Listening Chronicles #21

Documenting thoughts on the podcasts that I listen to and those I would recommend.

Hi,

Welcome to the 21st edition of the Listening Chronicles !

This is a space for me to geek out about some of the podcasts I’m listening to and those I would recommend.

If you have been listening to a podcast that you like, let me know !

Let’s get started.

Podcasts I Listened To

The Seen and The Unseen | Loneliness of the Indian Man

There’s a lot to say about this episode, but I think one of things I hadn’t expected was how relatable the stories by Nikhil Taneja would be.

It’s 7 hours long and I wasn’t bored one bit.

This is a long conversation about a lot of things. Nikhil talks about the mental health issues of younger men that he’s been observing over the last few years following his work at Yuvaa. He critiques the state of the current Bollywood Movies and shares stories about his time at Yash Raj Films. My favourite part though is when he’s talking about the different expectations of being a man in your family, the burdens and isolation of growing up within a patriarchal setup, where you are not sure if you’re being true to yourself, or if you’re constantly living for the sake of your family.

“We use this word ‘settle’ to connotate stable. But for this idea of settle, it is also a word we use instead of ‘compromise’

I heard the entire episode over a few. Going for walks, before sleeping etc. Take your time. I teared up at different points in the episode.

It’s worth a listen.

Radiolab | What's Up, Doc?

I enjoyed watching the Looney Tunes Show as a kid. Watching the antics of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck was super entertaining.

It’s only after listening to this old Radiolab episode that I learnt that ALL of the voices in the Looney Tunes are by one person - Mel Blanc.

“Mel Blanc was known as "the man of 1,000 voices," but the actual number may have been closer to 1,500. Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Tweety, Barney Rubble -- all Mel.”

This podcast isn’t about Mel Blanc’s legend though, it’s about an accident in Mel’s life. After a car crash, Mel was in a coma. He wasn’t waking up for a long time, but when he did, the first thing that came out of his mouth was an impression of Bugs Bunny and not his original personality.

Listen to the episode to find out more !

Barefoot Boys | Episode 1

Initially, I thought this was going to be a podcast about 1 important match in the history of Indian Football. There aren’t a lot of narrative sports podcasts from India. You mainly have conversations about cricket, maybe a bit of Olympics- but no one’s sharing historical stories about different events that shaped Indian sports as we know it today.

Barefoot Boys is one of those unique podcasts which uses the lens of sports to tell the history of a city, culture and time during the early 20th century in India. We learn a bit more about the freedom struggle movement beyond the dry textbooks of school, and also the exciting story of Indian Football.

Give it a listen !

Friend of The Court | Jain Hawala Diaries

Friend of the Court is a podcast series about some instrumental constitutional cases which have had significant implications in India. These cases were argued by a senior advocate and constitutional law expert - Anil Divan. In Season 1, three cases are looked at: the Jain Hawala PIL, the Cauvery River Water Dispute and the National Judicial Appointments Commission case.

I’m a graduate of law and one of the things I’ve often maintained is that the way we are taught the law, and the way some popular media talk about the law is very siloed. People tend to focus on only specific aspects of a judgement, or a legal provision. It’s isolated from its historical, political and societal contexts. The stories behind cases are often forgotten or not given credence and weight.

Friend of the Court doesn’t go that route. I’ve listened to the first three episodes, and I can say that they’ve ensured it’s not just about the cases or the judgements of the court. They focus on specific moments in the 1990s, there is an intentional attempt at educating the listener about the stories behind the people involved the case whether that’s the lawyer, petitioner, accused etc. Through their research, it’s clear that they are providing relevant contexts to understand the importance of the case.

In the Jain Hawallah Diaries, you get a glimpse into the Public Interest Litigation system in India, into the CBI’s functioning and why it’s so hard to get politicians and people in power incriminated in cases of corruption.

This is a nice series. Of course, Raghu Karnad’s voice and narration adds to the charm. Give it a listen !

Petitioner Stories | Story behind Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India

Here’s another legal podcast suggestion is something produced by the Constitutional Law Society of my alma mater. In this 1st episode, they speak to Anuradha Bhasin and her role as the petitioner in the case of Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India.

The case was about the internet and movement restrictions imposed in the Jammu and Kashmir region in India on August 4, 2019, in the name of protecting public order. You may remember, the entire population didn’t have access to internet for a long period of time. In their conversation, I think you can understand why Anuradha Bhasin files the petition.

You learn more about the difficulties of reporting from the conflict ridden region, and how internet access is one of the few ways in which local news can inform, educate and spread awareness, especially in a region which was undergoing a constitutional change.

This is another podcast which doesn’t go the normal route of purely talking about analysis/critique of a particular law/judgement. I hope they come out with more petitioner stories.

Advertising is Dead | Then and Now of Podcasting & Advertising Ft. Amit and Kavita (Part 1 & 2)

I have been a longtime listener of Advertising is Dead. Of course, I haven’t heard all of their episodes. Varun Duggirala is a consistent creator of podcasts but I am not a consistent listener.

The final two episodes before a prolonged break are all about podcasting and the changing nature of advertising. As someone who listens to podcasts often, I think I often forget the business side of it. The work that goes into maintaining a large production and marketing team to publish the podcasts that we enjoy.

Amit Doshi and Kavita talk about the podcast boom after CoVID. My favourite part from the podcast discussion was how listeners in India have come to expect more now. They want higher quality. They are okay if time is taken. They pay closer attention. They’re more intentional with their podcast choices.

Listen to both parts !

If you’re someone who’s even remotely interested in podcasting or advertising business in India, check it out.

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That was it for this edition of the Listening Chronicles !

Let me know what you were listening to? What would you recommend? If you’ve heard these episodes, what were your thoughts?

Happy Listening !

Take care,

Nirmal Bhansali