News and Views

In this interview, Anubhav Sinha, #taapseepannu and Kani Kusruti discuss the importance of films like #Assi, society's failure to prevent assault, hyper-masculinity in the industry, resistance to mounting female-led stories, the challenges directors now face while making films, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do the population census, crime data, hate crimes, household consumption, India's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment, Covid-19 deaths, Air Quality Index (AQI) and the Congress' Vote Chori allegations have in common? A pattern of data denial under the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. In many cases, data has not been collected for years. In others, it is missing, calculated using methods that diverge from global standards, rejected when it comes from international agencies, or tightly gatekept. But no data does not mean no crisis. Without reliable numbers, how is the government identifying vulnerable groups or ensuring taxpayer-funded welfare schemes reach the intended beneficiaries? This story examines how the NDA government’s data gaps are affecting accountability — and costing ordinary citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India’s Gen Z is a mystery for any economist. They make less money in real inflation-adjusted terms than the previous generation, the millennials, but they spend much more on consumption and experiences than any other generation did. While their parents saved to build assets, Gen Z has very little savings. In fact, they often have huge amounts of debt—credit card payments that they have rolled over, or personal loans they have taken—without a concrete plan on how to pay them back. The reason for this can be encapsulated in one term: Financial Nihilism. In a brand-new episode of 'Caught in the Middle', senior business journalist Aunindyo Chakravarty explains why Gen Zs don't believe in conventional financial wisdom, instead choosing to learn everything about investments from Instagram influencers. Watch the video to know more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices