering them collectively? In this episode, host Sandip Roy speaks to lawyer and constitutional scholar Gautam Bhatia regarding his latest book, 'Unsealed Covers,' and what the past decade of India's top court decisions reveals about the country's trajectory.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar