In this candid and frank conversation, scholar and civil-rights activist Dr Anand Teltumbde speaks about his latest book The Cell and the Soul, written during his imprisonment in the Bhima Koregaon case. He recalls his time behind bars — from the daily struggles of prison life to his moving exchanges with Father Stan Swamy, whose resilience deeply inspired him. Teltumbde reflects on what incarceration taught him about freedom, conscience, and the soul of democracy. The interview also explores the personal cost of state persecution — its impact on his family — and the persistence of caste hierarchies in modern India. Thoughtful and fearless, Teltumbde connects his personal experience to the larger idea of justice, urging us to question what freedom and equality really mean today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shahid Siddiqui — veteran journalist, ex-MP, and editor of Nai Duniya — joins Badi Badi Baatein to discuss his memoir I, Witness. He recalls interviewing every Indian Prime Minister since Indira Gandhi, reporting on the Emergency, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, and the assassinations of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, while tracing the rise of Narendra Modi. Siddiqui revisits his 2012 interview with Modi on the 2002 Gujarat riots, that practically led to the end of his political career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a lot of 'on-the-road' censorship. The Censor Board should look at this and ensure they have a proper jury in place. If people start doing 'on-the-road' censorship, it will be extremely difficult for filmmakers like me to make the films we wish to." - National Award-winning director Raj More discusses the controversy around 'Khalid Ka Shivaji', which tells the story of a Muslim child’s admiration for Shivaji Maharaj and faces protests over the percieved depiction of the Maratha king as 'secular'. With the CBFC certificate blocked and right-wing groups objecting, More defends his film as a child’s perspective, not a historical retelling, and questions growing ‘on-the-road’ censorship. Will the film get its day in public view? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and former media advisor to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru explores why India’s elite and middle class are increasingly choosing to leave the country. He cites growing global opportunities, declining ease of living in India, intrusive governance, and the inability of the Indian system to absorb its talent. Baru also critiques the weaponisation of the diaspora by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, and the communal mobilisation by groups like the RSS and VHP, in his book 'Secession of the Successful: The Flight Out of New India'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amitabh Kant stepped down as India's G20 Sherpa on June 16, 2025, marking the culmination of a 45‑year service in public administration. Appointed in July 2022 to lead India's G20 agenda, Kant played a pivotal role during the 2023 Delhi Presidency, guiding negotiations to consensus on the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and notably ensuring inclusion of the African Union in G20 discussions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 'Badi Badi Baatein', Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former diplomat and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, speaks about the fading memory of Gandhi in modern India, the communal discourse of present day Indian politics, the faults in the Congress Party, and Narendra Modi and BJP's claims to Mahatma's legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As peace and normalcy are restored after weeks of military conflict between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the Narendra Modi government now finds itself in a limbo, with US President Donald Trump taking credit for the ceasefire agreement and offering to resolve the Kashmir issue. While Trump's 'interference' in the conflict has irked both BJP supporters and the Opposition, what role did the US exactly play? How legitimate is Trump's claim of 'mediation'? Why is his Kashmir offer an embarrassment for India? In this episode of 'Badi Badi Baatein,' Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor talks about his new book 'Our Living Constitution' and the importance of the Constitution amid the India-Pakistan conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of 'Badi Badi Baatein', J&K National Conference leader and Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi speaks on the immediate and long-term fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack, the discrimination against Kashmiris and Muslims across India since since 22 April, and the concerns around Centre's claims of security since Abrogation of Article 370. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of 'Badi Badi Baatein', Poonam Agarwal, former Quint journalist who exposed the government's electoral bonds in 2018, talks about her book in which she details her investigations into India's electoral processes, the questions surrounding the credibility of the Election Commission, and the need for more accountability and transparency in India's polling processes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the political narrative on Aurangzeb fueling communal unrest in Maharashtra, why is the Mughal emperor who dies 300 years ago the Hindu right wing's favorite horse to flog? Was the Mughal vs Maratha tussle purely a religious one? Are sentiments against Aurangzeb being used to fuel anti-Muslim hate? On 'Badi Badi Baatein', renowned historian and PhD scholar Dr Manu S Pillai separates the facts from the political narratives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices