Stepwell

In the finale of the Stepwell podcast, Patrick French talks to the acclaimed director Mira Nair. They start by discussing Mira's beginnings and how her love for theatre eventually led to filmmaking. Mira discusses her connection to Odisha and to Delhi (4:08), why her films have an element of social realism (5:15), why she shifted from documentary making to feature films (6:50) and why no career move should be about stepping stones to a bigger target (12:10). Mira then talks about why filmmaking is a political act (14:40), her work in Kampala, Uganda (17:22) the abundance of female role models in her youth (20:50). Finally she dives in to the shooting of her current film, A Suitable Boy, an adaptation of Vikram Seth's masterpiece (24:00) and how it looks at 1950s post-Independence India (27:20).

Swapan Dasgupta, author of 'Awakening Bharat Mata: The political beliefs of the Indian right' and a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, joins Patrick French in this episode. Dasgupta talks about how his journey towards the right wing began with observing Margaret Thatcher (3:04), the rise in populist nationalism across the world and whether India is part of this trend (5:12) and why Savarkar doesn't define the Hindu nationalist movement (12:10). He talks about why notions of 'secularism' are floundering (16:30) and why debates about secularism didn't exist before the term was codified in our Constitution under Indira Gandhi(18:35). Dasgupta then discusses why the Hindu nationalist movement wasn't as popular in the latter half of the 20th century (22:55), why the Swatantra Party wasn't as progressive as many believe (22:20) and ends by detailing why he believes the Indian right never had an economic doctrine (27:20).

On the latest episode of the Stepwell podcast, Patrick French and renowned Harvard historian Maya Jasanoff explore themes of globalisation, imperialism, identity and how these factors shape the modern world. Jasanoff explains why novelist Joseph Conrad's early life gave him a unique perspective on globalisation and imperialism (1:25), what his writing perspective was ( 7:47) and how Jasanoff has contextualised him in her award-winning book 'The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World' (10:24). French and Jasanoff then dive into how the spread of liberalism is connected to the spread of the empire (12:18) and why the unification of India was a contentious process (17:35). Last, Jasanoff discusses the book she is currently writing on ancestry, how it impacts society and her own Indian heritage (22:37).  

On Thursday, the BJP-led government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept back to power for a second consecutive term. This episode of Stepwell, which was recorded on 20th April while polling was still on, provides an insight into why the 2019 general election was radically different from any other. In the episode, Patrick French talks to Mukulika Banerjee, the Director of the South Asia Centre at the LSE, about why Indians come out to vote (5:37) and why voting itself could be seen as a reinforcement of formal citizenship (9:59). Banerjee discusses EVMs and ways the voting system could be improved (13:05), how political parties have used and misused booth-wise polling data (17:05) and why the 2019 elections were radically different for multiple reasons, including WhatsApp and electoral bonds (18:30). Using her observations in the field, Mukulika accurately predicts why the BJP would make substantial gains in West Bengal (24:10). Finally, they dissect whether India is part of a global trend of rising populist nationalism that can be seen in other liberal democracies such as the USA and UK. (28:10)

Are complex problems like Climate change or inequality more likely to be solved through collaborative, interdisciplinary work? How do you go about it and what are best practices to follow? Is there space for developing ideas to be presented? In what instances would such interdisciplinary work not work? Simon Goldhill, Professor of Greek Literature and Culture from Cambridge University joins Patrick French to discuss how interdisciplinary work can solve complex questions. 

Why is creating art a journey and a process? How do musicians train their bodies to perfect their craft? In this episode, Patrick French talks to the wonderful Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan about how their journeys into music started, what they have learnt along the way, their views on current methods of music production and how they honed their craft. 

While Conservatism hasn't emerged as a political ideology in India, it has had a continuing influence on political thinking. On this episode of the Stepwell podcast, Patrick French talks to Shruti Kapila, a Historian at Cambridge University, about how Conservatism can be seen as a disposition rather than an ideology. Why can we consider Gandhi a radical conservative or Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel a statist? Kapila details how this disposition has influenced politicians in India for eras, from Gandhi and Tilak to present day Congress.

How did cotton trade, slavery and colonialism play a role in the emergence of capitalism? What role did cotton play in India's struggle for freedom? How was capitalism re-imagined around the 1950s? This enlightening conversation between historian and author of Empire of Cotton, Sven Beckert and Patrick French, sheds some light on how the present global world came to exist on the foundation of cotton trade. 

Why are 20% of women "missing" from Indian democracy? What happens when there is better representation of women in electorates, Parliament or even boardrooms?  Shamika Ravi, who is an economist and Director of Research at Brookings India, talks to Patrick French about economic growth, investing in human capital, skewed sex ratios, factors working against getting more women in Parliament, why EVMs have made voting more representational and much more.  

Patrick French talks to climate scientists Jim Skea and Minal Pathak of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change about how they weigh the evidence on global warming. Are intense summer temperatures, rising sea levels and the melting of the Himalayan glaciers now inevitable? Can climate change be mitigated? And what was it like to negotiate with 130 countries at once in Incheon in South Korea last year?

Srinath Raghavan, Senior Fellow at the Center for Policy Research discusses how power, ideology and culture shaped US-South Asia relations over the years. How can we understand current US-India policies in the context of past events? How did America's relationship with Pakistan affect India? Why did previous American presidents refer to South Asia as "the most dangerous place"? Srinath leads Patrick through this complicated history on the episode.