Express Conversations

The Southern state of Travancore was one of the first among the princely states to refuse accession to the Indian union. It wanted to remain independent, but things changed after an assassination attempt on the dewan of the state, Sir CP Ramaswamy Aiyer. In this episode, historian Manu Pillai and renowned painter and descendant of the Travancore royal family, Rukmini Varma join us to tell us more about the story of the state’s integration.Hosted by Adrija Roychowdhury and Damini JaimanEdited by Damini JaimanMixed by Suresh PawarEditorial Support: Shashank BhargavaListen to all five episodes on the Indian Express://indianexpress.com/audio/pages-from-the-past/Or download The Indian Express app:iOS link: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/indian-express-news-epaper/id506351833Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.indianexpress.android&hl=en_IN&gl=US&pli=1

In this episode, British High Commissioner Alexander Ellis talks to the Indian Express about India being a top priority for the UK, echoes of the past, the violence in Leicester and how there is no justification for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In this episode, Umran Malik, the fastest bowler to emerge from India in recent years, speaks to the Indian Express about his first full IPL season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, his family, his early years in Jammu & Kashmir, and his love for fast bowling.(Illustration: Suvajit Dey)

In this episode, boxer Nikhat Zareen spoke to the Indian Express right after she won the world championship in May 2022. She talked about how people ridiculed her choice to become a boxer as a girl, her struggles in a conservative society and how she feels women boxers wearing hijab is a matter of choice. (Illustration: Suvajit Dey)

In this episode, Professor Wendy Doniger, who is one of the world’s foremost scholars on Hinduism and Sanskrit, speaks to the Indian Express about what drew her to study Sanskrit and Hinduism, and the backlash over her most successful book “The Hindus: An Alternative History” which was published in 2014. She also talks about why, at its core, Hinduism has always been diverse.(Cover image illustration: Shyam Kumar Prasad)

In this episode, former RBI Governor D Subbarao speaks to the Indian Express on the need for structural reforms, investment, and cryptocurrency, and why we should be looking at growth drivers instead of numbers.(Cover image illustration: Suvajit Dey)

In this episode, cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir speaks to the Indian Express about how it is being in politics, why reducing the Ghazipur landfill has been more satisfying than winning a World Cup, why he is against hero-worshipping and why BJP has a difficult run in the MCD polls.

In this episode, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, speaks about how different citizens in India use the internet differently, what exactly the “splinternet” is and the risks it poses, and how to balance safety and security.

In this episode, world championship medallist Anju Bobby George speaks about training in the US, facing fatigue, the importance of a good coach, India’s performance in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the issue of doping in sports.

In this episode, Alia Bhatt speaks about her transition into the role of producer at her production house Eternal Sunshine, the magic of submitting to the moment to make movies, and what it means to be a star in the age of OTT.