The Sandip Roy Show

In this episode, host Sandip Roy talks to the novelist and columnist Shobhaa De about her recently released memoir 'Insatiable' — from her early modelling career and how she developed her writing style, to her past controversies and her reaction to Pathaan.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Who is taking care of India’s elderly? UN statistics project that 48 million Indians will be over the age of 80 by 2050. That’s more than the population of California. But is India ready for that? In this episode, host Sandip Roy speaks to Himanshu Rath and Indira Jayaprakash about the lack of elderly care facilities in the country, the issue of accessibility and the impact of Covid, changing family dynamics, and economic concerns.Himanshu Rath is the founder and chairman of Agewell Foundation Himanshu Rath, and Indira Jai Prakash is the former Professor of Post Graduate Department of Psychology, Bangalore University, who has researched ageing for years in India.Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Utsa SarminEdited and mixed by Abhishek Kumar and Suresh Pawar

P Sainath, a veteran journalist and founding editor of People’s Archives of Rural India, discusses his book on forgotten freedom fighters of India. He highlights the vital contributions of unsung heroes, especially from marginalized communities, challenging the narrow historical narratives. Sainath examines the struggles of indigenous tribes under colonial rule and critiques contemporary inequality faced by these fighters. He emphasizes unity in diversity during the independence movement, advocating for recognition and remembrance of these incredible stories.

In a new anthology titled, Indian Christmas, writers Jerry Pinto and Madhulika Liddle bring together essays that capture the many unique flavors of an Indian Christmas — from a village in Nagaland, to Bow Barrack in Kolkata, and from churches to Goa to even rural Jharkhand. In this episode, they join host Sandip Roy to talk about what is really unique about Christmas in India.(Cover image of Jerry Pinto by Ashima Narain)Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

What makes Indian languages different from other ones? We all know about a mother tongue, but is there also a father tongue? Why did invaders from Uzbekistan bring us Persian? And will English cannibalise every other language or is the future of Indian languages something like Hinglish or Nagamese? In this episode, host Sandip Roy talks to Peggy Mohan about her book, 'Wanderers, Kings, Merchants', which tells the story of India by digging into India's languages.Peggy Mohan has taught linguistics at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia, and is the author of three novels.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

When it comes to sex education, there are many questions that don't have easy answers. Like, who should do it? Should it be parents or schools? And when should you do it? And should it just be about the reproductive system or infections or abstinence? Or should it also include pleasure? In this episode, host Sandip Roy talks to Reema Ahmed and Ramya Anand who have been trying to figure out the answers to these questions in the Indian context.Reema Ahmad is a life coach, sexuality educator, and the author of 'Unparenting: Sharing Awkward Truths with Curious Kids'. And Ramya Anand is a Senior Programme Officer with Tarshi (Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues), a not-for-profit organisation that works on issues of sexuality.Produced by Shashank BhargavaEdited and Mixed by Suresh Pawar

The Gambian cough syrup tragedy in which 66 children died has once again raised alarm about India's drug regulation policy. But was Gambia just one rotten apple? Or this apple cart itself full of loopholes? In this episode Dinesh Thakur, who became famous as a whistleblower against Ranbaxy, joins Sandip Roy to talk about his book The Truth Pill (co-written by Prashant Reddy) which looks at the state of drug regulation in India, and whether we actually get what we ordered when we buy medicines in India.

With Diwali around the corner, columnist and host of the Awful and Awesome podcast Rajyasree Sen joins Sandip Roy to talk about her latest book, The Sweet Kitchen, which includes tales and recipes of India's favourite desserts — from Daulat ki Chaat in Old Delhi to Black Rice Kheer from Manipur, to Sawdust pudding from Goa and sweet hot debates like who does the Rasgulla really belong to.Listen till the end as Rajyasree takes part in a rapid fire, and Sandip brings you an audio postcard about the economic and environmental impact of Durga Puja.

Even though Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most well known figures in Indian history, for many, especially the young, he has become a bit of a two dimensional figure. Someone who helped us get independence from the British, but also someone whose face is on the currency notes, and who has a lot of streets named after him. Though it is only when we read his letters to friends, family and opponents, or their accounts of encounters with him, we get a much more three dimensional picture of the Mahatma. Recently, his grandson, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the former governor of West Bengal, has compiled and edited, A Frank Friendship, that brings out these details. The book is about the Mahatma's long history with Bengal, a state that brought him great joy, but also tested his life's philosophy. On the occasion of the 153rd anniversary of the Mahatma's birth, he joins host Sandip Roy to talk about the book, and how the state shaped the father of the nation.