Penguins, Poonam, Politics and Football with Shamik Chakrabarti | Cyrus Says | Cock and Bull

Shamik Chakrabarti returns to Cyrus Says after performing across Europe and Australia, with stories about international comedy audiences, Melbourne’s little penguins and life on tour. Cyrus and Shamik then move through a suitably unpredictable collection of stories: AI replacing workers and potentially CEOs, Bengal and Durga Puja, Navratri memories, Indian politics, population numbers, restaurant inspections, Liverpool fandom, unusual international competitions and Cyrus’ story about working with Preity Zinta. Shamik also plugs his upcoming India tour before Cyrus ends the episode by turning the interview into an interrogation about his dating life. It’s travel, current affairs, football, technology and complete studio chaos, in other words, another episode of Cock and Bull.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Cyrus Says!On this episode of Cyrus Says, Kushal Shrivastava, Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Nikhil Ravi, the makers of Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar, join Cyrus Broacha to talk about recreating the Indian Air Force’s role in the Kargil War. Kushal, who served in the Indian Air Force, along with Abhijeet and Nikhil, share how the series grew from an idea into a nearly five-year project. The team researched the Golden Arrows squadron, spoke to fighter pilots, veterans and families, and recreated intense MiG-21 missions, including bombing operations at extreme altitudes. They also talk about shooting at real Air Force locations, correcting common film clichés, casting the right actors, and balancing authenticity with cinematic storytelling while respecting the real people behind the story. Listen to the full episode for the inside story of Operation Safed Sagar, Kargil, the Indian Air Force, MiG-21s and the making of the Netflix series.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Ishwak Singh became Imran Ansari in Paatal Lok and Dr Vikram Sarabhai in Rocket Boys, he was an architect designing schools, hotels and even his own house. He was also doing unpaid theatre in Delhi and appearing in film montages that his own friends struggled to spot. In this episode of Cyrus Says, Ishwak talks about leaving architecture for acting, his blink-and-miss appearances in Raanjhanaa and Tamasha, learning from Manoj Bajpayee on Aligarh and finally finding his breakthrough with Paatal Lok. He also reveals how Made in Heaven changed his dating life, teaches Cyrus some sign language from Berlin, discusses playing Taapsee Pannu’s husband in Gandhari and shares details about his upcoming projects, including the film during which he fractured his foot. Expect architecture, Delhi fights, dating apps, martial arts, Cyrus’s questionable sign language and a particularly chaotic round of Cyrus Lies. Watch the full episode now!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Aakash Mehta joins Cyrus Broacha for another chaotic edition of Cock & Bull with Cyrus, covering everything from shampoo smuggling and European tour logistics to comedy controversies, Test cricket and Indian politics. Aakash talks about travelling to London, Oslo and Amsterdam, carrying suspiciously specific gifts for friends abroad, and why Indians inevitably become international couriers for snacks, shampoo and other home comforts. The conversation then turns to Samay Raina and India’s Got Latent, with Cyrus and Aakash debating outrage, offensive comedy and why making jokes about cultural differences can sometimes bring people closer rather than push them apart. They also get into Mumbai restaurant hygiene and food inspections, Tukaram Mundhe’s enforcement drive, Indo-Chinese food, the decline of patient Test batting, Pakistan’s missing fast bowlers, Imran Khan, Bihar paying influencers to promote government schemes, Bengaluru traffic cops, VIP culture, PDA laws and the strange things politicians manage to get away with.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Cyrus Says!On this episode of Cyrus Says, legendary lyricist Mehboob joins Cyrus Broacha to look back at the stories behind some of the most memorable music of the ’90s and 2000s.Mehboob talks about how meeting Ram Gopal Varma changed his career, waiting two years before finally getting the call for Rangeela, and beginning a long creative partnership with A.R. Rahman. He shares what it was like writing through the night in Chennai, how Rahman reacts to words and phonetics, and why writing lyrics is very different from writing poetry.  He also opens up about working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, his early journey with Ismail Darbar, the struggles behind becoming a film lyricist, and why a Bollywood song needs to be understood by millions without losing its depth. Mehboob also talks about his friendship with Adnan Sami and their new song Ishq Tamasha, while sharing stories from decades of working with some of Indian cinema’s biggest filmmakers and composers.  Listen to this full episode of Cyrus Says for Mehboob on A.R. Rahman, Rangeela, Ram Gopal Varma, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Adnan Sami, Bollywood music, songwriting and the stories behind iconic Hindi film songs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Cyrus Says!On this episode of Cyrus Says, automotive journalist Cyrus Dhabhar joins Cyrus Broacha for a full-throttle conversation about cars, speed, EVs, hybrids and the madness of driving in India.Cyrus Dhabhar talks about growing up in a motoring family, how his father helped develop the Mahindra Thar, his own collection of 12 cars, and his journey through Autocar, ZigWheels, NDTV and Top Gear India. He also breaks down whether EVs are actually better than petrol cars, why hybrids could be a great option in India, and names some of the best cars he has ever driven, including the Ferrari 296, Lamborghini and Land Rover Defender OCTA. They also get into the real reason the Tata Nano failed, why Cyrus Dhabhar hates the Ambassador, the story behind Lamborghini taking on Ferrari, Indian driving habits and why dashcams should probably be mandatory.    Listen to this full episode of Cyrus Says for cars, automotive journalism, EVs, hybrids, Mahindra Thar, Ferrari, Lamborghini and plenty of motoring stories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Punit Pania joins Cyrus for another chaotic edition of Cock & Bull, where political commentary, terrible jokes and the absurdities of everyday India collide. The episode begins with Cyrus revealing that his wife has blamed Punit for the increasingly questionable humour on the podcast, forcing Punit to defend his reputation as a “clean” political comic. From there, the conversation moves through Indian politics, the Modi Chalisa event at Delhi’s Press Club, Vande Mataram, standing ovations, Mumbai street food and the crackdown on food colouring. Punit and Cyrus also get into Gen Z work culture, after an intern reportedly prioritises the gym over a 9 AM court appearance, before discussing bizarre luxury fashion, surrogate advertising, AI-generated wedding videos, infrastructure, corruption and what Cyrus would do if he ran the PWD. Along the way: expensive bags without chips, AI finding lost Crocs, political posters, dangerous food, Bengaluru audiences, Kandivali pride and a deeply unnecessary conversation about piles. It’s political comedy, Indian news and classic Cyrus Says chaos with Punit Pania.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Cyrus Says!On this episode of Cyrus Says, Ruhee Dosani talks about her journey from working regular jobs in the US to becoming one of India’s biggest digital creators and a finalist on Alliance. She opens up about moving to the US at 17, working at Dunkin’ Donuts, Amazon and in tech, and how creating videos during COVID unexpectedly changed her life.Ruhee shares how Diljit Dosanjh reposting one of her early videos gave her a major push, eventually leading to collaborations with Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. She also talks about what it was really like inside Alliance, making it to the Top 3, bonding with contestants like Minnie Mathur and dealing with the pressure of living inside the show for 42 days.She also reveals a surprising side of herself, including her love for MMA, Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu, and why she would happily do another strategy or challenge-based reality show.Listen to the full episode of Cyrus Says for Ruhee Dosani on Alliance, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Diljit Dosanjh, reality TV, content creation and her journey from a 9-to-5 job to social media fame.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Cyrus Says!On this episode of Cyrus Says, casting director, actor and creator Karan Mally joins Cyrus Broacha for a hilarious conversation about what really happens behind the scenes of Bollywood casting. Karan talks about working on projects like The Archies, Gully Boy, Made in Heaven, Dahaad and The Ba**ds of Bollywood, and explains how actors are auditioned, shortlisted, rejected and sometimes called back several times before finally landing a role. He also reveals what it was like working with Aryan Khan, who had a clear vision for even the smallest characters in The Ba**ds of Bollywood.He shares the chaos of casting nearly 300 characters for Made in Heaven, including last-minute recasting calls at 4 AM, and looks back at how theatre helped him build the network that eventually led him into casting. Karan also gets candid about leaving his long-time casting partnership, feeling disillusioned with the film industry, starting again on his own and how working on Musafir Cafe helped him rediscover his love for his work during a difficult phase in his personal life.From Bollywood auditions and nepotism to Aryan Khan, expensive movie tickets, divorce, therapy and Cyrus trying to get himself cast in everything, this one goes everywhere.Listen to this the full episode of Cyrus Says for an unfiltered look inside the world of Bollywood casting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Cyrus Says: Cock & Bull, Cyrus Broacha is joined by Shantanu Anam for a characteristically unfiltered conversation that moves from male grooming and home haircuts to Bollywood, Indian podcast culture, music rivalries and everything in between. Shantanu explains the surprisingly elaborate grooming routine he gets at home, before the conversation spirals into impressions of Ranveer Allahbadia and Raj Shamani, the strange language of hustle culture, and what exactly the Cyrus Says podcast would look like if it suddenly became serious. The duo also dive into films and pop culture, discussing Awarapan, Emraan Hashmi, Bollywood sequels, box-office clashes and the legacy of movies that become cult favourites years after release. Later, they get into the long-running Honey Singh–Badshah rivalry, Punjabi music and a viral India’s Got Latent reference. Expect Cyrus and Shantanu doing what they do best: derailing every serious topic within seconds. Featuring: Cyrus Broacha & Shantanu AnamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.