The Sandip Roy Show

When ISRO launched its Mars orbiter, it drew attention to the women working at the space agency. And the recent Chandrayaan-3 landing also celebrated this idea. However, the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prizes, which were announced after a one-year hiatus, had 12 winners, none of whom were women. It appears that something is amiss.In this episode, host Sandip Roy speaks with Aashima Dogra and Nandita Jayaraj, who have been profiling the stories of women and non-binary individuals in science in India through their website, thelifeofscience.com. Their recently released book, "Lab Hopping," reveals the obstacles these individuals face and their extraordinary efforts to rectify a seemingly broken system.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar(In the episode image: Indian Space Research Organization scientists and other officials cheer as they celebrate the success of Mars Orbiter Mission at their Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network complex in Bangalore.)

Siddhartha Basu, widely regarded as the father of Indian quizzing, talks about his journey in the quiz show industry, the origins of quizzes in Kolkata, the famous alumni of Quiz Time, and the evolution of quiz shows in India. He also discusses the challenges of quizzing in the age of Google and the qualities of a good quiz question.

With Priyanka Chopra starring in ‘Citadel’ (an American spy thriller TV series) and Alia Bhatt starring in ‘Heart of Stone’ (an American spy thriller film), has Bollywood finally made the crossover? Was Irrfan Khan India's first genuine crossover star? And in an era when stardom is increasingly becoming global, does it even matter?In this episode, host Sandip Roy is joined by Indian Express film critic and columnist Shubhra Gupta to discuss all of this and more, including her recently released book, ‘Irrfan: A Life in Movies.’Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

There is a mystery surrounding Dalit politics in Uttar Pradesh. Over the past decade, the Bahujan Samaj Party's Dalit voter base appears to have been co-opted by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is often perceived as an upper-caste Hindu party. Surprisingly, this shift has occurred despite the fact that atrocities against Dalits by the upper castes have not decreased in the state.In their new book titled 'Maya, Modi, Azad: Dalit Politics in the Time of Hindutva' authors Sudha Pai and Sajjan Kumar attempt to shed light on this conundrum. In this episode, Sandip Roy is joined by both of them to discuss the insights gained from their research for the book.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Abhishek Kumar

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta joins Sandip Roy to talk about his latest TV series, Scoop, which is based on journalist Jigna Vora's book 'Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison.' In the book, she shares her experience of being accused, arrested, and tried in court for journalist Jyotirmoy Dey’s killing, before ultimately being acquitted of all charges. During their discussion, they delve into the making of the show, the state of journalism, the differences between writing for a film and writing for OTT, and how Mehta confronts his demons through his characters.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Even though we talk about caste through the lens of politics, reportage, and even personalities, the intersection of caste and law is often overlooked. Even though it is the law that has been used again and again as the main weapon in the fight for social equality.In this episode, Sandip Roy talks to journalist Manoj Mitta, who in his latest book 'Caste Pride: Battles for Equality in Hindu India' examines the resilience and violence of the Hindu caste system through the legal lens, and ends up uncovering the controversies and decisions that have shaped the fight against caste.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

In this special Pride Month episode, Sandip interviews Hoshang Merchant, a poet and writer who has never been shy about discussing love, sex, and religion. Born in 1947, Merchant has led a life that has taken him across the globe, from Mumbai to Los Angeles, and from Heidelberg to Jerusalem. In 1999, he edited the pioneering anthology of gay writing from South Asia titled ‘Yaaraan.’ Additionally, he has authored multiple books, including the autobiographical fiction under the title ‘The Man Who Would Be Queen.’In this candid conversation, Merchant talks about his experiences of growing up gay, reinventing love at 75, his thoughts on the same sex marriage debate, and more.This episode contains the use of explicit language and adult themes. Listener discretion is advised.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Patriarchy seems like an entrenched fact today, and many argue that it is the 'natural' order of things. But is it? What do we really know about its roots? How did male domination spread across different societies and cultures? And what can science, history and archaeology tell us about it? These are the questions that science writer Angela Saini explores in her latest book, The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule.In this episode, she joins Sandip Roy to talk about what she found out while looking to answer these questions, and the role we play in keeping Patricharial structures alive.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

From taking on the Khalistan movement in Canada, and surviving an assassination attempt, to discussing multiculturalism (and why it is a double edged sword) and caste in Sikhism, in this episode Sandip Roy speak to Ujjal Dosanjh, the former Premier of British Columbia and federal minister — the first person of Indian origin to lead a government in the west.In this conversation, Dosanjh speaks about meeting the Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, how Canada became a haven for Khalistanis, and his novel, The Past is Never Dead, that tells the story of a rural Punjabi family in search of a better life, and the ‘stranglehold of caste over Sikh immigrants in Britain.’Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Utsa SarminEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

In this episode, host Sandip Roy interviews bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni about her latest novel ‘Independence’, which tells the story of three sisters who are separated after the Partition of Bengal. They discuss her approach to storytelling, why women are the central focus of her work, her beginnings as a writer, and her belief that (for the most part) there are no villains in the world.Produced by Shashank Bhargava Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar