In this episode, host Suparna Chatterjee talks to author Kanchana Banerjee about her book, Nobody's Child, published by @harpercollinsin, where a TV celebrity is presumed dead, only to resurrect two years later, throwing the nation into a frenzy.
We also talk about the writing process, the joys and the frustrations of being a writer, navigating psychologically disturbing passages and the difficulty of coming up with a suitable book title.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: thedesidetectiveshow and soup_and_chat
Guest: Kanchana Banerjee (https://kanchanabanerjeecom.wordpress.com)
Instagram: @kanchanabanerjee
Books by Kanchana Banerjee
A Forgotten Affair
Eye on You
Nobody's Child
Until I Find You
The Actor
Podcast Theme Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala
Haradhoner Doshti Chhele:
https://youtu.be/z4S3fVtyCFc?si=XsuWsCUmXZ-GbrFr
In this stimulating conversation, drawing from his vast knowledge of Hindi movies and popular culture, author Arnab Ray discusses what he thinks makes a good detective novel. We talk about the male gaze in crime novels, 'And Then There Were None' and other things Christie, post-war detective novels from Japan, his favourite desi detective, Byomkesh Bakshi, and of course about 'The Mahabharata Murders' and his upcoming book, 'The Bucket'.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: thedesidetectiveshow and soup_and_chat
Guest: Arnab Ray
Instagram: @greatbong
Books by Arnab Ray:
May I Hebb Your Attention Pliss?
The Mine
The Sultan of Delhi
Shakchunni
Yatrik
The Mahabharata Murders
Podcast Theme Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala
Haradhoner Doshti Chhele:
https://youtu.be/z4S3fVtyCFc?si=XsuWsCUmXZ-GbrFr
The name Rabindranath Tagore needs no introduction.
In this episode, Suparna takes a look at his run-ins with the detective department of the Calcutta police in real life, and the short story he penned titled The Detective published in 1898.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Books and references:
Wikipedia
When Tagore was named a Conspirator
Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna
This is the concluding part of the sensational germ murder case of colonial India.
A sizeable inheritance, a disgruntled half-brother, a killer bacteria and the plot of a Sherlock Holmes novel come together in the sensational royal murder involving the scion of a zamindari estate called Pakur. The planning was so meticulous and the execution so clinical, that it made headlines around the globe, from London to Sydney to New York.
This case was unlike anything the world had seen outside the works of detective fiction. In this episode, I take a look at the sensational 'germ murder' of 1933.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Books and references:
Wikipedia
Calcutta High Court Judgment
The Poisoner of Bengal by Dan Morrison
How Bubonic Plague Reshaped Mumbai
How Bombay Fought the Plague
Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna
This is Part 2 of the sensational 'Germ Murder' of 1933.
A sizeable inheritance, a disgruntled half-brother, a killer bacteria and the plot of a Sherlock Holmes novel come together in the sensational royal murder involving the scion of a zamindari estate called Pakur. The planning was so meticulous and the execution so clinical, that it made headlines around the globe, from London to Sydney to New York.
This case was unlike anything the world had seen outside the works of detective fiction. In this episode, I take a look at the sensational 'germ murder' of 1933.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Books and references:
Wikipedia
Calcutta High Court Judgment
The Poisoner of Bengal by Dan Morrison
How Bubonic Plague Reshaped Mumbai
How Bombay Fought the Plague
Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna
A sizeable inheritance, a disgruntled half-brother, a killer bacteria and the plot of a Sherlock Holmes novel come together in the sensational royal murder involving the scion of a zamindari estate called Pakur. The planning was so meticulous and the execution so clinical, that it made headlines around the globe, from London to Sydney to New York.
This case was unlike anything the world had seen outside the works of detective fiction. In this episode, I take a look at the sensational 'germ murder' of 1933.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Books and references:
Wikipedia
The Poisoner of Bengal by Dan Morrison
How Bubonic Plague reshaped Mumbai
Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna
In this episode of The Desi Detective Show, author Meeti Shroff-Shah talks to host Suparna Chatterjee about the world of Temple Hill, that posh area in south Mumbai home to Gujarati Jains, for whom Ahimsa or non-violence is a fundamental tenet of life. A murder in such a neighbourhood, where all life is considered sacred, is unthinkable. Yet, that is what the residents of Temple Hill find themselves grappling with in this fun series crackling with wit, sizzling with tension and sprinkled with a dash of romance - and we are not even referring to the sumptuous buffet spreads here.
Instagram: meetishroffshah
Books by Meeti:
The Death of Kirti Kadakia
A Matrimonial Murder
Do you Know any Good Boys?
Theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna
In this episode, I take a look at Saradindu Bandopadhyay's iconic creation, Byomkesh Bakshi.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Books and references:
Byomkesh Somogro by Saradindu Bandopadhyay
Inside messbaris
Academic articles by Sunit Barui and Abeer Kapur
Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna
We are 10 episodes down, and I think this is a great time to thank all the listeners who have been very generous with their support, by sending feedback and comments on the episodes, and by supporting the podcast by sharing it on social media.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: soup_and_chat
thedesidetectiveshow
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Theme music by B. Prasanna
Instagram: b_prasanna
Website:bprasannamusic.com
and
Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: khurshedbatliwala
Website:Bawa and Dinesh
In this episode, award-winning author Nev March talks about her book, Murder in Old Bombay, which draws inspiration from the unsolved 1890s mystery that resulted in the death of two young, well-to-do Parsi ladies. In this candid chat, Nev draws parallels with what is happening around the world today, and we get a glimpse of 19th-century India through the eyes of the Parsi community.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow and soup_and_chat
Guest: Nev March
Instagram: nevmarch
https://nevmarch.com
Theme music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna and khurshedbatliwala
Books and References:
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March (HarperCollins India)
Wikipedia
The Parsi Business Story: Under Lock and Key
What does a hair oil brand have to do with detective fiction in India? And what was the scientific mystery story written by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose? Find out in this episode of the Desi Detective Show.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow and soup_and_chat
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna and khurshedbatliwala
References:
The Rays before Satyajit by Chandak Sengupta
The Runaway Cyclone with an English translation by Bodhisattva Chatterjee
In this episode, author Harini Nagendra talks about how she brings history, ecology and her love for cosy murder mysteries together to recreate the life and times of early 20th Century Bangalore.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow and soup_and_chat
Guest: Harini Nagendra
Instagram: harini.nagendra
X: @HariniNagendra
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna and khurshedbatliwala
Books by Harini Nagendra:
The Bangalore Detectives Club
Murder Under the Red Moon
A Nest of Vipers
References:
A Mission to Mysore by Rev. Williams Arthur
We all know Mirza Ghalib as the greatest writer of Urdu poetry. But Mirza Ghalib as a detective? Now, that's an interesting idea.
In this stimulating conversation, author Raza Mir discusses his book Murder at the Mushaira, a murder mystery set in Delhi in 1857. He talks about the many interesting and lesser-known facets of Mirza Ghalib's life, nuances of ghazal poetry, and provides the listeners with an insight into the cultural, social and religious life of the time.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow
and
soup_and_chat
Guest: Raza Mir
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna
and
khurshedbatliwala
Books and References:
Murder at the Mushaira by Raza Mir (Aleph Book Co.)
The Last Mughal, by William Dalrymple (Penguin)
In this concluding part, I discuss the witness testimonies and the evidence presented in court, which established once and for all, whether this man claiming to be the second prince of Bhawal, is in fact genuine or a charlatan.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow
and
soup_and_chat
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Guest: Dr Somnath Chatterji
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna
and
khurshedbatliwala
Books and References:
Wikipedia
https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/s7277.pdf
Articles in The Dhaka Tribune
The Mendicant Prince by Aruna Chakravarti
A Princely Imposter? by Partha Chatterjee
The Curious Case of the Bhawal Sanyasi continues in this episode. Please do listen to Part 1 of the story, before listening to this episode.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow
and
soup_and_chat
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna
and
khurshedbatliwala
Books and References:
Wikipedia
https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/s7277.pdf
Articles in The Dhaka Tribune
The Mendicant Prince by Aruna Chakravarti
A Princely Imposter? by Partha Chatterjee
In this episode (and the next 2), I talk about the case that resulted in one of the longest legal battles in colonial India - a case so absurd, so improbable and so intriguing with its many twists and turns, that it lingers on the public imagination to this day. This was a story where the truth was certainly stranger than fiction!
It's the curious case of the Bhawal Sanyasi.
***
Spoiler Warning!
There is a novelised version of the events in a book titled 'The Mendicant Prince' by Aruna Chakravarti. If you wish to read that book, then please do so, before you listen to these 3 episodes.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow
and
soup_and_chat
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna
and
khurshedbatliwala
Books and References:
Wikipedia
https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/s7277.pdf
Articles in The Dhaka Tribune
The Mendicant Prince by Aruna Chakravarti
A Princely Imposter? by Partha Chatterjee
Just how old is the oldest whodunnit from India? Who were the first writers of detective fiction in this country? And who were their inspirations? How did India get her first detective department?
Find out in this episode of the desi detective show.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow
and
soup_and_chat
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna
and
khurshedbatliwala
Books and references:
Wikipedia
Every Man his own Detective - Richard Reid
Memoirs of Vidocq - Eugene Francois Vidocq
Darogar Doftor - Priyonath Mukherjee
Office of Bankaulla - Kaliprasanna Chattopadhyay
Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe
The Making of a Gentleman and a Detective - Anindita Ghosh
Remarkable Criminal Trials in Bengal
Journal of Medical Jurisprudence in India - Dr Norman Chevers
The Manichean Investigators - Pinaki Roy
Numerous fictional detectives have been born in India. But in fame and popularity, none come close to Satyajit Ray’s Feluda. Today I take a look at Feluda stories with a new gaze, not as a young child reading them for the first time, but as an adult who has had the benefit of having read many many detective novels since, to try and understand why Feluda stories enjoy the kind of popularity that they do, decades after they were first created.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram: thedesidetectiveshow
soup_and_chat
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Guest: Mir Afsar Ali (@mirafsarali)
Feluda theme music played by Gourab Das @gourabex
Podcast theme music by @b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala
Books mentioned in this episode:
by Satyajit Ray, published by @anandapublishersofficial in Bengali and by @penguinindia in English
1. Feludar Goendagiri/ Danger in Darjeeling
2.Sonar Kella/ The Golden Fortress
3. Joy Baba Felunath/ The Mystery of the Elephant God
4. Gangtokey Gondogol /Trouble in Gangtok
5. Badshahi Angti /The Emperor's Ring
6. Jokhon Chhoto Chhilam
References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Where have all the bhadroloks gone? by Parimal Ghosh
3. Ami ar Feluda by Sandip Ray
4. Goyenda kahinite Satyajit gharana - Saroj Bandpadhyay
They have been sleuthing for more than a 100 years - in Mughal courts and in Rajput palaces, in the crooked by lanes of Benaras and the bustling cities of Calcutta and Bombay, in the tea gardens of Darjeeling, in the deserts of Rajasthan. Sometimes dressed in dhotis and sherwanis, and sometimes in salwar kurtas and nine-yard sarees.
These are the desi detectives.
After all, who says a deerstalker is a must for solving crime? A turban would do just as well.
Welcome to the desi detective show - the podcast that explores the history and the mystery behind the best detective stories from the Indian subcontinent.
Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com)
Instagram : thedesidetectiveshow
and
soup_and_chat
Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com
Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala
Instagram: b_prasanna
and
khurshedbatliwala