ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

Four-time Member of Parliament, Asaduddin Owaisi is considered one of the most influential Muslims in the world. A barrister by profession, it’s hard to pin him down in debates; something that even his greatest opponents admit. Hence most of the criticism against him is rhetorical by nature. His views veer towards being radical and regressive on some occasions and on others, nationalistic and progressive. In an interesting conversation with Smita Prakash, he opens up about his life, entry into politics, and political legacy. He speaks his mind with great conviction and shares his views on controversial issues like Love Jihad, the Triple Talaq law, and the Hijab ban. He slams both the BJP and the Congress with the same vigour for ignoring the Muslim community and for polarising the society. Through the interview, he emphasises his faith in Indian Democracy and insists that he doesn’t need a certificate of Nationalism from anyone.

India formally assumed the Presidency of the G20 or the Group of 20 developed or developing nations on November 2022. This will last for a period of one year and this one year is packed with events with several heads of state and governments visiting India. Is this just a talking forum or can this powerful group find solutions to global issues? To discuss this and more Smita Prakash spoke with Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency Harsh Vardhan Shringla. He was previously the Foreign Secretary of India and Ambassador to the United States of America. In this conversation, he explains in detail the logistics behind holding such a massive event and the immense opportunities to showcase different parts of the country. He speaks about issues impacting the World and India's role in resolving them. Through the conversation, he empasises on how the global perception of India has changed in recent times and the respect it commands on the global level. He also opens up about his personal life and encourages the youth to join the Indian Foreign Services.

What happens when an analyst on Pakistani affairs, an author and scientist, a political analyst and a researcher who speaks on political ideologies and social issues, come together on a Podcast with an Editor? Let’s tune in to the year ender edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash where in a free-wheeling conversation they discuss wide-ranging issues including Punjabi supremacy, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress party, India’s G-20 presidency, Pakistani narrative, Nupur Sharma, calls for Sar Tan Se Juda, controversy surrounding Pathan movie and the unforgettable romance in the 1981-released movie Silsila.

You don’t laugh at her but you laugh with her. If you are an avid social media user, you must have come across the saree-clad ‘Raju Ki Mummy’ passing unabashed judgment on other people’s fashion or the ‘Chanayi Kapoor’ who messes with her housekeeper in a pretentious South Delhi accent. The face behind all these characters is a single versatile entertainer and social media content creator Dolly Singh. Hailing from Nainital, Dolly is a force of talent, who effortlessly commands the screen by moulding into a variety of characters we love and often relate to. In this edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Dolly takes us on a laughter ride and a stroll down memory lane, sharing how she stepped into the world of content creation after moving to Delhi for higher studies. The young artiste, who defines herself as introvert in real life, talks about her characters, content and challenges.

Bhupender Yadav, the Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is also the BJP’s election strategist. In this edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the Union Cabinet Minister speaks about the victory of the recently held Gujarat Assembly polls and the party’s defeat in Himachal Pradesh state elections. From COP 27 Egypt to carbon emissions in India, from Kalyan Singh to Kejriwal, and from Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra to BJP’s pledge for various state elections in 2023, the party’s war room strategist parries a volley of questions in this freewheeling conversation.

Dr Vikram Sampath is the author of eight books including two-volume biography of VD Savarkar. In 2021, the Bengaluru-based historian was chosen as a fellow for the Royal Historical Society of the United Kingdom. In this edition of Podcast with Smita Prakash, the young author-cum-historian talks about India's glorious history; the unsung heroes including civilisational warriors. He elaborates how Lalitaditya Muktapida in the 7th century not only stopped the Arabs from entering India but also conquered parts of Afghanistan and extended his kingdom upto Tibet and China. Dr Sampath speaks about the heroic queens Rani Abakka and Ahilyabai Holkar and explains how the notion that Arab invaders plundered Hindu temples in India only for economic considerations is “bunkum”. He also delves into details about Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan while explaining why Indian Muslims should be inspired by Dara Shikoh and not Ghazni and Ghori. The discussion on the origin and ownership of Mysore Pak serves as a dessert in the podcast.

China's recent attempt to forcefully alter the status quo on the LAC in Yangtse in Tawang Sector was thwarted by the Indian Army. As the soldiers of People's Liberation Army (PLA) came with clubs, the Indian soldiers did not back down and responded in kind, beating back the belligerent Chinese forces. In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd), Former Army Chief, tells how the PLA received a "Jhatka" in Galwan in 2020. As Indian side also suffered casualities, did it break the Army's morale? How is the situation similar or different this time? Is PLA really a modernised army or is it actually “regressive”? How was Col B Santosh Babu’s death at the hands of the aggressive Chinese forces avenged? On a gamut of wide-ranging issues, including Balakot Air Strike, Gen Naravane (Retd) answers every question with military precision.

Mental health is a state of emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being. One's holistic health is considered incomplete without good mental health. However, mental health often takes a back seat as people still hesitate to talk about it. India has one of the world’s largest population of people with mental issues with more than 80% of people not having access to care services for a multitude of reasons, ranging from lack of knowledge, stigma and high cost of care. To have a better understanding of mental health issues in detail, Smita Prakash spoke with Kamna Chhibber who is the Head of Mental Health at the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at Fortis Healthcare. In an informative conversation, Kamna explained how individuals can take care of their well-being and manage emotional distress. She also talks about ways in which mental health can affect anyone regardless of age, intelligence, or social class, emphasising how a child’s mental health is just as crucial as their physical health. Throughout the conversation, she busts myths and taboos related to mental health.

Traditional folk songs are an integral part of Indian culture. Malini Awasthi has beautifully managed to capture the essence of Indian Folklore and has been able to connect the urban audience to the traditional Indian roots through her music. She has been awarded the Padma Shri and is a recipient of several other awards and recognitions. Her special connection is with her home state Uttar Pradesh and she is completely in tune with the folklore and folk music of the state. In a conversation with Smita Prakash, she opens up about her life, her achievements and her path to reach the pinnacle of folk music in the country. She emphasises on the importance of being rooted in our culture and tradition and not being swept by Western cultures. In the podcast Ms Awasthi discusses gender discrimination and women empowerment.

He doesn’t have an MBA degree, yet Prafull Billore is known as MBA Chai Wala. He flipped burgers before wads of cash made way into his hands. Prafull started the MBA Chai Wala in 2017 in pursuit of making big. Soon the young entrepreneur had his cash register ringing and the humble “thela” on a highway soon transcended into a big business. The chain now has nearly 200 outlets in India and abroad. In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the 26-year-old tells how he made it big without taking “jugaad” route, what challenges he faced, how he overcame “log kya kahenge?”, how from being called Billo Rani he became a millionaire, and how he is an epitome of the youth of today’s India.