The Big Turtle Show with Vik Zutshi

Filled with serpent kings, long-lost lovers, magical birds and seductive witches, The Legend of Himal and Nagrai is an enchanting collection of folk tales from a land as beautiful as it is misunderstood—Kashmir.  In the title story, the serpent king Nagrai takes on human form to be with his one true love, the princess Himal. But despite Nagrai’s warnings, when Himal doubts her lover’s origins, all hell breaks loose. Will the star-crossed lovers ever be together?

In 2019, the BJP came into power once again on the back of one of the most significant electoral mandates in recent years. Since then, the Narendra Modi-led government has seen a tumultuous few years as they have implemented far-reaching legislative changes including the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, triple talaq, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as well as farming laws. These laws, when implemented, caused widespread protests and upheaval across the country. While the country grappled with internal strife, it also faced challenges from its neighbours in the form of one of the most intense military stand-offs in decades after an unprovoked attack by China's People's Liberation Army at Galwan as well as a global pandemic. While the Modi government took swift steps to limit the spread of the pandemic in 2020, the second wave of COVID-19 in early 2021 hit the country hard, claiming thousands of lives. Bringing a well-researched and nuanced understanding to Modi's second term, The Midway Battle sheds light on the sociopolitical issues facing India as it continues its struggle against enemies both known and unknown, and puts into perspective what lies ahead for the world's biggest democracy.

Author Anshul Chaturvedi talks to us about his book which he calls an essential guide to apply the principles of Swami Vivekananda’s teachings to one's everyday life. Anecdotal and thought-provoking, The Vivekananda Handbook for Everyday Living unravels the wisdom of Swami Vivekananda's teachings to guide you through your life, whether in personal matters, domestic life, or in the professional arena.

Join us for a chat with author Tanushree Podder about her latest book 'The Girls in Green', about a group of girls from different backgrounds and their experiences at a military academy where they have been admitted to train as soldiers. We also discuss the broad range of subjects explored in her numerous books including 'The Daughter of Nur Jehan' and the adaptation of her new book into an upcoming webseries. Tanushree also tells us what it was like growing up in a military family in India.

Greater Kashmir columnist and Srinagar resident, Emaad Makhdoomi, weighs in on Article 370, Naya Kashmir, the Separatist movement and responds to Omar Abdullah's recent claims on Times Now channel.

Author Koral Dasgupta talks to us about her 'Sati' series about the lesser known aspects of the lives of five iconic women from the Indian epics: Ahalya, Kunti, Draupadi, Tara, Mandodari

Sonam Kachru, Buddhist scholar, joins us for a fascinating and occasionally hilarious chat about his latest book on Vasubandhu, the Buddhist theory of multiple realities, the truth about the four noble truths, Theravada versus Mahayana Buddhism and the importance of having a laugh on the way to enlightenment ..

Author and teacher Devdip Ganguly of Pondicherry tells us about his life-long engagement with the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Diivine Mother. He talks to us about the chapter on nationalism that he authored in Gautam Chkermane's new book and some of the parallels between Indian and Chinese philosophy that he has been exploring.

In this riveting session, Vikram and Rahul discuss the forced expulsion of Kashmir's hindu minority, early childhood trauma of being uprooted from kashmir and seeing his brother killed by militants, media hypocrisy on the Kashmir conflict, how he deals with false labels, the Burhan Wani affair, how terrorists are made and much more..

Rajat Ubhaykar in conversation with Vikram Zutshi about his quirky travelogue 'Truck de India' which traces his 10,000 mile journey across India in trucks. About the book:   "The share auto I squeeze into next seems unusually vulnerable after a night in the truck - too compact, too low down. Perhaps, these are the usual side effects of prolonged riding with the king of the road, I think to myself. But it is only when I fill in ‘truck’ as my mode of transportation in the hotel ledger at Udaipur does the utter ludicrousness of my endeavour truly hit home"  Think truck drivers, and movie scenes of them drunkenly crushing inconvenient people to their gravelly deaths come to mind. But what are their lives on the road actually like?  In Truck De India!, journalist Rajat Ubhaykar embarks on a 10,000 km-long, 100% unplanned trip, hitchhiking with truckers all across India. On the way, he makes unexpected friendships; listens to highway ghost stories; discovers the near-fatal consequences of overloading trucks; documents the fascinating tradition of truck art in Punjab; travels alongside nomadic shepherds in Kashmir; encounters endemic corruption repeatedly; survives NH39, the insurgent-ridden highway through Nagaland and Manipur; and is unfailingly greeted by the unconditional kindness of perfect strangers.  Imbued with humour, empathy, and a keen sense of history, Truck De India! is a travelogue like no other you've read. It is the story of India, and Indians, on the road.