ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

Dr. Jitendra Singh, a medical doctor by training decided to join politics and fought an election from Udhampur in Jammu & Kashmir in 2014 defeating political stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad. He holds many portfolios in PM Modi's cabinet like Minister of State Independent Charge for the Ministry of Science & Technology & Minister of State Independent Charge for the Ministry of Earth Science and Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office, Personnel Public Grievances & Pensions, Department Of Atomic Energy & Department Of Space. In an in-depth conversation with Smita Prakash, Dr. Jitendra Singh clarifies the government's position on the ongoing controversy over the Hindenburg report. He talks about the situation on the ground in Jammu & Kashmir and the measures taken by the government for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. He explains in length the history of the Kashmir issue and the roles played by previous regimes in the misadventure. He also gives us a brief glimpse into his life and career as a doctor and his journey in politics.

Kailash Kher, noted singer and songwriter emerged from being a folk singer singing devotional songs on the Ganga ghats to lending his voice to the stars of Bollywood. He has been awarded Padma Shri for his exceptional and distinguished contribution to Indian music. In a soul-stirring conversation with Smita Prakash, Kailash Kher talks about his life in penury, his time singing jingles for ad films and his break into Bollywood. He credits his success to the almighty and expresses his desire to do more for society. He also reveals about phases in his life when he tried to commit suicide and faced rejection before becoming a music sensation.

The ‘Mast Mast girl’ of Bollywood, Raveena Tandon set the screen on fire in the 1990s with her hit songs and movies. In a candid interview with Smita Prakash just days before being conferred with Padma Shri, Raveena Tandon opens up about her family life, her entry into Bollywood and her friends in the industry. She shares her experiences with adoption in her 20s and talks about the other causes that are close to her heart. She goes on to talk about her relationship with Akshay Kumar and how toxic entertainment magazines were during the 90s. Being someone who never shies away from speaking her mind she explains her views on nepotism and the cancel culture impacting Bollywood.

Aruna Irani, a versatile actress who has acted in more than 500 films still brims with enthusiasm as she recollects her experience as a child actress, and her time in theatre and language films. In a candid interview with Smita Prakash, Aruna Irani describes her life, her entry into Bollywood, her struggles and how she dealt with the issue of typecasting. She goes on to speak about her relationship with Mehmood and why she feels he was responsible for her downfall. She recounts some incidents on the sets with Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan. She also reveals for the first time the poignancy of being ‘married’ to an already married man, Kuku Kohli.

Lt Gen Kuldip Singh Brar is a veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the liberation of Bangladesh. He was also the commanding officer of Operation Blue Star and to this day, he remains on the hit list of Khalistani terrorists. In an informative conversation with Smita Prakash, 89-year-old Lt Gen Brar explains the preparations that went behind Operation Blue Star and the situation in Punjab during that time. He describes, in gripping detail, the operation and the events that followed. He recalls the assassination attempt on him by Khalistani terrorists ten years ago in London and how he fought back. He goes on to narrate his experience during the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the inside story of Pakistan’s surrender.

Annamalai Kuppusamy, the Tamil Nadu state president of BJP is one of the sharpest young politicians in the country at present. An engineer who holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the Indian Institutes of Management, Annamalai enlisted himself in the police force in 2011. Not satisfied with what he had achieved after eight years in the Indian Police Service, he joined the BJP in 2020 and was named the state unit president a year later. In an engaging interview with Smita Prakash, Annamalai talks about Tamil Nadu politics, BJP’s inroads and the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He explains the challenges and opportunities for BJP in Tamil Nadu and the way forward. He also slams the DMK and Chief Minister MK Stalin for creating a rift between Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country. Annamalai reveals what exactly happened with the Governor inside the assembly and clarifies the reason behind using a watch which was in news recently.

It has been a tumultuous year in the United Kingdom as it saw three prime ministers in less than two months, and the fifth in six years. Rishi Sunak, in October, became the first Indian-origin politician to head the United Kingdom. In this ANI podcast with Smita Prakash, British High Commissioner Alexander Ellis tells how the UK, after leaving the European Union, is looking up to India for cooperation in diverse fields like climate change, trade and business, pharmaceuticals among others. He is also in favour of more skilled Britishers coming to India. While terming India as a powerful country, the High Commissioner supports India's candidacy for a permanent seat in the UNSC. The British High Commissioner also sings an SRK number in the podcast.

Lt Gen Anil Bhatt (Retd), DG, Indian Space Association served for 40 years in the Army in various capacities. He handled major operations in Kashmir as Chinar Corps Commander and was Director General of Military operations during the Doklam crisis with China in 2017. In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he shares his experience of bringing in normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir which led to the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019. He elaborates how the Indian Army eliminated three nephews of designated global terrorist Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar in Kashmir within days of them setting their foot on the Indian soil. In a candid conversation Lt Gen Bhatt (Retd) tells how forces dealt with the Doklam crisis as China brought forces in the Chumbi Valley- much closer to the LAC. In his current role as the DG of Indian Space Association, India opened the space to non-government private entities benefiting the Indian Space Industry. 

J. Sai Deepak is an engineer turned litigator turned author. His two books India that is Bharat: Coloniality, Civilisation, Constitution and India, Bharat and Pakistan: The Constitutional Journey of Sandwiched Civilisation are two voluminous well-researched books on the Indian civilisation. His views are hugely popular among a cross-section of the Indian population which believes that the way Indians have read and perceived the history of their own civilisation is through the prism of their colonial masters and that Indians constantly seek validation. On the other hand, some historians feel that J. Sai Deepak and other historians are whitewashing history through an unnecessary debate of native versus colonial prism. In an in-depth conversation with Smita Prakash, J. Sai Deepak busts historical myths which have been propagated by historians for decades. From Wahhabism to Sufism to the origins of the Two-Nation Theory he explains each topic meticulously. Throughout the conversation, he emphasises the fact that there is a need for more proponents of the alternate narrative.

Three-time Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar currently serves in the Narendra Modi Cabinet as Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and also as the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Besides being a politician, Rajeev is an entrepreneur and technocrat. He doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind on matters that mean much to him like administrative reforms, national security and the welfare of Veterans. In an informative interview with Smita Prakash he opens up about his life, his time in the United States, his entry into politics and the opportunities that followed. He explains in detail the nuances of the internet and the need for better regulatory measures. He highlights the important parts of the Digital India Act that is poised to replace IT Act, 2000. He further talks about how the policies of the current government have boosted the growth of the Indian Electronics Industry and uplifted India’s workforce through the Skill India Mission.