The Wire Talks

In the past few days, Mumbai has recorded the worst air pollution ever. City's air quality level has surpassed the alarming level recorded in the country's capital, Delhi. This led to India being ranked 8th spot of the most polluted country in the world. The research was conducted by a Swiss company IQAir. To discuss this, our host Sidharth Bhatia talks to Dr. Anju Goel on The Wire Talks. An expert in Air Quality Management at the Tata Energy and the Resources Institute in  Delhi. She is a fellow in TERI's Earth science and climate change; she studied at IIT Delhi and also has a PhD in her respective field. She is currently leading Clean Air Project focusing on 4 cities along with a team of 15 researchers.  During her conversation, Anju takes us through the techniques, measurements taken by other nations to control pollution, how not just urban but rural areas in India too faced pollution issues, will government's moves help reduce this ever-increasing pollution in the country and more.  Follow Dr. Anju Goel on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anju-goel-341a7060/ To know more about Neeraj Kumar follow him on Twitter @neerajkumarexcpFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cricket is not a game, but religion in the country. BCCI, the body that has helped this game flourish in the country for years now, has become one of the richest associations in the world. Thus, giving to rise corruption and more unhealthy techniques to make a big moolah out of it. Later in 2015, former Police Commissioner, Neeraj Kumar was appointed as the chief advisor of the BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit.  But did this move of BCCI, clean the dirt in the world of cricket? Well in his new book, A Cop In Cricket released in 2023, he pens down some candid chapters from his tenure between 2015-18. His account tells us this move of the BCCI to clean up the corruption, was just taken for granted. Tune into this episode of The Wire Talks as Neeraj unveils some unheard chapters in his conversation with Sidharth Bhatia. To know more about Neeraj Kumar follow him on Twitter @neerajkumarexcpFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 21st February, Seattle emerged as the first city in the United States that explicitly banned discrimination on the basis of caste, after the city council passed an ordinance. The ordinance passed by council member Kshama Sawant introduced it termed as profound and historic. Kshama who moved to the USA to complete her Ph.D. in Economics, has served the council for a decade now, she talks about what makes people elect her, rent control, why taxes should be levied on billionaire bosses, how it helps society, and more. Tune in to The Wire Talks with Sidharth Bhatia, as he talks in peaceful conversation with Kshama Sawant.   Find Kshama Sawant on Twitter Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Income tax raid on the BBC office in New Delhi or rather survey as they are being termed, after a documentary on the Gujarat riots, has been in the headlines. This conveyed the message anything against the ruling government and the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi will not be tolerated. In this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia talks to Satish Jacob, former Deputy Bureau Chief, who worked with the BBC Network for a long period. During his tenure with BBC, he covered the Punjab Violence, the Blue Star operation and several significant incidents in the past. He shared his reactions on the Income tax raid on BBC, he gave his take on the questions raised on BBC's funds, and he also claimed the network is not a commercial organization. Tune into this episode now. Follow guest Satish Jacob on Twitter @jacob_satishFollow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hindenburg report released merely two days before Adani's public issue, caused a stir in the industry. Resulting in business tycoon Gautam Adani canceling the public issue despite it being fully subscribed. Meanwhile, the free-fall of stocks continued. This raised many questions in the stock market as well as amongst the politicians who questioned why SEBI did not look into the group of companies. Answering and discussing all this and more is investment banker, PN Vijay in conversation with our host Sidharth Bhatia, on The Wire Talks. With over 50 years of experience in the stock market, PN Vijay worked with CNBC as a stock market expert and also worked as a national spokesperson for BJP on economics affairs. He starts by answering if short-selling is an unethical activity. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a huge sigh of relief in 2018 when the Government of India ruled against section 377. Sexual intercourse between same-sex couples earlier observed as a crime was debunked. But has it completely removed the stigma surrounding LGBTQIA+?  In this episode of The Wire Talks joining Sidharth Bhatia, is Sharif Rangnekar, former journalist, TEDx speaker, musician and public relation consultant. Coming out of the closet, he revealed it to his mother about his identity. Following this, he penned a book titled, Straight to Normal: My Life as a Gay Man, the book speaks about his battle for identity. Now his next book, Queersapien, takes it to the next level, diving further into his life.Tune into The Wire Talks, a socio-political podcast every Tuesday on the IVM Podcast and all audio streaming platforms.Follow our guest Sharif Rangnekar on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indian politician and a member of the Indian Parliament, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is one of the most talked about event in the current times. Starting in September 2022 from Kanyakumari, heading towards the north, the motto was to bring the nation together. But was this the only motto of this Yatra and what did this event achieve in the political term.  Joining our host Sidharth Bhatia on The Wire Talks is Professor of History & global thought, Shruti Kapila. She claims Yatra is a political intervention and also has a connection with the upcoming elections. The duo also talks about the potshots taken at the leader during his Yatra. Shruti further recalls some of the iconic events in the past as Mahatma Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha & L.K. Advani's Rath Yatra.  Tune into The Wire Talks, a socio-political podcast every Tuesday on the IVM Podcast and all audio streaming platforms. Follow Shruti Kapila on Twitter. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every 10 years, a massive number of people assigned by the government fan out to count the number of people residing in the country. This survey also includes studying citizens' incomes, the number of family members, property owned by an individual and more. This is the government's Census that has been implemented since 1872. However, the COVID- 19 pandemic pressed a pause button on it, and the census scheduled to take place in 2021 did not happen. To discuss this delay in the census, in this episode of The Wire Talks, our host Sidharth Bhatia, reaches out to journalist and columnist Pramit Bhattacharya. He is an acknowledged columnist for The Mint and The Hindustan Times. He has extensively studied Census, therefore who better than him to understand this delay and its effect on it?   Tune into The Wire Talks, a socio-political podcast every Tuesday on the IVM Podcast and all audio streaming platforms. Follow Pramit Bhattacharya on Twitter.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 26th January 2023, India will mark its 74th year of the republic, with a grand parade in the capital. What does this day signify? Well, this was the day back in 1950, when the constitution of India, became into existence. Thus, forming many designations to look into the country's progress. One of these designations was of the Governor of the respective states of the country. However, lately, this designation has been in the news, for not-so-good reasons. So its time to evaluate?  Joining our host Sidharth Bhatia, on The Wire Talks, is Raju Ramchandran, the senior lawyer at Supreme Court. He has practiced for more than 45 years, he was also the additional solicitor general of India from 2002 to 2004. Gujarat Riots & Ajmal Kasab's case are a few of the cases in his portfolio. In this episode, he answers the significance of the republic day of India. During his conversation, he mentions back in time, it was the Congress government that introduced the chapter of fundamental duties during the emergency in 1975, elections commission, rights and more.  Further, he throws light on why the designation of a governor, came into existence. The governor was a link between the center and the states. Also what was the thought process between the governor being appointed or elected?  They spoke about the recent outrage against Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi following his speech, as he omitted some sections, during the state Assembly held on January 9, 2023.  Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The western part of Mumbai is far moreover desirable than its eastern seaboard. But this transition only happened 2 centuries ago, prior to that the eastern part of Mumbai was a hotspot for all the formal & informal gatherings, from the government bodies to a lot of spots of socializing were majorly in Eastern Mumbai. The western seaboard became a hot-selling cake only after Marine Drive was built, aka Queen's Necklace. Thus, giving rise to some iconic buildings many of which are still standing strong, introducing the citizens' to art decor and a new lifestyle. Leading many academics to study this massive transition. This week on The Wire Talks, joining Sidharth Bhatia, is Abigail McGowan, a professor at the University of Vermont. Our guest particularly focuses on what makes these architectural buildings in the western part of Mumbai, stand apart from the rest. Her book, Crafting the Nation in Colonial India, dives deep into how crafts seized the political imagination back in time, thus becoming fodder for debate for the present and future of the nation.  Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram The Wire Talks is a weekly podcast, in which each week host Sidharth Bhatia, Founder Editor of The Wire, will chat with guests on politics, society and culture. The guests may or may not be in the headlines, but they will definitely have a lot of interesting things to say. With a running time of 30 minutes and maybe more, these chats will not be like much of the mainstream media today, or like the instant gratification provided by social media. You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another year has begun and this is a significant year for India. As it is the last year of the ruling government before the general elections. This year will see the political parties in power as well as in the opposition, revising their strategies to connect with their voters. To understand and decode how will this workout, joining our host Sidharth Bhatia on The Wire Talks is Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, journalist & author. Tune into this episode, as he makes some informed guesses as to how 2023 will unfold for the nation.Know more about the guest Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay on Twitter. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A film titled Gandhi released in 1982 helmed by Richard Attenborough, won several prestigious accolades and also introduced the iconic figure of India, to the younger generation. This was followed by many films, newsreels, and documentaries allowing the audience to know more about the Father Of The Nation. However, contrary to this, Mahatma Gandhi, himself didn't like films, as he thought the technology was distractive and harmful, claimed our guest. In this episode of The Wire Talks Sidharth is joined by Prakash Magdum, former director of the National Film Archives of India, civil servant and author. Our guest takes us through his journey about what intrigued him about Mahatma Gandhi and his perspective towards the films. Prakash titles the great leader as the 'Star of The Newsreels' era for the amazing fan following he developed across the borders in the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to this, he also talks about what made him write the book, The Mahatma on Celluloid.  Follow Prakash Magdum on Twitter.  Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Supreme Court recently raised a question on the government for hasty decision regarding the appointment of a new election commissioner. Arun Goel was appointed as the new Election Commissioner (EC) of India in recent times. To discuss the same, joining our The Wire Talks host Sidharth Bhatia is S. Y. Quraishi. He has served as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, was appointed as the CEC as the successor to Navin Chawla in 2010 and had also served as a Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.Follow S.Y. Quraishi on Twitter. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website and all audio streaming platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot happened after Adani's acquisition of a certain percentage of the stake in NDTV. Our host Sidharth Bhatia of The Wire Talks is back after a short sabbatical with a big question. The question is will the acquisition get news channel to be in favour of the ruling party? Join him as he welcomes Narasimhan Ram, Former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu to discuss the same. Follow N. Ram on Twitter. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram You can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida penned by Srilankan author, Shehan Karunatilaka, made him bag the Booker Prize, 2022. The delightful announcement was made on October 17, 2022, in a ceremony held in London. Thus, making him the second Sri Lankan-born author to take this prestigious award home. His novel as described in the ceremony, as "a searing, mordantly funny satire set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war." The author was awarded this award, as our neighbouring healed from soaring prices of commodities that lead to a civil uprising. Tune into this fresh episodes of The Wire Talks to listen to our host Sidharth Bhatia's conversation with Shehan Karunatilaka here. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah andhttps://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's episode of The Wire Talks has our host Sidharth Bhatia in conversation with Dr. Valli Arunachalam. The daughter of former Executive Chairman, MV Murugappan, is fighting against patriarchy and gender discrimination. She is the eldest daughter of the late MV Murugappan and the former Executive Chairman of the Murugappa group. During her conversation she states that for 120 years, the Murugappa Group has been operated by the sons, keeping daughters of the family out of the family business. The Murugappa group has wings spread in bicycles, sugar, abrasives, fertilisers, financial services, and manufacturing. Tune in to this episode to listen to her perspective and battle to get her seat in the family-operated business.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah andhttps://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shiv Sena was formed by cartoonist Bal Thackeray in 1966. Its initial aim was to get Marathi speaking population in Maharashtra preferential treatment. Though the now late Bal Thackeray's headed party also stuck to the party being a non-Hindutva believer, it was in the 1970s when they began placing on weight Hindutva ideology. In this episode of The Wire Talks, Sidharth Bhatia talks to the journalist and Congress MP, Kumar Ketkar. Their conversation covers topics ranging from the inception of the political party, its alliances with other parties, Eknath Shinde's massive move in June 2022, leading to Uddhav Thackeray resigning from CM's chair and the party's future. Keep yourself updated by tuning into The Wire Talk on the IVM Podcasts networks every Tuesday.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sudden disturbance was observed in the city of Leicester in the month of September 2022. As per cops following India's win at the Asia Cup 20 tournament against Pakistan, clashes were observed in Hindu & Muslim communities. This led to arrest of people. In this episode of The Wire Talks joining our host Sidharth Bhatia is Rohit K Dasgupta, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Industries, School of Culture & Creative Arts, University of Glasgow. Rohit interacts with Sidharth decoding these clashes and possible factors that gave rise to them. In addition to this, they also discuss the role of social media, as it spread disinformation regarding the Leicester violence attack.Keep yourself updated by tuning into The Wire Talks every Tuesday on the IVM Podcasts networks.Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

​Tune in to the latest episode of The Wire Talks as our host Sidharth Bhatia talks to Australian author and researcher, John Zubrzycki.The duo talks about the latter's recent book, The Shortest History of India. The book covers a wide range of topics right from the earliest humans to Harappan civilisation to the invasion of the country by Mughals and Britishers.His book is also documentation of the 5000 years of Indian history including mentions of colonisation to the Independence period.British historian John Keay says, "The Shortest History of India may be a one-day read but it's no small achievement. Nimbly navigating 5000 years of erratic documentation, Zubrzycki's narrative retains its poise, misses little and is a delight to read." Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recently released movie, Brahmastra starring Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in pivotal roles remained in the news for varied reasons. This week on The Wire Talks Sidharth Bhatia is joined by filmmaker Nikkhil Advani. The director who has carved his niche in the industry with the films such as D Day, Batla House and more, shares his thoughts on movies. He answers how the audience’s taste in the movie is now more specific, 3 must-do for Hindi filmmakers, how the industry remains unorganized and more. He also shares if the political world has an impact on movie making business, Boycott campaigns and lastly how has COVID-19 pandemic affected the cinematic world overall. Keep yourself updated with the world happening by tuning into The Wire Talks every Tuesday on the IVM Podcasts networks.Follow Nikkhil Advani on Instagram and Twitter-https://www.instagram.com/nikkhiladvani and @nikkhiladvani respectively. Follow Sidharth Bhatia on Twitter and Instagram @bombaywallah and https://instagram.com/bombaywallahYou can listen to this show on The Wire's website, the IVM Podcasts website, app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.