Nepal is witnessing a surge in pro-monarchy protests, driven by widespread discontent over corruption, misgovernance, and political instability. While these demonstrations reflect frustration with the current system, they also underscore the country’s delicate position between two regional giants—India and China. Both nations have a vested interest in Nepal’s political trajectory, raising questions about whether external influences are shaping this growing unrest. Is the return of the monarchy a genuine possibility, or is this turmoil merely a symptom of deeper governance failures? In an exclusive interview for Frontline Conversations, senior journalist Nirupama Subramanian speaks to India’s former Ambassador to Nepal (2013–17), Ranjit Rae. Rae examines the resurgence of monarchist sentiment, the shortcomings of Nepal’s political leadership, and the broader geopolitical forces at play.

Since August 2024, India-Bangladesh relations have undergone a seismic shift. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was seen as a reliable and trusted friend of India, but strong opposition to her within Bangladesh, along with her close ties to New Delhi, appear to have worked against both her and India. Now believed to be living in exile in Delhi, Sheikh Hasina has left behind strained India-Bangladesh relations, which have plunged to their lowest point in three decades. The latest development in this saga is the visit of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus (who leads the interim administration in Dhaka) to Beijing, where he received a warm welcome from President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders. The two sides signed a raft of agreements. To understand the impact of this visit, the challenges facing India-Bangladesh ties, and the latest developments in Bangladesh politics, Frontline spoke to the distinguished Bangladeshi economist and public policy specialist, Debapriya Bhattacharya. He is with the Dhaka-based Center for Policy Dialogue and also headed a committee that prepared a White Paper (released last December) on the state of the Bangladesh’s economy for the interim administration. The White Paper’s headline finding was that corruption had severely undermined the economy: Bangladesh had lost $16 billion annually over the last 15 years due to money laundering alone.

The topic of delimitation has turned into a South vs North debate, with most of the States in south India expected to lose seats in a demography-based delimitation exercise. The southern States strongly oppose any redrawing of Lok Sabha constituency boundaries solely on the basis of current population figures as it would not only reduce their political representation at the national level but also amount to penalising them for adhering to the national policy of population control. Nilakantan R.S., data scientist and author of the bestselling book South vs North: India’s Great Divide, suggests that extreme decentralisation could be a way out. In an exclusive interview with Frontline, Nilakantan says the answer lies in making the prize, which is the government in Delhi, less attractive. He says that altering the structure of governance in the country so that the States get more powers could be a way out.

In an exclusive interview for Frontline Conversations, noted Israeli journalist and author Gideon Levy talks to Frontline's Bashir Ali Abbas about the Gaza conflict and potential solutions to the crisis. Levy further discusses Israel’s ceasefire violations, the US’ influence, Gaza’s future, Hamas’ role, and the fading two-state solution. Gideon Levy, the internationally acclaimed journalist and author, is an award-winning columnist at Israel’s Haaretz newspaper and part of its editorial board. Known for his critical views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Levy is recognised for his writings on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and has received several awards for his work, including the Euro-Med Journalist Prize, the Leipzig Freedom Prize, and Israel’s top journalism award, the Sokolov Prize, in 2021.

In this interview, legendary filmmaker Goutam Ghose talks to Frontline’s Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay about “Raahgir”, a visually stunning yet logistically challenging film. He discusses the challenges of shooting in remote terrains and explores the film’s deeper themes of humanity, compassion, and endurance. “Raahgir” was inspired by a short story by Prafulla Roy and driven by Ghose’s quest to explore land, nature, human relationships, and cultural ethnicity in an era of increasing materialism and intolerance. Shot during the monsoon, the film required meticulous planning to make the journey look spontaneous and natural on screen. He further discussed his take on the utilisation of cinematic time and space, the conflict in cinema, the dedication of actors towards films, among other things.

Mohan Kumar, a former Indian Ambassador to France, is currently Dean, Strategic and International Initiatives, and a professor of diplomatic practice at O.P. Jindal Global University. As India’s lead negotiator first at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and then at the WTO in crucial areas such as intellectual property rights, services, dispute settlement, and the environment, he has enormous expertise in the area of international trade and multilateral negotiations. He has served on multiple GATT and WTO dispute settlement panels. In this exclusive interview with senior journalist Nirupama Subramanian, conducted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, Mohan Kumar spoke about Indo-US relations, defence sales, and international trade and tariff concerns.

In this exclusive interview, Rohan Pethiyagoda, a well-known scientist and public policy advocate in Sri Lanka, talks to senior journalist Nirupama Subramanian about Adani Green Energy’s recent decision to withdraw from its controversial wind energy project in Sri Lanka. In their conversation, Pethiyagoda and Subramanian discuss the wind power project, its environmental impact, Sri Lanka’s energy policy, and political pressures, among other things. Adani Green’s decision comes amid the Sri Lankan government’s move to renegotiate the Power Purchase Agreement signed under the previous administration. There was also growing scrutiny over the project’s environmental impact and transparency. The speaker offers an analysis of the project, which has been at the centre of intense debate due to its inflated pricing, lack of transparency, and potential environmental impact. The project, which involves large-scale wind farms in Mannar and Pooneryn, had sparked concerns not only over cost but also about political influence and the environmental consequences of developing in a crucial migratory area for birds.

Zakia Jafri, who fought an over two-decade-long legal battle to secure justice for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots, died at the age of 86 in Ahmedabad on February 1. Her husband, former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, was among the 69 people who were killed inside Gulberg Society, a Muslim neighbourhood in Ahmedabad, during the riots. “Out of hundreds of Gujarat cases, Zakia Jafri’s was the one that insisted: this wasn’t just a personal tragedy, it was an attack on an entire people,” Zara Chowdhary, the author of The Lucky Ones: A Memoir, told Greeshma Kuthar. In a freewheeling conversation, Chowdhary and Kuthar discuss Zakia Jafri’s struggle and legacy, the erasure of collective memory, and Chowdhary’s book set during the 2002 riots, among other things.

On September 20, 2024, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the State government planned to hold an international conference and install a life-size statue of the archaeologist John Marshall, who announced the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation through excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro exactly a century ago. In January 2025, CM Stalin announced a $1 million prize for experts or organisations that succeed in deciphering the scripts of the Indus Valley civilisation for everyone to understand. In this exclusive interview, Minister Thenarasu explains its implications for Dravidian history, how artificial intelligence can be used to decrypt meanings, and more.

Ahead of the Delhi Assembly election scheduled on February 5, 2025, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Jasmine Shah’s book, The Delhi Model: A Bold New Road Map To Building a Developed India, was released in New Delhi. It is an insider’s account of the making of the “Delhi model” of governance, which according to the AAP was conceptualised by its party chief, Arvind Kejriwal, in consultation with other leaders and experts. While the AAP’s political rivals criticise the model as a ploy to seek votes by offering revdis (freebies) to the electorate, Shah shows how it is, on the contrary, a unique road map for development with its emphasis on investment in human capital and putting money in the hands of the people. In an exclusive interview with Frontline's Soni Mishra, Shah discussed his book, the AAP’s method of working, and the importance of Arvind Kejriwal.

In an exclusive interview for Frontline Conversations, former Railway Board member K. Balakesari tells Senior Associate Editor R.K. Radhakrishnan that the hurry to electrify the railway track was misguided as the “pollution is just being moved along the tracks”. In a freewheeling interview, Balakesari shares his insights on the availability of electric locomotives, political considerations influencing key decisions, the relevance of bullet trains in the Indian context, installation of Kavach anti-collision devices, and more.

Rollo Romig, American journalist, essayist, and critic, has spent considerable time in South India since 2013 and his first book, I Am on the Hit List: Murder and Myth-making in South India, takes its title from the late activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh’s own darkly prescient inclusion of herself in a self-prepared list of potential targets of Hindu right-wing elements. The book begins with her murder on September 5, 2017, which shocked both the nation and the world. Through extensive reportage and research, Romig sensitively captures Lankesh’s life and death, chronicles the investigation that followed, and examines how Indian politics and society have transformed since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014—a context essential to understanding both Lankesh’s life and death. In his first interview with an Indian publication, Romig speaks to Frontline.

In this comprehensive interview, former Indian Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to Moscow, Kanwal Sibal delivers an expert analysis of the recent assassination of Russian General Igor Kirillov and its implications for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Speaking with veteran diplomat-turned-journalist Amit Baruah, Sibal provides unique insights from an Indian perspective on the escalating tensions, Western involvement, and the complex dynamics affecting India's strategic interests.

Najma Heptulla is one of India’s longest-serving parliamentarians, holding the record for the longest stint as Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. Her granduncle was Dr Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a key freedom fighter and independent India’s first Union Education Minister. She was close to the Nehru-Gandhi family, working in Indira Gandhi’s inner circle and maintaining a strong relationship with Rajiv Gandhi. Her political shift from the Congress to the BJP, following a disagreement with Sonia Gandhi, drew widespread attention. In her recent autobiography, In Pursuit of Democracy: Beyond Party Lines, Heptulla writes about her political journey. Currently living with her daughter in Chicago, she talks at length with Frontline about issues ranging from what went wrong between her and Sonia Gandhi, why she does not consider the BJP or the RSS ideological outcasts, the opposition’s no-confidence move against Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, and what she did to get the situation in Manipur under control when she was Governor.

In this important interview, former Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad talks about how Syria changed forever in 2024. He explains the fall of Assad's government, Israel's new military moves, and what it all means for peace in West Asia.

Historian Ira Mukhoty's latest book, The Lion and The Lily: The Rise and Fall of Awadh, challenges long-held views about the fall of the Mughal Empire and the rise of British rule in India. Through her focus on the kingdom of Awadh, Mukhoty reveals a complex narrative of regional courts resisting British imperialism while engaging in international diplomacy. In an interview with Anirudh Kanisetti for Frontline, she discusses the capable rulers of Awadh, the French influence in 18th-century India, and how British propaganda has shaped our understanding of this pivotal period. Mukhoty's work, drawing from diverse sources, offers a fresh perspective on a transformative era in Indian history.

On September 2, the West Bengal government passed the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, apparently in response to the gruesome rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. Since then, the Bill has been universally panned as regressive, unconstitutional, and anti-feminist, with activists calling it nothing more than a desperate attempt by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government to quell the rising public anger against it. It has also attracted criticism for several aspects such as mandatory death sentence, reducing the time frame for investigation and trial, and enhanced punishments under several sections of the existing laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita; and the POCSO Act. In an exclusive interview with Frontline, retired Supreme Court Justice and eminent jurist Asok Kumar Ganguly pointed out that “mandatory death sentence” had already been outlawed via a 1983 Supreme Court judgment and when the entire world is moving towards abolition of the death penalty, making it mandatory marks the Bill as regressive. He also spoke about how harsher laws do not impact the rate of crime, the societal changes needed to prevent rape, and more.

The prolific author Sudeep Chakravarti’s 10th book, Fallen City, is about Delhi, where two children, Geeta and Sanjay, were brutally murdered in 1978. He places the crime in a socio-political context. Chakravarti’s own life is as interesting as his work and he has just emerged after three years in Dhaka, where he set up a South Asia study department at a university. In an interview with Frontline, he speaks about his latest book, Bangladesh’s transformation over the years, the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the recent spate of violence against the nation’s Hindus, the protests in Kolkata, and more.

In this insightful edition of Frontline Conversations, veteran journalist Saba Naqvi engages in a candid discussion with political scientist Ashish Ranjan about the recent electoral developments in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. The conversation delves into the intricacies of caste dynamics, social engineering, and the changing political landscape in these regions. Key topics covered include: The close contest in Haryana between the BJP and Congress The BJP's successful social coalition strategy Congress's missteps in Haryana and broader strategic challenges The political situation in Jammu & Kashmir post-Article 370 abrogation The performance of regional parties like the National Conference and Aam Aadmi Party Implications for upcoming elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi Ranjan, drawing from his extensive experience with institutions like CSDS, Ashoka University's Trivedi Centre, and the Centre for Policy Research, offers data-driven insights into voting patterns, caste equations, and the evolving strategies of major political parties. The conversation provides a comprehensive analysis of the current political scenario and its potential impact on future electoral battles in the country.

The Justice Hema Committee report released in August shed light on the widespread and persistent nature of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry. The report’s revelations have sparked a host of reactions, dividing both the industry and the society at large. The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a group of women from the industry initially formed in response to a female actor being abducted and sexually assaulted in February 2017, has been at the forefront of advocating the release of the report and its findings. Bina Paul, multiple National Award and Kerala State Film Award-winning film editor, is one of the WCC’s prominent faces. In an interview with Frontline, she says that the collective’s biggest achievement was putting gender issues on the agenda and hopes that the industry can come together to bring about systemic change.