CONVERSATIONS WITH ATUL

In the final episode of this three-part series, South Korean business icon, Yong Lee converses about the kindness of strangers, his foray into the Recreational vehicle business, his only business failure and how he once made a million dollars in a single day. So please welcome Business icon, Yong Lee, a man who has spent most of the last two decades trying to fulfil the dreams his mother had for his late elder brother and a man who strongly believes in the old Korean saying … that he has people luck. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'   (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple Podcasts)  

In the second episode of this three-part series, South Korean business icon, Yong Lee converses about how his brother was paralysed in a freak accident, and he took on the role of his brother's hands and legs for the next ten years. His brother was his first patient and that one life changing sad event was what eventually led him to his hugely successful home care business. So please welcome Business icon, Yong Lee, a man who has constantly tried to find joy in what he does. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'

In the first part of this three-episode series, South Korean business icon, Yong Lee converses about the war torn history of South Korea, the countries running feud with Japan, the personal trauma of losing his father in the mid-air bombing of a flight by North Korean terrorists, the meaning of the words ‘Gangnam Style' in the blockbuster hit song and the beginning of his entrepreneurial days where, as a teenager, he organised beer parties on trams and yachts in Hongkong. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'

AN INFORMATIVE CONVERSATION WITH PROLIFIC TRAVEL WRITER KETAN JOSHI ABOUT HIS TRAVELS IN ANTARCTICA, ARGENTINA AND IRAN, HIS PENCHANT FOR BRAKE FAILS AND HIS MEMORABLE BIKE TRIP WITH HIS TEENAGE DAUGHTER In the final episode with prolific travel writer Ketan Joshi, we converse about his experiences in Antarctica, Argentina and Iran, his penchant for brake fails and his memorable bike trip with his teenage daughter. So please welcome Ketan Joshi, a writer who is close to publishing almost two dozen travel books, and who, in this episode, explains why history should not be studied in books as a series of discrete events but rather as seemingly random things which are connected with each other, why stupidity is an infinite resource and how the downfall of Iran under theocratic rule should be a lesson for us in India. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple Podcasts)

AN INFORMATIVE CONVERSATION WITH PROLIFIC TRAVEL WRITER KETAN JOSHI ABOUT THE BACKSTORY OF THE KUMBH MELA, HIS EXPERIENCES WITH ESTABLISHED PUBLISHERS, HIS FAITH IN SELF-PUBLISHING AND FINALLY, A PROFILE OF ALL HIS BOOKS WITH THE INTERESTING TALE OF HOW HE BECAME A FULL-TIME WRITER AND TRAVELLER In the third of this four-part episode with prolific travel writer Ketan Joshi, we converse about the backstory of the Kumbh mela, his endearing love story with his travel partner, and how he looks forward to cannibalising all his life experiences into published written material. So please welcome Ketan Joshi, a writer who is close to publishing almost two dozen travel books, and who, in this episode, will educate us on the difference between publishing with established book houses and self-publishing, his take on how amazon democratised book publishing in India and finally, a profile of all his books with the interesting tale of how he became a full-time writer and traveller. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.  (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple Podcasts)

AN INFORMATIVE CONVERSATION WITH PROLIFIC TRAVEL WRITER KETAN JOSHI ABOUT THE ORIGINAL TAKEOVER KING MR. VITHAL MALLYA, THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE LIQUOR INDUSTRY, THE FASCINATING BACKSTORY OF THE CORPORATE MARICO, FOLLOWED BY KETAN'S PROCESS AS A WRITER AND WHY HE BELIEVES WRITERS SHOULD HAVE BOTH, A THIN SKIN AND A THICK SKIN In the second of this four-part episode with prolific travel writer Ketan Joshi, we converse about the history of Vithal Mallya who will go down in history as the original takeover king, the inner workings of the liquor industry, the fascinating backstory of the corporate ‘Marico', and finally, a class on the difference between sales and marketing. So please welcome Ketan Joshi, a writer who is close to publishing almost two dozen travel books, and who will enrich us with his experiences on how he got over his fear of travel, how he got his first taste of rural India, his first backpacking trip and finally his personal philosophy of why anybody with an ambition to write, should have both, a thin skin and a thick skin. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.   (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple Podcasts)

AN INFORMATIVE CONVERSATION WITH PROLIFIC TRAVEL WRITER KETAN JOSHI ABOUT THE HISTORY OF FORTS IN MUMBAI, HOW THE BRITISH MAPPED THE WHOLE OF INDIA AND WHY DEOLALI IS INDEED CALLED DEOLALI In the first episode of this four-part series with prolific travel writer Ketan Joshi, we converse about his early years and the history of the Mumbai suburb of Chembur, the history of the forts in Mumbai, how the British mapped the whole of India and why the military centre of Deolali is indeed called Deolali. So please welcome Ketan Joshi, a writer who is close to publishing almost two dozen travel books, a writer who is pissed with other bitchy travel writers and a writer whose first travel story in school included a fictional trip to Jalianwala Baug, which almost reduced the teacher to tears. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple Podcasts)

AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ON AUTISM FROM A PARENTAL PERSPECTIVE WITH DEEPTI DESHPANDE, A MOTHER WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH HER OWN JOURNEY OF IDENTIFYING AUTISM AND WORKING ON HER FIRST BORN IN THE LAST DECADE. IN THE THIRD AND FINAL EPISODE, WE CONVERSED ABOUT HOW THE PARENTS ARE THE PRIMARY THERAPIST, THE PROGRESS BY HER SON IN THE LAST DECADE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE CHILD AWARE OF HIS/HER AUTISM In the third and final part of this conversation on trying to understand autism in children, Deepti Deshpande converses about the concerns she had before having a second child, why it is important for parents to be completely invested in their child's therapy and how the parents are the primary therapists. So please welcome Deepti Deshpande, a mother who has passed through her own journey of dealing with her child's autism and who in the final part of this three episode conversation talks of the progress her son has made in the last decade, the relay swim he participated in from Alibaug to the Gateway of India and why it is important to make the child aware of his/her autism. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple Podcasts)

EPISODE 37 : PART 2 (OF 3) AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ON AUTISM FROM A PARENTAL PERSPECTIVE WITH DEEPTI DESHPANDE, A MOTHER WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH HER OWN JOURNEY OF IDENTIFYING AUTISM AND WORKING ON HER FIRST BORN OVER THE LAST DECADE. IN THE SECOND OF THE THREE PART EPISODE, WE CONVERSED ABOUT IDENTIFYING BEHAVIOURAL DIFFERENCES IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN, THE IMPORTANCE OF DIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION IN AUTISTIC CHILDREN BEFORE THE AGE OF SIX AND HOW THEIR SON'S AUTISM HAS HELPED TO SHAPE HER AND HER HUSBAND AS PARENTS In the second of this three part episode on trying to understand autism in children, Deepti Deshpande converses about how she identified behavioural differences in her first born, her experience with occupational therapy and why diagnosis and intervention in autistic children is crucial before the age of six. So please welcome Deepti Deshpande, a mother who has passed through her own journey of dealing with her child's autism and who in the second part of this three episode conversation talks of how even well-educated families refuse to accept autism, why autism in a child is considered a woman's problem and how dealing with their son's autism has shaped her and her husband as parents. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts)

AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ON AUTISM FROM A PARENTAL PERSPECTIVE WITH DEEPTI DESHPANDE, A MOTHER WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH HER OWN JOURNEY OF IDENTIFYING AUTISM AND WORKING ON HER FIRST BORN OVER THE LAST DECADE. IN THE FIRST OF THE THREE PART EPISODE, WE CONVERSE ABOUT DEEPTI'S CAREFREE LIFE IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR, A CAREER MINDSET IN DELHI, A FAIRY TALE MARRIAGE AND DISCOVERING THE AUTISM MARKERS IN HER FIRST BORN. In the first of this three part episode on trying to understand autism in children, Deepti Deshpande helps us make the difference between being neuro-typical and neuro-diverse, she explains the benefits of a joint family for autistic children and how the word ‘Retardation' needs to be used more sensitively. So please welcome Deepti Deshpande, a mother who has passed through her own journey of dealing with her child's autism and who in the first part of this three episode conversation talks of a childhood spent in the lovely state of Jammu and Kashmir, her love for horse-riding, a fairy tale marriage and how she identified autism in her first born. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava Check out the site of our episode sponsor : golittleguy.com (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple Podcasts)

PROFESSIONAL WHISTLER NAGESH SURVE CONVERSES ABOUT OWNING KISHORE KUMAR'S HARMONIUM, THE 200 ODD TAPES OF NARGIS'S VOICE AFTER SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER, ABOUT NOT GETTING CREDIT ON DOZENS OF FILMS AND FINALLY, THE REGRET OF NOT HAVING TRIED HARDER AT BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL MUSIC DIRECTOR (This episode is in Hindi) In the third and final part of our conversation with professional whistler Nagesh Surve,  we conversed about how he came to own Kishore Kumar's harmonium, the 200 odd tapes of Nargis's voice after she was diagnosed with cancer, about not getting credit on dozens of films and the regret of never having tried harder at becoming a successful Music Director. So please welcome Mr. Nagesh Surve, a man who has whistled in more than 1,600 popular Hindi film songs in the last 50 years, and who played live for us, some of his iconic whistles in songs like ‘Chaand sifarish'  and ‘So gayaa yeh jahaan'. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. Check out the paintings of our episode sponsor at brindasartforheart.in. She can be contacted at : hello@brindasartforheart.in (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)    

(This episode is in Hindi) PROFESSIONAL WHISTLER NAGESH SURVE CONVERSES ABOUT COMPOSING MUSIC WHEN HE WAS MERELY 13, WRITING THE NAMES OF MUSIC DIRECTORS SHANKAR-JAIKISHEN AND FINALLY NARRATING ANECDOTES OF HIS INTERACTIONS WITH CELEBRATED MUSIC DIRECTORS MADAN MOHAN, OP NAYYAR, RAJESH ROSHAN, ANU MALIK AND JAIDEV He had to schedule a recording after school because he composed background music for his first film at the tender age of 13. He was so obsessed with Music director duo Shankar Jaikishen that he used to write their names on walls like young couples in love do. In the second of my three part conversation, professional whistler Nagesh Surve conversed about how he got his first song to whistle in, why all the songs in the iconic film ‘Gharonda' had to have a mandatory whistle, and finally he narrated engaging anecdotes from his interactions with celebrated music directors like Madan Mohan, OP Nayyar, Rajesh Roshan, Anu Malik and Jaidev. So please welcome Mr. Nagesh Surve, a man who has whistled in more than 1,600 popular Hindi film songs in the last 50 years, and who proves that the two songs ‘Itna tu mujhse na pyaar jataa' and the Oscar winning ‘Jai ho' are similar to each other. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava Check out the painting of our episode sponsor at brindasartforheart.in. She can be contacted at : hello@brindasartforheart.in (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)  

(This episode is in Hindi) PROFESSIONAL WHISTLER NAGESH SURVE CONVERSES ABOUT EARLY YEARS IN THE COMPANY OF LUMINARIES LIKE VASANT DESAI, BAL THACKERAY AND MUSICIAN DUO LAXMIKANT-PYARELAL, HOW AN INNOCUOUS PRANK INTRODUCED HIM TO SERIOUS WHISTLING AND HOW HE WAS A KEY WITNESS TO A HUGE PILE OF CASH IN PRITHVIRAJ KAPOOR'S SWIMMING POOL LOCKER In the first of this three part episode, professional whistler Nagesh Surve conversed about his early years growing up amongst celebrities like Vasant Desai, Bal Thackeray and the musician duo Laxmikant Pyarelal, how his love for whistling started off as a prank he played on the older kids in his building, the tragic death of Music composer Vasant Desai and stories about travelling more than 160 kilometres in bullock carts from Bombay to Pune. So please welcome Mr. Nagesh Surve, a man who has whistled in more than 1,600 popular Hindi film songs (like "So gaya ye jahaan", "Do deewaane sheher mein", "ILU ILU" & "Pyaar toh honaa hi tha") in the last 50 years, and who was a witness to opening Prithviraj Kapoor's Swimming pool locker, in which was hidden cash, enough to buy a small house in Dadar. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava Check out paintings of our episode sponsor at brindasartforheart.in. She can be contacted at : hello@brindasartforheart.in (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)

BORN ENTREPRENEUR HARI DIVEKAR QUOTES FROM ‘THE GITA' & CONVERSES ABOUT EGO IN BUSINESS, HIS STRUGGLE WITH LONELINESS & FULFILLING THE LAST WISHES OF HIS LATE WIFE  How harmful is it to have an ego in business? To what lengths should one be willing to go to, to succeed in business? At what point should one do a stop loss? and what is the difference between small and big business aspirations? In the fifth and final episode with Business Icon Mr. Hari Divekar, he quoted from the Gita and conversed about the metaphysical. He revealed about the principles he followed in business, his struggle with loneliness and how he fulfilled the last wishes of his late wife.So let's welcome Mr. Hari Divekar, founder of ‘Nature Trails', one of the most successful resort brands in the country and a man who firmly believes that an entrepreneur is not someone with deep pockets, but someone who will find the money and build an empire. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava   (This episode is sponsored by SMAHAART PET PORTRAITS. Get portraits of your pets done by a professional. Contact : smahaart@gmail.com) (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)

BORN ENTREPRENEUR HARI DIVEKAR CONVERSES ABOUT HIS TIME WITH BNHS (BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY), SHARING DRINKS IN A TRAIN WITH MAESTRO KUMAR GANDHARVA & A CON-CALL WITH PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI One of my all-time favourite quotes is that it takes twenty years of hard work to become an overnight success. In the fourth of my five-part conversation with Business Icon Mr. Hari Divekar, we conversed about the decades it took for his dreams to materialise, his plans to avoid an Ambani like feud in the family and how he is giving it back to his old staff.  He conversed about his tenure as Honorary Treasurer with the Bombay Natural History Society, also known as BNHS, his interest in the wild buffalo, his experience with holding snake exhibitions, his association with the legendary Salim Ali, and an once in a lifetime conference call with Prime Minister  Indira Gandhi. He also narrated funny tales of sharing drinks in a train with the stalwarts of classical music, Kumar Gandharva and Bhimsen Joshi. So let's welcome Mr. Hari Divekar, the founder of ‘Nature Trails', one of the most successful resort brands in the country and a man who strongly believes that there is nothing more important in business than unadulterated persistence. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava (This episode is sponsored by SMAHAART PET PORTRAITS. Get portraits of your pets done by a professional. Contact : smahaart@gmail.com) (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)

EPISODE 30 : PART 3 (OF 5) BORN ENTREPRENEUR HARI DIVEKAR CONVERSES ABOUT HOW HE FUNDED HIS RESORT BUSINESS AND HIS MULTIPLE BUSINESS FAILURES WHICH INCLUDED SELLING WATERMELONS AND REARING GOATS   It is said that we learn from our failures far more than what we learn from our successes. In the third of my five-part conversation with Business icon Mr. Hari Divekar, we conversed about how a trip to Atlanta put him on the path to founding ‘Nature Trails'. He gave details on how he managed to fund his resort business, how the resort was a peripheral idea to begin with, and finally narrated funny tales with important lessons of his multiple business failures, which included selling watermelons and tamarind and rearing goats and rabbits. So let's welcome Mr. Hari Divekar, the founder and creator of ‘Nature Trails', one of the most successful resort brands in the country, and a man who believes that it is important to convert your hobby into a business and your business into a hobby. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava (This episode is sponsored by SMAHAART PET PORTRAITS. Get portraits of your pets done by a professional. Contact : smahaart@gmail.com) (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)

EPISODE 29 : PART 2 (OF 5) BORN ENTREPRENEUR HARI DIVEKAR CONVERSES ABOUT HIS FIRST BUSINESS FAILURE, HIS FIRST ROARING SUCCESS & FUNNY TALES OF ESCAPING FROM WOMEN HELLBENT ON MARRYING HIM After finishing his engineering, he had a letter for a job at Kirloskars in Pune. He boarded the train, but instead of getting down at Pune, he tore the letter and continued onwards, in search of his destiny, to the big bad city of Bombay. In the second of my five-part conversation with Business Icon, Mr. Hari Divekar, we conversed about his first corruption laden government job, his first failed venture and his first successful business. We also conversed about how he transported snakes by train all the way from Orissa for BNHS snake exhibitions, his romance with buying land all over the country, which eventually led him to founding Nature Trails and finally, funny tales of escaping from women who were hell bent on marrying him. So let's welcome Mr. Hari Divekar, the man who founded ‘Nature Trails', one of the most successful resort brands in the country and who, in hindsight, feels that everything was an adventure and everything was a gamble in his life. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.   THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava (This episode is sponsored by SMAHAART PET PORTRAITS. Get portraits of your pets done by a professional. Contact : smahaart@gmail.com) (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)

EPISODE 28 : PART 1 (OF 5) BORN ENTREPRENEUR HARI DIVEKAR CONVERSES ABOUT EARLY YEARS IN A SMALL VILLAGE, LANDING IN BOMBAY WITH JUST FIVE RUPEES IN HIS POCKET & HIS HILARIOUS ENCOUNTERS WITH GHOSTS He came from a family of postmasters, always on the lookout for jobs within the government, and yet, his only interest lay in creating something of his own. In the first of my five-part conversation with business icon Mr. Hari Divekar, we conversed about a naughty childhood which included escaping from classes in school, catching live snakes, dissecting birds, creating paint brushes out of the tails of squirrels, being kicked by donkeys and dancing on freshly laid elephant shit.  We also discovered his penchant for narrating ghost stories as he recounted multiple funny and scary experiences with the surreal. So let's welcome Born Entrepreneur, Mr. Hari Divekar, a man who came to Bombay with dreams larger than the measly five rupees in his pocket and created ‘Nature Trails', one of the most successful resort brands in the country. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'. THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava (This episode is sponsored by SMAHAART PET PORTRAITS. Get portraits of your pets done by a professional. Contact : smahaart@gmail.com) (‘Conversations with Atul' is available worldwide on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Please subscribe to the podcast on any of the above mentioned platforms to receive regular updates on new episodes)  

EPISODE 27 : PART 2 (OF 2) LITHUANIAN PAINTER & ART THERAPIST AUDRONE BRAZAUSKAITE CONVERSES ABOUT LEAVING HER COUNTRY FOR LOVE & THE SCIENCE OF ART THERAPY. SHE ALSO SINGS TWO LOVELY LITHUANIAN SONGS In the second and final part of my conversation with Audrone Brazauskaite, we conversed about how she was named after a boat her parents dated in, how her father surprised her by flying down and waving from a plane at an art camp and what it means to migrate to a foreign country for love. Audrone conversed passionately about how her profession as an Art Therapist helped her personally by becoming less judgemental and more humane, and also pushed her further as an artist from someone who largely drew landscapes to painting more abstract forms. So please welcome Painter and Art Therapist Audrone Brazauskaite, a woman who, as a child, was in a tearing hurry to become an adult and, who … surprise, surprise … closed this lovely conversation by singing two beautiful Lithuanian songs for us.  Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.  THE CREW Creator and Host : Atul Taishete Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Cover Art : Soumya Ganesh (#SMAHAART) Music : Imran Ali Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava  

EPISODE 26 : PART 1 (OF 2) LITHUANIAN PAINTER & ART THERAPIST AUDRONE BRAZAUSKAITE CONVERSES ABOUT A GRANDFATHER SENT TO A CONCENTRATION CAMP, SPIES IN ART SCHOOL & THE CULTURE & HISTORY OF LITHUANIA Did you know that the country of Lithuania restored it's independence as late as 1990? Are you aware that Lithuanian is one of the oldest living languages in the world? Have you ever heard what a Lithuanian song sounds like? Now tell me honestly, do you even know anything about Lithuania, it's history and it's culture. If you were as ignorant as I was before this deeply moving conversation, my guess is … Not So in the first of my two part conversation, let me help you know and discover Lithuania a little better by conversing with Painter and Art Therapist, Audrone Brazauskaite. As with her country, Audrone too has a story of her own which includes a grandfather who was deported to a concentration camp and was never seen again, a father who founded an airport, her roots in nobility, spies in her art academy and what it felt like to celebrate Christmas behind closed curtains during soviet times. So let's welcome Painter and Art Therapist Audrone Brazauskaite, a woman who has seen a whole country live in silent trauma and someone who strongly believes that art prospers best under adversity and limitation. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

EPISODE 25 : PART 2 (OF 2) DR. STANNY PINTO CONVERSES ABOUT HOW HE ALMOST GOT KILLED IN A GANG WAR, HOW HE SUCCEEDED IN BUSINESS & THE UNCANNY RESEMBLANCE OF HIS LIFE TO THE BACHCHAN FILM ‘TRISHUL' In the second and final part of our conversation with Dr. Stanny Pinto, we conversed about wise words from an encouraging father, how Stanny's life as a political gangster almost got him killed in a gang war, the principles he used to become a successful businessman, and the uncanny resemblance of his real life with the fictional world of the Amitabh Bachchan film ‘Trishul' … So please welcome Edupreneur, Influencer and life coach, Dr. Stanny Pinto, a man who will help us understand, how a bank loan is the mother of invention. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.  

EPISODE 24 : PART 1 (OF 2) FROM AN IMPOVERISHED CHILDHOOD IN A 100 SQUARE FEET TIN-WALLED HOUSE IN INDIA'S LARGEST SLUM, TO OWNING MULTIPLE SCHOOLS, STANNY PINTO CONVERSES ABOUT HIS INSPIRING JOURNEY As I have grown older and understood the world a little better, I have realised that a lot of success in life is driven by our starting points. As a child, the better starting points we have in terms of money, education and family affluence, the better chance we have of doing well as an adult in the real world. With that in mind, the questions to ask of our guest today are, how does someone who grew up in a 100 square feet house with tin walls in Dharavi, one of India's largest slums, end up owning multiple schools in the same city? How does someone who spent all his childhood sharing five public toilets with 250 other people think of starting his own university? How come someone with such an impoverished background be ambitious enough to think of setting up 100 educational institutions all over the country? In the first of our two part searingly honest conversation with Dr. Stanny Pinto, we conversed about his childhood in the slums of Dharavi, owning a bike before he was legally allowed to drive, his life as a political gangster, how his entire family joined him on his honeymoon and finally, the ingredients required for the secret sauce of material success. Please welcome edupreneur, influencer and life coach, Dr. Stanny Pinto, a man who is not shy to admit that it is his shame as a child that has spurred his success as an adult. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

EPISODE 23 : PART 3 (OF 3) ACTOR ERROL PETER MARKS TALKS ABOUT HEARTBREAK ON THE HOLLYWOOD SERIES ‘SHANTARAM', FUN TALES ABOUT SALMAN KHAN & A FUNNY YARN INVOLVING A SNAKE, A RED SHIRT & A GREEN SHIRT He almost hit international fame when he was cast and even shot for the iconic series ‘Shantaram', In the third and final part of our conversation with actor Errol Peter Marks, we seamlessly mix tragedy and comedy as we hear first-hand about his Shantaram journey from euphoria to dismay, Errol's search for validation as a performer, hilarious stories about Salman Khan and a rolling in the aisles funny filmy tale involving a snake, a red shirt and a green shirt. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

EPISODE 22 : PART 2 (OF 3) WITH ACTOR ERROL PETER MARKS WHO CONVERSES ABOUT A SILENT RELATIONSHIP WITH GRIEF, THE ROUGH PATH TO BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL ACTOR AND HOW TO IDENTIFY RICH FOLKS IN ANY PARTY In the second of my three part conversation with Actor Errol Peter Marks, we flew in diverse directions like his initial school years, his silent relationship with grief, his messy bond with his stepfather and the rough path to becoming a successful performer … so please welcome actor Errol Peter Marks, a man who knows exactly how the rich treat Kaju-badam and how they hold a glass in a party. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

EPISODE 21 : PART 1 (OF 3) BROUGHT UP BY STRONG, INDEPENDENT AND BROKEN WOMEN, ACTOR ERROL PETER MARKS CONVERSES ABOUT KEEPING PROMISES MADE TO A DYING MOTHER, FORGIVING WHEN ALIVE, HEALING & CLOSURE He calls his life a comedy of tragedies as his parents separated very early in life and growing up, he never really had a father to look up to. Instead he was brought up by a set of very strong, independent, fierce and broken women. In the first of my three part conversation with actor Errol Peter Marks, we get a very personal insight into what it is like for a woman in the 1990's to be divorced with a child, what a privilege it is to be reared by multiple motherly figures and the importance of forgiveness and closure … so let's welcome the man who has kept all the promises he made to his dying mother and someone who firmly believes that we should always choose to forgive and we should always choose to heal. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

EPISODE 20 : A DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY & YET AN ENVIABLE CAREER IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. DR. CURTIS COLE CONVERSES ABOUT GROWING UP GAY IN AMERICA, AIDS ACTIVISM & CONNECTING THE DOTS IN HINDSIGHT His family includes the 12th President of the United States, folks who made a famous brand of bourbon in Kentucky and women who excelled in golf, at a time when it was frowned upon. However, all that affluence was lost by the time it came to his generation, and life was a lot tougher with food stamps and little money for winter clothes. In a freewheeling conversation about failed violin lessons, a depressed childhood, self-loathing before he came out as gay, his endearing love story, AIDS activism and a history of student debt in the US, we finally managed to connect the dots, on how a man who has majored in Psychology and Medicine ended up building an enviable career in Information Technology. Please welcome Global CIO of Cornell University, Dr. Curtis Cole, a man who believes that for a real education, pick the good teachers, irrespective of what they are teaching. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

EPISODE 19 : PART 2 (OF 2) WITH AD DIRECTOR RAVI GUNDYA DESHPANDE AS WE CONVERSE ABOUT HIS JOURNEY AS A SON, A STUDENT, A FATHER, A WRITER, A FILMMAKER AND MOST OF ALL ‘A GAON DOST' In the second part of my conversation with advertising and film director Ravi Deshpande, we conversed about a father, who used to read the vedas to him, his career as a writer on some wonderful films like ‘The terrorist, Malli and Dubai return, his views on how cinema is an immersive experience and why, inspite of having a truckload of celebrity friends, he doesn't really like to be seen with any of them in public spaces. Please welcome Ravi Deshpande, a man whom I fondly call ‘Gaon-dost' because his friend list would make up a whole village or maybe even a small town. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

EPISODE 18 : PART 1 (OF 2) WITH AD DIRECTOR RAVI GUNDYA DESHPANDE AS WE CONVERSE ABOUT SHARING BOOKS WITH SMITA PATIL, AN INFERIORITY COMPLEX & A REBELLION AGAINST PATRIARCHY WITHIN HIS OWN FAMILY He comes from a family of landlords who were given Jaagirs by the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He has spent his childhood on the laps of greats like Kumar Gandharva, who used to hold private mehfils in his house. His father, a renowned writer himself, tried to push him towards cinema, while the rebel in him wished for a career in design. In the first part of my conversation with Advertising and film director Ravi Deshpande, we conversed about a Maharashtrian boy's childhood in Telugu land, a warm bond over books with the late Smita Patil, an inferiority complex because of his father's sterling success as a writer and his own gentle attempts at dismantling patriarchy within his own family. Please welcome Ravi Deshpande, a man who can make films, as effectively, as he can stitch a blouse. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

He grew up in a chawl in Worli village, an iconic part of Mumbai which is fast being gobbled up by high rises. At 16, his mother died and his father was bedridden after a freak road accident … and he ended up hustling to put food on the table for his younger siblings. He sat dummy in exams for other people, wrote copy and eventually ended up working in production in films like Oh my God and Jaane tu ya jaane na. Please welcome Executive Producer Arun Mathias, someone from whom we can learn, how to flow with the good and survive the bad. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my podcast ‘Conversations with Atul'.

Imagine a train passes by on screen and you don't hear the passing train at all or a tiger roars in a film but instead you hear a dog bark. These are not really good examples but I guess you now understand how important sound is, in film making, but unfortunately, in the real world, the attitude towards sound is the exact opposite. The value of sound in the Indian film industry is highly underrated. Sound design is the kind of skill in filmmaking, the presence of which is never given enough credit for, but the absence is sorely missed. In the second part of my conversation with professor Emeritus and sound recordist and designer Indrajit Neogi, we continue from where we left of and converse about the importance of sound in films and discuss his contribution in landmark art films like 36 Chowringhee Lane, Khamosh, Vijeta and Ardh Satya Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul'.

He saw Naxalism real up close when a dear friend joined the movement and was killed by the cops. He studied in a school so seeped in religion that he became an atheist who refused to do his mother's shraadh. He cracked the IIT and instead of going abroad ended up recording and designing sound in films. In the first part of my conversation with Professor Emeritus and Film sound recordist and designer Indrajit Neogi, we conversed about a childhood surrounded by systemic violence, an orthodox schooling that pushed him in the exact opposite direction and naughty memories of rushing to read racy paragraphs in novels during school breaks. Please welcome Mr. Indrajit Neogi, a man who believes that if you look at things from a right perspective, things eventually work out. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul'.

He had worked on ad films for almost a decade before he directed ‘Aa Dekhe zaraa', one of India's rare science fiction films. After the birth of his son, he voluntarily decided to become a stay at home dad. As his son turned fourteen, he realised that these were the wonder years where his boy needed to learn a few life lessons, so one fine day, he took a road trip to Goa with the teenager as pillion. That clearly has been a life changing and father-son bonding experience for both and amongst one of the many things we will converse about today Please welcome Jehangir Surti, a biker by passion, a stay at home father by volition, a cosmopolitan by sensibility and a Parsi at heart. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul' TEAM : Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Editor and Mixing Engineer : Aakash kulkarni Music : Imran Ali Cover Arts : Soumya Ganesh Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava

(ये एपिसोड हिंदी में है। ) (This episode is in Hindi) Behind every champion are selfless folks who wish for a small contribution in the champion's success. In generous spirit, the only thing these generous people wish for is to see a champion get his/her due ... and for this noble desire, sometimes put their whole lives on line. End of the day when the champion triumphs, they are desirous of neither praise nor applause. So let's catch up with one such lovely soul. He is called 'Mukhtar Bhai' by his friends. Mukhtar Bhai has been running a Carrom club in Thane for the past forty years. He will enlighten us on how Amitabh Bachchan's hairstyle encouraged Carrom clubs in this city and though he doesn't say so, we will understand how he has had a major role to play in the creation of national and international Carrom champions in this country. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show 'Conversations with Atul'. हर चैंपियन के पीछे ऐसे कई सारे लोग होते है जो किसी और की सफलता में अपना एक छोटासा कोनट्रिब्यूशन चाहते ह। उनका स्वार्थ बस उतना ही होता है की किसी और को चैंपियन बनते देखना और इस स्वार्थ के लिए वह अपना तन, मन, धन दांव पर लगा देते है। इनको ना किसी से शाबाशी की आशा होती है और ना तालियों का मोह। तो चलिए मिलते है ऐसे ही एक इंसान से जिनको प्यार से लोग मुख़्तार भाई बुलाते ह। मुख़्तार भाई ठाणे में चालीस साल से कैरम क्लब चला रहे है। ये आज हमें बताएँगे की कैसे अमिताभ बच्चन की हेयर स्टाइल की वजह से कैरम क्लब्स को इस शहर में बढ़ावा मिला और कैसे इनका कई नेशनल और इंटरनेशनल कैरम चैंपियंस बनाने के पीछे हाथ, स्ट्राइकर और कैरम बोर्ड है। नमस्ते! मेरा नाम है अतुल तायशेटे और स्वागत है आपका मेरे शो 'कंवरजेशंस विथ अतुल' पे।

What would you do if you see yourself losing the one thing that you are passionate about? What would it feel like for a singer to almost die for real and then die metaphorically when told that they might never be able to sing again? In the second part of my conversation with classical singer Sraboni Chaudhuri, we continue from where we left of and converse about Sraboni's near death experience where she almost lost, first her life and then her voice. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul' Help us produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

She had a budding teaching career but she could never really free herself from the lure of the arts. She has learnt classical singing from some of the best names in the business including the illustrious Shobha Gurtu. She humbly calls herself ‘Not so intelligent', but once she started talking about Music, I did, for a moment, feel, that I was the dumb one in the room. In the first part of my conversation with classical singer Sraboni Choudhuri, we conversed about how a Guru contributes to a singer's music and what being in isolation means, for an artist Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul'. TEAM : Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Editor and Mixing Engineer : Arun Rama Verma Music : Imran Ali Cover Arts : Soumya Ganesh Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava Help us produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

Orchestra! What is an Orchestra? In Bombay terms, an orchestra is a live programme with songs and comic skits. Orchestras existed thirty years ago and exist even today but back then, Orchestras had the kind of glamour, which is difficult to imagine now. Comedy stalwarts like Johnny Lever, Sudesh Bhosale, Raju Srivastava got their early breaks here and survived for years because of Orchestras. In the Bombay of the eighties and nineties, Orchestras like Melody makers, Baabla, Pramila Datar were big names. One other huge name was Orchestra Kalakaar. Today, let us try and understand this world of the Orchestra with Orchestra Kalakar Supremo, Mr. Sudhir Sinha. Hi, my name is Atul Taishete and welcome to my show, ‘Conversations with Atul' ऑर्केस्ट्रा! क्या होता है यह ऑर्केस्ट्रा? कभी सुना है इसके बारे में? बॉम्बे में ऑर्केस्ट्रा मतलब एक गाने और कॉमेडी का लाइव प्रोग्राम। आज भी होता है और तीस साल पहले भी होता था, लेकिन तीस साल पहले इसकी चकाचौन कुछ और ही थी। फिल्म इंडस्ट्री के दिग्गच कॉमेडी आर्टिस्ट जैसे की जॉनी लीवर, सुदेश भोसले, राजू श्रीवास्तव, को इन्ही ऑर्केस्ट्रास ने पहला ब्रेक और सालों तक प्लेटफार्म दिया। ८० और ९० के दशक की मुंबई में मेलोडी मेकर्स, बाबला, प्रमिला दातार, ये ऑर्केस्ट्रास में बहोत बड़े नाम हुआ करते थे। इन में एक और बड़ा नाम था - ऑर्केस्ट्रा कलाकार। तो चलिए समझते है ८० और ९० के दशक की इस ऑर्केस्ट्रा की दुनिया को। ऑर्केस्ट्रा कलाकार के सुधीर सिन्हा से। नमश्कार, मेरा नाम है अतुल तायशेटे और स्वागत है आपका मेरे शो ‘कंवरजेशंस विथ अतुल' पे l

When speaking about cinema, quite a few film theorists use a language which is complex and disconnected from ground realities but I have seldom felt that way whenever I have heard Karan Bali speak or read his articles on cinema. As we will discover in this episode, Karan has that special knack to make film history interesting, intriguing, relatable and contextual. My personal view is that this is exactly how film history should be taught if we wish to reel in the younger generation into learning about the past. In the second part of my conversation with film historian Karan Bali, we continue from where we left of and converse about his profound understanding of cinema, its history and how the development of the Pakistani film industry compared with our very own, here, in India. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul'. TEAM : Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Editor and Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Music : Imran Ali Cover Arts : Soumya Ganesh Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava Help us produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

He comes from a family of lawyers in a country we now call Pakistan. He has lived on a farm with chicken, sheep and cows. In his formative years, the VCR, also called the Video Cassette Recorder was his best friend and he had seen more Hollywood and Bollywood that most of us only wish we could have seen in film school. In the first part of my conversation with film historian Karan Bali, we conversed about his childhood and teenage memories which included a strange and rich mix of his time on a farm, life in boarding school, the 1983 world cup, a letter for Sunil Gavaskar, Hamam soap, the Pakistani singer Noorjehan, the koyal Lata Mangeshkar and the thespian Dilip Kumar Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul'. TEAM : Producer : Suvir Nath Sound Editor and Mixing Engineer : Aakash Kulkarni Music : Imran Ali Cover Arts : Soumya Ganesh Website Design : Samir N. Srivastava Help us produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

He was uprooted during the riots and yet, stayed positive. He changed his name and yet, never really changed at all. He never went to Engineering school and yet, is a better Engineer than most engineers I know. But more than all this, he is a father who has managed to get rid of his son's mobile addiction. Today, his son Affan Kutty can make letters and numbers, blindfolded on the Rubik's cube and is on the verge of creating some serious Guinness book records. Behind the son's multiple laurels is a dedicated, hardworking and proud father. Please welcome Biju Kutty, a man who has seen more than his share of troubles but never really stopped smiling. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘ Conversations with Atul' Help us to produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

As a 21 year old, she traveled all alone to Kashmir in the middle of the conflict. She has cycled from Mumbai to Goa and through half of France all by herself. She has been to 72 countries on budgets most of us would travel to 10. She is an Engineer, an MBA, a wife, a daughter and a mother but I feel that the only title that really befits this backpacking dynamo is that of a modern day Gypsy. Please welcome Bharathi Rajaram, whose stories of wanderlust we can only envy Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘ Conversations with Atul' Help us to produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

In the 1970's, there was the rise of writers Salim-Javed's angry young man, a world which was largely unreal, stylish, violent and very popular with the audience. Around the same time, two Bengali filmmakers were quietly narrating gentler stories, which hit closer, to the real lives of the Indian middle class. These two directors were Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. In the second part of my conversation with dear friend, and Hunter and Badhai Do Director Harshvardhan Kulkarni, we continue from where we left of and converse about his life at the Pune Film Institute, his initial struggles to find his voice as a filmmaker, his blockbuster hits made on his own terms and finally, how he has managed to contemporarise BasuDa and HrishiDa through his films Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘ Conversations with Atul'. Help us to produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

While in school, he kept wickets as he watched Sachin Tendulkar half-complete a difficult challenge. He then shifted to Engineering where he graduated with hardly any engineering skills at all. At film school, he specialised in Editing but never edited anything after he passed out. Cricket and films did stay his two big loves but luckily for us, he eventually deserted cricket to deliver two cinematic gems in a row. In the first part of my conversation with a dear friend and Hunter and Badhai Do Director Harshvardhan Kulkarni, we talked about his fun-filled childhood but kept coming back to enduring friendships and committed friends, who believed in us irrespective of our screw-ups and have contributed immensely to our respective careers. Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘Conversations with Atul' Help us to produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

He has sold suitcases, soaps, hair cream, biscuits, cars and every conceivable product possible but not on the streets, not in a shop or in a mall but simply through a voice you know really really well and a face you probably wouldn't recognise on the streets. His stories on how he reached where he did are as crazy as he is. Today we meet the Amitabh Bachchan of voiceovers, a man who knows how to use words so I am a bit reluctant to use any more to describe him. Who else could I be talking about but the one and only Nikhil Kapoor! Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘ Conversations with Atul' Help us to produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

In 1995, he defeated the India number one. Three months later, he beat the Maharashtra number one. The very next day, he made a life altering decision to quit a very important match and a budding sports career. He left the tournament midway. After that day, he never played carrom with the same intensity again. We are a sum total of the choices we make and the paths we decide to travel on … and nobody I know has a better story about life decisions than my guest today. Today, I am conversing with Vaibhav Korgaonkar, a man who quit a sport just when he was in peak form to trudge down a beaten and safer career path. Why did he, like so many of us, let his dreams die? What is the big life lesson he has learnt from that one life choice? And what can we learn from his mistakes? Let's find out Hi, I am Atul Taishete and welcome to my show ‘ Conversations with Atul' Help us to produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/

How different was life before the advent of the mobile phone? How was childhood in the eighties different from how it is today? Dadar hurricane Janhavi Samant converses with Atul Taishete about her book 'Faaltugiri and other flashbacks - How I survived childhood in the eighties'. She narrates anecdotes about her childhood in middle class Mumbai, while Atul adds his own bit about his childhood in lower class Thane. They laugh, whine, empathise, despair while reflecting on those long-gone decades before everybody went mobile and people landed up at each other's homes without calling up first. Help us to produce the show. Visit : http://www.conversationswithatul.com/support-the-show/