India's Forgotten Startup King & His Descendant's Poop Book! ft. Tejaswini Apte-Rahm

In this episode Cyrus Broacha sits down with chef, author, restaurateur, and all-round force of nature Romy Gill MBE for a conversation that jumps effortlessly from food to culture to absolute nonsense.Romy talks about growing up in a steel-plant town in Bengal in a Punjabi family, navigating identity through food, and why she feels more Bengali than Punjabi. She opens up about opening her restaurant in the UK without investors, facing gender bias from banks, selling her jewelry to fund her dream, and how the BBC showed up just in time.There’s deep food talk, Himalayan cuisine, Kashmiri saffron, game meat, papad politics, and why Indian customers want onions and chillies for free. Romy also breaks down what makes great hospitality, why staff should always come first, and how tips were shared across the entire team from chefs to kitchen porters.Along the way, Cyrus does what he does best: derail the conversation with cricket, Bhojpuri and Bengali impressions, postmen food testing, alcohol debates, and questions no serious interview would ever ask.Expect stories, laughs, strong opinions, and zero structure!If you love food, culture, chaos, and conversations that go everywhere and nowhere at once this one’s for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Cyrus Says / Cock & Bull, Cyrus Broacha is joined by comedian and professional chaos-enjoyer Shamik Chakrabarti for a conversation that goes exactly nowhere and everywhere. They talk about KRK firing guns (allegedly), Vande Bharat reels nobody asked for, cancel culture that cancels itself, internet outrage that lasts 48 hours, and why Indians secretly thrive on mess. There are bad opinions, worse jokes, and absolutely no attempt to be responsible. If you’re looking for balance, nuance, or polite conversation this is not it.If you enjoy chaos, questionable takes, and laughing at things you probably shouldn’t welcome home. And to our regular listeners, welcome back home!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode of Cyrus Says, writer and editor Sharmishtha Mukherjee is joined by her father, Air Commodore (Retd.) Bonney Mukherjee, for a conversation that moves effortlessly between nostalgia, history, humour, and survival. The episode begins with Sharmishtha’s book Pudding: The Memory Keepers of Bandra — a loving portrait of a neighbourhood, its people, streets, food, aunties, trees, clubs, churches, and disappearing culture. Together with Cyrus, she reflects on what it means to grow roots, belong to a place, and preserve everyday stories before they vanish. In the second half, her father shares extraordinary first-hand accounts of life as an Indian Air Force fighter pilot, including being shot during the 1971 war, flying combat missions, surviving injuries, and the quiet resilience required to return home and carry on. The conversation also touches on Sharmishtha’s experience as a cancer survivor, family strength, humour as a coping mechanism, and the strange, beautiful ways people endure. Gentle, funny, emotional, and deeply Indian — this is an episode about memory, courage, and the lives behind history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Cyrus Says!This conversation starts with a forgotten Indian entrepreneur who built three empires and ends with Cyrus touching elephant poop. We're not kidding.Author Tejaswini Apte reveals the untold story of her great-grandfather Tatya Sahib, who went from a chawl in Girgaon to a sea-facing Peddar Road mansion by mastering textiles, producing 100+ silent films with Dadasaheb Phalke, and revolutionizing India's sugar industry.Then she casually pulls out a children's book about animal feces with a bookmark made from actual elephant and rhino poop. Chaos ensues!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writer, actor, improv comedian Shantanu Anam Reddy joins Cyrus Broacha for a completely unhinged episode of Cock & Bull, where nothing stays on topic and everything somehow gets discussed.From growing up Kashmiri-Andhra, studying acting in the US, film school snobbery, AIB days, sketch comedy, improv shows, and why none of it guarantees work — to Bollywood gossip, Kartik Aryan rumours, Dharma controversies, cricket rants, bad box office maths, pollution, badminton, IVF, teddy bears, and the mysterious phenomenon of BubuDudu.There are opinions. There are allegations. There are teddy bears.This episode has no structure, no conclusions, and no regrets — exactly how Cock & Bull should be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Sayani Gupta joins Cyrus Says for one of the most candid conversations she’s ever had — about ambition, money, fear, and the cost of choosing yourself. Sayani talks about growing up in Kolkata, secretly moving to Delhi at 18, turning down a fast-track corporate career (including a GM-level role), lying to her bosses to attend film school auditions, and eventually walking away from financial security to study at the Film and Television Institute of India. She opens up about her early films, underpayment, critical acclaim with Margarita With a Straw and Article 15, being featured on Pornhub without consent, navigating success as a woman, loneliness, dating in modern India, and why many women today feel they’ve outgrown the men around them. Funny, uncomfortable, emotional, and brutally honest — this episode goes far beyond filmography into what it actually costs to live life on your own terms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s No.1 singles tennis player Sumit Nagal joins Cyrus Says for a rare, honest conversation about what it actually takes to survive professional tennis.From playing street games in Delhi to training abroad as a teenager, almost quitting the sport at 12 because it was too expensive, winning Junior Wimbledon doubles, breaking into the ATP Top 100, and taking a set off Roger Federer — Sumit walks through every high and low of his journey.He also speaks candidly about the financial reality of tennis, injuries, life on tour, Davis Cup pressure, why most Indian players have to leave the country to succeed, and what needs to change for Indian tennis to grow.With Cyrus adding humour and curiosity, this episode pulls back the curtain on a sport that looks glamorous — but is anything but.⚠️ Language & humour warning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stand-up comedian Vineeth Srinivasan joins Cyrus Broacha for a completely unhinged episode of Cock & Bull, where structure is optional and logic is discouraged. From being confused with a Malayalam movie star, to debating Vidyut Jamwal climbing trees naked, political outrage cycles, Indian cricket obsession, podcast culture, election narratives, Mumbai trains, Bigg Boss trauma, long-term relationships, and the slow horror of aging bodies — this conversation goes exactly where it shouldn’t. There are opinions.There is gossip.There is way too much talk about urine. This episode is not informative.It is extremely Cock & Bull.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Cyrus Says, Cyrus Broacha is joined by actor and entrepreneur Parul Gulati, best known for her work in films, OTT shows, and as the founder of Nish Hair, one of India’s fastest-growing hair extension brands. Parul talks about her journey from television and Punjabi films to studying acting, struggling through low-paying gigs, and eventually building a successful consumer brand that featured on Shark Tank India. She shares how Nish Hair started at home, listening closely to customers, scaling the business, opening physical stores, and balancing entrepreneurship with acting projects. The conversation also covers Shark Tank auditions, running a team, handling failure, confidence, hair loss stigma, and her latest film release — all with Cyrus’ trademark humour and digressions. A candid conversation about hustle, reinvention, and building something real from the ground up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode of Cyrus Says, Cyrus Broacha sits down with his longtime friend and former college classmate Shaina NC — fashion entrepreneur turned politician — at a crucial moment in her political journey. Recorded in the middle of an active election campaign, Shaina speaks candidly about her transition from fashion to politics, early electoral losses, campaigning on the ground, women in leadership, governance challenges, and what public service actually demands on a day-to-day basis. The conversation also touches on Mumbai’s infrastructure, civic responsibility, voting awareness, and the physical and mental toll of campaigning — all layered with Cyrus’ trademark humour and familiarity. This episode offers a rare look at the human side of electoral politics, beyond slogans and soundbites.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.