The inCulture Room

Rahul Ram is a bass guitarist, singer, comedian, composer, and activist. A member of one of India’s pioneering rock outfits, “Indian Ocean”, Rahul’s image is beyond legendary amongst independent music circles in the country. He is also a member of the hugely successful political satire comedy troupe, Aisi Taisi Democracy, alongside Varun Grover and Sanjay Rajoura. With a career that has been as diverse as it has illustrious, just to listen to Rahul recount his experiences and share his insights has been a gift in itself. In our conversation, he discusses the benefits of the virtual gig, the effects of state censorship on comedy, his own personal journey as a musician, and answers questions for our quickfire #opionated series!

Jyotsna Mohan Bhargava worked with NDTV for fifteen years as a senior news anchor and senior news editor. She is a columnist for newspapers and digital publications in India and abroad. Her latest book, “Stoned, Shamed, Depressed” covers topics that are as taboo in the mainstream media as they are at the family dinner table. But should they be? Through a series of interviews with psychologists, surgeons, principals, and of course the youth themselves, Jyotsna throws a light on the unfortunately hidden lives of India’s teens. In our conversation, we discuss drug abuse, examination pressure, gaming addiction, and much more!

Any music aficionado who has been to Delhi will tell you about The Piano Man Jazz Club. From emerging local acts to international legends, the venue has been host to countless performers over the years. Given how much we believe spaces are integral to shaping culture, and how much Piano Man has influenced an entire city's music culture, we had to speak to the man behind it all. Arjun Sagar Gupta, or "ASG" as he is affectionally known, founded "The Piano Man" group. An electronics engineer, a Fulbright music scholar, a restauranteur, and a performing pianist with over a decade of professional experience, he is a leading figurehead in the Indian F&B and Music industry. He was awarded GQ’s 50most influential young Indians in July 2017. Anant and Arjun discuss policies to support the independent music industry, live music venues, and a host of Piano Man stories.  Stick around for the end where Anant Shah and him share their experience on the night the legendary Chick Corea performed.

Almost three years ago, Raghav Meattle was the first artist kind enough to grant me an interview. Back then, Raghav’s following was little over three thousand and his now acclaimed album, “Songs From a Matchbox”, was still being conceptualized. But hearing him capture the energy of a famously apathetic university crowd made me immediately realize he was moments away from stardom. Today, Raghav is one of the most well recognized faces in the independent music industry in India but the singer-songwriter’s music is just one facet of the many avenues he finds himself engaged in. In a rather full circle moment for me, I was fortunate enough to catch up with him earlier this month. We discuss the cost of producing an album, The Conemunity, the economics of protest music, memes and politics, and the benefits of crowdfunding a project! - Kartik Sundar

For the first edition of the inCulture conversation, Anant Shah is joined by two phenomenally talented musicians and conversationalists – Rohan Prasanna and Abhay Sharma. The hilarious and insightful discussion tackles everything from Fifa, growing up, corona’s effect on the music industry, lo-fi music, and many more topics.