News and Views

Do Olympic champions have a different mindset? In this podcast, Prateek Lidhoo asks this question to sports administrator Manisha Malhotra, who was a part of Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra's Olympic gold campaigns. She also recounts some stories behind their preparation, and what we can look forward to in the Paris and LA games.

In this podcast, we spoke to Norris Pritam, a veteran sports journalist, about his new book, 'The Man Who Made History: The Neeraj Chopra Story', a biography of Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra. The book chronicles his early life, exposure to athletics, and his eventual moment of glory when he won the Gold Medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In addition to talking about the athlete, Pritam also sheds light on some systemic issues plaguing Indian athletics, his resentment for cricket, and some anecdotes from his vast career as a sports journalist. Watch till the end for some untold stories about Indian sports.

From Shami's fifers to Virat Kohli breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record, this podcast will make you revisit the last 45 days of the Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. Amrit Mathur, who has served as an author, and manager of the Indian men's cricket team, shares his insights into the tournament's defining moments, from thrilling matches to record-breaking performances.

Partner | The COVID-19 vaccination drive in India exemplified as a model for routine immunization, achieved over 97% population coverage. It also amplified the need for timely immunization to prevent a global pandemic. In this podcast, Dr. Sanjay Kapur, from John Snow India (JSI) sheds his expert insights from the MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation & Equity project supported by USAID. We are also joined by Dr. Anuradha Sunil from the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) who emphasized the challenges of vaccine hesitancy, combated through community involvement and awareness.

There is a debate going on from social media to offices on the statement of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy that he works 70 hours a week. Narayana Murthy had said in an interview that the youth of India should say that this is our country and we will work for 70 hours. Everyone from the youth to elders gave different reactions to this statement of Murthy. Can India really progress with 70 hours of work and the productivity of the country's youth will increase? There are many aspects to this 70 hours of work and many related questions.

Ravish Kumar is one of India's most accomplished journalists, known for his stint with NDTV India. But what is it like to be inside his mind? In this vodcast interview, filmmaker Vinay Shukla talks about his experience filming Kumar in intimate spaces, the YouTube leak of the documentary, and the state of Indian media and NDTV. Shukla's documentary, 'While We Watched', is a fly-on-the-wall look at Kumar's life and work. The film follows Ravish as he battles the external threats of violence in an ever-polarized national climate, and an internal dilemma between what the market wants, and what his brand of journalism stands for. In this interview, Shukla talks about the challenges of filming a complex portrait of a public figure. He also discusses the YouTube leak of the documentary, which happened after it was aired on American television. He offers his own insights into the state of Indian media and NDTV, the news channel where Kumar has worked for over two decades.

In this podcast, Pratikshya is talking to the two angry men of the Indian television industry - Raghu Ram and Rajiv Lakshman. They are here to talk about their new men's wellness podcast 'Mencyclopedia'. By their own admission, this podcast is 'only for men, no women allowed'. They also talk about their stint at MTV's superhit reality show Roadies, their journey in the world of TV media, and why Raghu thinks people like Andrew Tate are a bad influence on young boys and men. Listen till the end!

After the resounding success of SRK's January release 'Pathaan', King Khan is back with his big-budget maas entertainer 'Jawan', directed by one of the massiest Indian directors, Atlee. In this video podcast, Prateek Lidhoo is talking to some of our in-house film buffs, Himanshi Dahiya, Aditya Menon, and Varsha Sriram about the politics of Shah Rukh Khan's social vigilante thriller. They also delve into some spoilers and talk about the good, the bad, and the absurd about this blockbuster. Listen till the end. And of course, SPOILERS ALERT! 

If one thing Author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is known for is her ability to scout through timelines and transport her readers to another world with ease and poignancy. If 'The Palace of Illusions' and 'The Forest of Enchantment' enabled Draupadi and Sita to break out of their moulds, with her novel 'Independence', she charted a territory that marks, perhaps, yet another milestone in India's partition writings by women. Tune into this episode of News and Views to listen!

Mohammad Muneem urf Alif is a singer, songwriter, scriptwriter, professor... the list goes on. In this special podcast, Alif and Prateek talk about his journey so far, his Coke Studio song "Kya Karie Korimol", and more, but not without some of Alif's singing. Tune in for a music journey through Alif's career.

This episode is a part of Think.NXT with Raghav - a peek into the future through India's eyes! On this podcast, our editor-in-chief, Raghav Bahl, chats about CBDCs which are one of the misunderstood and lesser know financial instruments in the world today. But Raghav's got a fundamental question - How are Central Bank Digital Currencies different from Cryptocurrencies? Will these be able to lend us the security that crypto so notoriously cannot? What government intervention means for open blockchains? He sits down with some amazing experts like Tanvi Ratna, the Founder & CEO of Policy 4.0; Siddharth Menon, the Co-founder of WazirX; Punit Agarwal, the Founder of KoinX; and Praveen Chakravarty, who is not only a politician but also a public intellectual.  Some really interesting questions and insights were raised throughout the episode. So, would your parents still consider investing in Fixed Deposits or CBDCs could become a popular alternative in Indian households? Let us know your thoughts on this episode.

On 10 June 2022, protests against BJP leader Nupur Sharma broke out across the country for the derogatory remarks she made about the Prophet. Javed Muhammad was named the orchestrator of these protests. Post this their house was demolished. It has been a year since that day. Was this demolition a political statement? Was it a warning to discourage potential dissent? I spoke to Afreen Fatima, prominent activist, and Javed Muhammad's daughter to unravel the price this family paid. Tune in!

We recently saw a movie that completely baffled us. A film, that, without pointing fingers, talks about a menace that we all are dealing with. One rumour, one 'afwaah' that can change your life. It is caste and religion agnostic and can even harm the people who spread it. In our studio today we have writer and satirist Sanjay Rajoura, along with Somya Lakhani, Senior Editor at The Quint, and we will be talking about Sudhir Mishra's latest offering 'Afwaah', starring Sumeet Vyas, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Bhumi Pednekar in lead roles. We also talk about the problem of fake news, and self-censorship, and how the film exposes the hypocrisy of 'liberal elites' through a powerful climactic twist. Towards the end, Sanjay urges all young people to call out bigotry in their families to achieve true 'vaichaarik azaadi'.

This episode is a part of Think.NXT with Raghav - an awesome peek into the future through India's eyes! On this podcast, our editor-in-chief, Raghav Bahl, chats about cryptocurrencies, which are one of the hottest fintech buzzwords in the world today. But Raghav's got a fundamental question - How in the world does crypto get its value? Is it just a funky math problem? Can we seriously create any real value by solving equations? He sits down with some amazing experts like Tanvi Ratna, the Founder & CEO of Policy 4.0; Siddharth Menon, the Co-founder of WazirX; Punit Agarwal, the Founder of KoinX; and Praveen Chakravarty, who is not only a politician but also a public intellectual.  What do you think? Would it be possible to buy a piping hot pizza using crypto in the future? Let us know your thoughts on this episode.

On World Dance Day, eminent performer Dr Anita Ratnam gets candid on outlook towards classical dance, music & if institutes are sites of reprieve.

In the last few years, perhaps because of the internet, and also because of the COVID pandemic itself, we've seen a barrage of misinformation in the realm of health like never before - whether it's home remedies, easy immunity boosters, or even unscientific use of medication like Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine. But, through the pandemic years, some people have been fighting against this barrage, particularly online. On this episode of News and Views, we speak to Hepatologists Dr Abby, Phillip, known online as TheLiverDoc, and YouTuber and science communicator, Pranav Radhakrishnan (ScienceIsDope) about the trials of debunking health misinformation online, facing trolls, and why it's so important to tackle them head on.

The UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act was passed in November 2020. Since then, several people have been arrested for forceful conversions.  But Fatima Khan's investigation of various districts in UP has revealed a major loophole. Many of the FIRs and subsequent arrests in cases of forceful religious conversion go against the very law that they are based on. In this episode of News and Views, Fatima Khan and her senior editor, Aditya Menon talk about some behind the scenes anecdotes, and the story behind this story.  Tune in!

Why is India seeing another COVID wave now after months of a lull? Should you be worried about the rising number of cases? Will XBB 1.16 cause more severe disease? Past President, Public Health Foundation of India, Dr K Srinath Reddy, explains. Tune in!

In this episode, we sit in conversation with Supriya Sobti Gupta, the director of Caught Out, Netflix's latest sports documentary. Gupta reveals interesting trivia from the making of the documentary as well as her revelations while investigating India's biggest match-fixing scandal. She also talks about the moral obligation she felt to dedicate the core of her story to the unsung heroes who dug deep into delivering the truth to the world yet remain unnamed and unnoticed. Listen till the end to find out some questions she would ask people like Mohammed Azharuddin and MK Gupta

In this special podcast, we talked to Vivaan Shah, an actor, playwright, and novelist about his new book 'The Forsaken Wilderness'. He also talked about the relationship between his father Naseeruddin Shah and Shah Rukh Khan, his love for theatre, and why he stopped drawing comic books. Listen to the full podcast to find insights from Vivaan's life and art. 

After spending over 28 months in jail, Siddique Kappan, who was slapped with a UAPA case, finally walked out on 3 February. The Quint's Fatima Khan sat down with him to talk about this entire ordeal. They talk about the events that led to his arrest, what were the conditions he was kept in by the UP Police, how he managed to stay hopeful throughout this time and whether he sees a future for journalism in India.  Tune in!

Is it a casual relationship? Is it friends with benefits? Or it just a relationship with no properly defined boundaries? In this Valentine's Day special episode of News & Views, we are discussing situationships – the newest Gen Z buzzword that's plastered all over the internet. Host: Anoushka Rajesh Guests: Zijah Sherwani, Pranay Dutta Roy, Saptarshi Basak  

With the insane amount of people flocking to theatres to watch Shah Rukh Khan's comeback film Pathaan, we asked, "why should we inhibit the SRKian inside us?' So we scouted our office for the biggest SRK fans and found these three - Himanshi Dahiya, Varsha Singh and Somya Lakhani. A spoiler alert is in effect. But that's okay, we know you've seen the film!

As a part of the 'Know your Constitution' initiative by The Quint, Shashi Tharoor sits down with Nishtha Gautam to talk about all things constitution. From rating the Constitution, to discussing its implementation and a common person's knowledge about the Constitution, this podcast is a quick chat with the Lok Sabha MP.  Tune in!

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and yet when it comes to the second most common cancer among Indian women, few really know what they're dealing with. India accounts for the highest number of cervical cancer cases, as well as deaths in Asia, according to a recent Lancet study. What are some symptoms of cervical cancer that you should watch out for? At what age should you start screening for it, and how often? When should you get the HPV vaccine? To get all these questions answered and more, in this episode of News and Views, Quint FIT speaks to Dr Kanika Batra Modi, a gynaecological oncologist at Max hospital Delhi.

What is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear the word, ‘Refugee?' Do you think - “illegal', ‘undocumented', or something “unwanted'?; all these words have a negative connotation to them. Why have we categorized some humans as illegal? These are people who fled their homeland in the face of conflict and war, fearing for their lives. Or do we think of them as illegal because they don't have any documentation, and can we actually do something about it? You are listening to News and Views, and in this episode, we will be speaking to Swara Bhaskar, an award-winning actor and an advocate of secularism and human rights. We spoke to her about refugees, her activism, her support of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, and the cost she pays to stand up for what she believes in. 

Partner | India is "the diabetes capital of the world". According to the International Diabetes Foundation, as of 2021, around 74 million people in India suffered from diabetes and it is not just the elderly. This World Diabetes Day, nutritionist Ambika Dutt speaks with Parthavee Singh who first got diagnosed of Type 2 diabetes when she was only 26-years-old. Listen in to learn how green meals, Vitamin E supplements such as Evion and healthy sleep routine helps avoid further complications.

The horror-fantasy short film, Moshari has made history by becoming the first Bangladeshi film to qualify for the Oscars. We, at the Quint, bring to you an interview with Nuhash Humayun, the man behind the masterpiece, who wrote, directed, produced and edited Moshari. Tune in!

BJP's Hardik Patel is contesting his first Assembly election from Gujarat's Viramgam. We followed him on his campaign trail and also managed to catch up with him and hear his thoughts about Congress and AAP campaigns in Gujarat, his move to the BJP after being with Congress for many years and what is on top of his priority list if he gets elected. Here's what he told us! 

Saurav Kirpal— a man who dons several roles in his life. Yet, it is the ‘first openly-gay judge of India' tag that invariably headlines his multi-faceted personality even if the fact is far from true.  Kirpal, however, doesn't hesitate to take such tags in stride on the account of his sexuality inspiring someone, especially in small towns to break free from the closet and brave systemic odds. Tune in to listen to our full conversation!

The 27th Conference of Parties (COP) is over and we are back to get one last shake out of it. Today, on News and Views, the Quint's podcast series, we bring to you a recurring guest, the Environment Goodwill Ambassador and UN Secretary-General's Advocate for Sustainable Development-- Dia Mirza. On this podcast Dia and our resident climate journalist, Sadhika Tiwari discuss the dilemma of a climate-conscious existence, the reality of climate change, what did we gain out of COP 27, and a lot more.

On 11 November 2022, The Quint's Editor-in-Chief Raghav Bahl chaired a debate on the motion 'Social Media Strengthens Democracy,' at the 13th edition of Tata Literature Live! – a literature festival in Mumbai. Congress MP and veteran writer Shashi Tharoor spoke for the motion, along with Carnegie India scholar Anirudh Suri. Former National spokesperson for the Congress party Sanjay Jha and Australian journalist Antoinette Lattouf argued against the motion.  Listen to the full debate to find out the live audience's verdict.

Every day, we come across articles, forwards and news stories on the internet. But not all of them are true. Some are honest, undetected mistakes, but some of them are carefully crafted narratives aimed at propagating lies. But fear not, cleaners of the internet are here! In this special podcast, Prateek Lidhoo talks to three fact-checkers about their job, the craziest stories they come across, and what you can do to counter misinformation. We have Kritika Goel, Divya Chandra, and Siddharth Sarathe who join us in this light-hearted chat about information, fake news, and how they deal with it. Listen till the end to find out what you can do to tackle your uncle's latest WhatsApp forward. Aur haan, WebQoof na banein!  IF YOU COME ACROSS ANY SUSPICIOUS CLAIMS, FORWARD THEM TO THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS TO GET THEM FACT-CHECKED: WebQoof: 9643651818 BOOM Live: 7700906588  

We at the Quint are certainly hoping you are not tired of COP yet, because we are back on our podcast, 'News and Views' with our great mind of the day-- Bhasker Tripathi, an award winning climate journalist who has been reporting, for over a decade, on issues of agriculture, climate policy and environment. This podcast addresses what is COP, the need for these meetings, what does India and the world at large stand to gain from them, the need for countries to secure their energy future, the world's carbon budget and a lot more. We also threw a rapid-fire round in there, because why not. Watch the full podcast to know more. Disclaimer: Bhasker was absolutely not bribed with samosas to come star on our podcast and any and all compliments towards our work are his own personal views. 

It's World Diabetes Day, and on this week's episode of News and Views, FIT sits down with Dr Shashank Joshi, endocrinologist, diabetologist, and Chair of the International Diabetes Federation (South East Asia Region) to ask the simple question, can one reverse Type 2 diabetes with lifestyle changes? He also talks about the exciting new tech-based therapies in diabetes treatment that can make the process much more patient-friendly.

In a conversation with The Quint, Mevani speaks about the Congress' chances in the upcoming elections in the state, Hardik Patel's move to the BJP and their relationship, and his own journey from activism to mainstream politics. Tune in to this episode of News and Views. 

Chhath Puja 2022: बिहार (Bihar) में एक बार फिर से छठ पूजा कि धूम है. बिहार के साथ-साथ झारखंड(Jharkhand) और यूपी (Uttar Pradesh) में भी कुछ कम रौनक नहीं है. दिल्ली (Delhi) से छठ के मौके पर लाखों लोग बिहार जाते हैं, अपनों से मिलने और त्योहार मनाने. लेकिन कुछ लोग छूट भी जाते हैं. इस वीडियो पॉडकास्ट में क्विंट के ऐसे ही चार पत्रकार अपने घरों से जुड़ी छठ की यादें साझा कर रह रहे हैं.

In this episode of News and Views, The Quint's Nishtha Gautam sits down with best-selling author Amish Tripathi. They discuss a range of topics from religion to violence to atheism and Amish's new book - War of Lanka.  Tune in!  

The T20 World Cup season is on. And we thought, how about we talk about a dream Twenty20 Indian squad of all-time and all-formats? In this episode of News and Views, we have a crazy panel of cricket enthusiasts, Rohit Khanna, Meghnad Bose, and Saundarya Talwar with our host Prateek Lidhoo. We discuss the openers, middle order, bowlers, the captain, and the coach. We even went ahead and chose the remaining 4 players for a 15-man squad. Listen till the end to see the final list. 

Recently, four cough and cold syrups – manufactured by an Indian pharmaceutical company – were linked to the death of 66 children from diethylene glycol (DEG) poisoning in the Gambia.  Tracing the history of DEG poisoning in India leads down a murky path of convoluted, and dysfunctional drugs regulation systems in the country, and throws up the big question of, just how safe are the drugs made in India? To talk about this and more, Public Health Activist Dinesh Thakur, and Lawyer Prashant Reddy, co-authors of The Truth Pill: The Myth of Drug Regulation in India join FIT on this week's episode of News and Views.

 A wise man once said, "Love and fraud can happen with anyone." Don't worry, I'm the one who said it. And I don't know about love, but I have some intense fraud stories from our guests Prerna, Verda, and Prince. We've seen stories of scammers in shows like Netflix's Jamtara, but here is the other side. I talked to some people who got scammed of their money, and their trust in human virtues. Watch this episode of News and Views to know what lessons did they learn, and what lessons can you learn.  Credits:  Host, Producer & Editor: Prateek Lidhoo Executive Producers: Shelly Walia & Ritu Kapur Theme Music: BMG Special thanks to our guests Verda Subzwari, Prerna Yadav & Prince Mukherjee

In The Quint's News and Views Podcast, we were joined by senior journalist Saba Naqvi and Supreme Court lawyer Nabeela Jamil, to discuss the what the hijab means in a place like Iran versus what it is means for the students of Karantaka, and where does ‘choice' feature in all this.  Tune in!