George Fernandes was an activist, politician, minister, thinker -- and was as complicated as the times he lived in. Rahul Ramagundam joins Amit Varma in episode 327 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his biography of Fernandes, the decades he lived through, and this country that kept changing, changing, changing. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Rahul Ramagundam at Jamia Millia Islamia , Amazon , LinkedIn and Google Scholar . 2. The Life and Times of Geo...
May 01, 2023•5 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 327
He taught international relations for a living, and he lived Indian culture -- food, clothes, music, films, languages, the whole package. Pushpesh Pant joins Amit Varma in episode 326 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life, his times and this beautiful country he loves so much. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out: 1. Pushpesh Pant on Amazon , Twitter and YouTube . 2. India: Cookbook -- Pushpesh Pant. 3. The Life and Times of Mrinal Pande — Episode 263 of...
Apr 24, 2023•5 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 326
Women in India are much more than either bechari, badass or bitch -- and they won't be defined any more by the male gaze. Shaili Chopra joins Amit Varma in episode 325 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss her life, her learnings and why she won't hold back on her anger. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Shaili Chopra on Instagram , Twitter , LinkedIn , Amazon and her own website . 2. Sisterhood Economy -- Shaili Chopra. 3. SheThePeople.tv and GyTree . 4. Le...
Apr 17, 2023•4 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 325
Agyeya was a writer, a rebel, a soldier, a lover-- and a man who shaped modern Hindi literature. Akshaya Mukul joins Amit Varma in episode 324 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the life of this remarkable man -- as well as the art of biography and the state of the nation. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Akshaya Mukul on Amazon and Twitter . 2. Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover: The Many Lives of Agyeya -- Akshaya Mukul. 3. Gita Press and the Making of H...
Apr 10, 2023•4 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 324
What happened at SVB? Is our banking system in crisis? What are we to make of our economy? Ajay Shah and Mohit Satynanand join Amit Varma in episode 323 of The Seen and the Unseen to tackle these complicated questions and more. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Ajay Shah ( Twitter , Substack ) and Mohit Satyanand ( Twitter , Substack ). 2. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen with Ajay Shah: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 . 3. Episodes of The Seen and the ...
Apr 03, 2023•3 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 323
She's been an author, an entrepreneur, a literary agent, an organiser of events and a mother -- but her finest achievement is perhaps her making of herself. Mita Kapur joins Amit Varma in episode 322 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the life she has lived, and what it has taught her. Much talk of writing, food, patriarchy and motherhood. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Mita Kapur at Siyahi , Twitter , Instagram , LinkedIn and her own website . 2. T...
Mar 27, 2023•4 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 322
He's a renowned economist, he's worked in the IMF, he's an Asia specialist and he loves India. Josh Felman joins Amit Varma in episode 321 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life, his times, and all that he has learnt about economics and human beings. This episode is co-hosted by Ajay Shah. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Josh Felman on Twitter , Project Syndicate , JH Consulting and The Marginal Economist . 2. Why India Can’t Replace China -- Ar...
Mar 20, 2023•4 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 321
India is run in a top-down way with a Northern bias -- and this is a problem. Nilakantan RS joins Amit Varma in episode 320 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how and why our Southern states perform so much better -- and are punished for it. Also discussed: virtue ethics, the charms of Madras and the dangers of storytelling. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out: 1. Nilakantan RS on Twitter , YouTube and Instagram . 2. South vs North: India's Great Divide -- Nilak...
Mar 13, 2023•4 hr 59 min•Season 1Ep. 320
It is a truth universally acknowledged that anyone possessed of an obsession will run into the forces of inertia. Jahnavi Phalkey joins Amit Varma in episode 319 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss her history of nuclear physics in India, the men who brought a cyclotron to Chandigarh to study the world -- and her own quest to make common people love science. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Jahnavi Phalkey on Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn . 2. Atomic S...
Mar 06, 2023•5 hr 50 min•Season 1Ep. 319
The task of nation-building did not end with our founders, and does not stop at our politicians. It's up to us to build the India we want to see. Nitin Pai joins Amit Varma in episode 318 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life, his learnings and his liberal nationalism. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Nitin Pai on his own website , Mint & Mastodon . 2. The Nitopadesha -- Moral Tales for Good Citizens. 3. The archives of The Acorn , Nitin Pai's b...
Feb 27, 2023•6 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 318
Samaaj came before Sarkaar and Bazaar. We are more than subjects of the state and consumers of the market. Rohini Nilekani joins Amit Varma in episode 317 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss her life and her learnings, why citizens need to embrace their agency -- and why those with wealth have a special responsibility. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out 1. Rohini Nilekani on Amazon , Wikipedia and Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies . 2. Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar : A c...
Feb 20, 2023•4 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 317
He's a guitarist, a composer, a producer, an audio engineer and a teacher. Gaurav Chintamani joins Amit Varma in episode 316 of The Seen and the Unseen to share his reflections on music and life. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Gaurav Chintamani at Instagram , Twitter , LinkedIn , SACAC and his own website . 2. Advaita on YouTube Music , YouTube , Spotify , Instagram and Twitter . 3. Raman Negi on YouTube Music , YouTube , Spotify , Instagram and Twitter ....
Feb 13, 2023•6 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 316
The Ramayana is not one book, but a living text with countless versions across languages, each reflecting the values of its time and place. Arshia Sattar joins Amit Varma to share her insights from decades of study. Also discussed: the art of translation -- and our search for dharma. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out 1. Arshia Sattar on Amazon , Open and Wikipedia . 2. Valmiki's Ramayana -- Translated by Arshia Sattar. 3. Maryada: Searching for Dharma in the Rama...
Feb 06, 2023•4 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 315
Poet, novelist, translator, journalist, crime fiction writer, children's book author, teacher, math tutor: now here is a man who contains multitudes. Jerry Pinto joins Amit Varma in episode 314 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life and learnings. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN. ) Also check out : 1. Jerry Pinto on Instagram , Amazon and his own website . 2. Em and the Big Hoom -- Jerry Pinto. 3. The Education of Yuri -- Jerry Pinto. 4. Murder in Mahim -- Jerry Pinto...
Jan 30, 2023•8 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 314
Public policy may seem arcane and complicated, a field only for geeks. But all our lives are shaped by it. Pranay Kotasthane and Raghu S Jaitley join Amit Varma in episode 313 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe their efforts to make policy great again. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Missing In Action: Why You Should Care About Public Policy -- Pranay Kotasthane and Raghu S Jaitley. 2. Anticipating the Unintended — Pranay Kotasthane and Raghu Sanjaylal...
Jan 23, 2023•4 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 313
He is an IAS officer who has just co-written a book about Gandhian social workers in Vidarbha. Ashutosh Salil joins Amit Varma in episode 312 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the difficult work of bringing about change from within society -- and from within the state. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Ashutosh Salil on Twitter , Amazon and Outlook . 2. Being the Change: In the Footsteps of the Mahatma -- Ashutosh Salil and Barkha Mathur. 3. Friendshi...
Jan 16, 2023•4 hr 53 min•Season 1Ep. 312
She's been a novelist, a playwright, a critic, an essayist, a memoirist, a journalist, a writer for cinema and a historian of theatre -- in both English and Marathi. Shanta Gokhale joins Amit Varma in episode 311 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about her remarkable life and times. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Shanta Gokhale on Amazon , Wikipedia and her own website . 2. One Foot on the Ground -- Shanta Gokhale. 3. Living With Father: A Memoir -- Shan...
Jan 09, 2023•8 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 311
Known online as The Liver Doctor, he's a crusader against quackery of all sorts. Cyriac Abby Philips joins Amit Varma in episode 310 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe his journey to becoming a doctor-scientist, the breakthroughs in his field, what he has learnt as a physician -- and the dangers of 'alternative medicine.' (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Abby Philips on Twitter , YouTube , Instagram , Google Scholar , Rajagiri Hospital and The Morning C...
Jan 02, 2023•4 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 310
As 2022 draws to a close, it's time to chill. Vikram Sathaye and Roshan Abbas join Amit Varma in episode 309 of The Seen and the Unseen to share wit, wisdom and life lessons that are priceless. There is cricket, there is singing, there are great bad jokes -- never has insight been so much fun! (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Roshan Abbas at Instagram , Twitter and his own website . 2. Vikram Sathaye at Instagram , Twitter and YouTube . 3. Roshan Abbas and ...
Dec 26, 2022•7 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 309
Borders and nation states can sometimes seek to divide communities -- but isn't that a bit like cutting water with a knife? Saaz Aggarwal joins Amit Varma in episode 308 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss her work chronicling the history and culture of the Sindhi people -- and her own rich life as a writer and artist. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Saaz Aggarwal on Amazon , Instagram , LinkedIn , Scroll , Open and her own website . 2. Sindh: Stories fr...
Dec 19, 2022•4 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 308
Indian society, the Indian state and the Indian economy are all complex beasts that defy simple narratives. Suyash Rai joins Amit Varma in episode 307 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe how he has tried to make sense of it all -- and how he tries to make a difference. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Suyash Rai at Carnegie India , Twitter and The Print . 2. Ideas and Institutions -- The Carnegie India newsletter co-written by Suyash Rai. 3. Interpreting...
Dec 12, 2022•6 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 307
Society cannot be designed in a top-down way. Central planning was a historic blunder that harmed India -- even though it was conceived by great men with good intentions. Nikhil Menon joins Amit Varma in episode 306 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about the flawed genius PC Mahalanobis, the planning commission, and his own life as a scholar. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Nikhil Menon on Amazon and University of Notre Dame . 2. Planning Democracy: How ...
Dec 05, 2022•5 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 306
She's been a journalist for half a century, wrote the definitive book on the Emergency, and is revered for her political insight. Coomi Kapoor joins Amit Varma in episode 305 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss her life, Indian politics and the state of our media. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Inside Track -- Coomi Kapoor's column in the Indian Express . 2. The Emergency: A Personal History -- Coomi Kapoor. 3. The Tatas, Freddie Mercury & Other Bawas: ...
Nov 28, 2022•3 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 305
Food is more than just sustenance for the body. Food contains stories, memories, emotions, and the ingredients of the self. Sameer Seth and Yash Bhanage join Amit Varma in episode 304 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe their journeys in food, from starting cult restaurants like Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, to setting up the pathbreaking Bombay Sweet Shop, to now taking that deeper dive into the role food plays in our society. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out ...
Nov 21, 2022•4 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 304
Women are not the only victims of patriarchy -- men are also diminished by it. Nikhil Taneja joins Amit Varma in episode 303 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss what he has learnt about mental health, young people in India, the epidemic of loneliness in our country -- and the enormous power of storytelling. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman — Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya). 2. Nikhil Tane...
Nov 14, 2022•7 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 303
She began as a journalist in the pursuit of truth. She went on to embrace activism in the pursuit of justice. Teesta Setalvad joins Amit Varma in episode 302 to talk about all that she learnt from her life and work. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out: 1. Teesta Setalvad on Twitter , Facebook and Amazon . 2. Foot Soldier of the Constitution -- Teesta Setalvad. 3. Beyond Doubt: A Dossier on Gandhi's Assassination -- Teesta Setalvad. 4. Gujarat: Behind the mirage -- ...
Nov 07, 2022•5 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 302
Her acclaimed personal essays explore motherhood, marriage and this modern world -- and hold up a mirror to all of us. Natasha Badhwar joins Amit Varma in episode 301 to speak about her life and her writing. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in .) Also check out : 1. Natasha Badhwar on Twitter , Instagram , Amazon , LinkedIn , The Tribune and Mint Lounge . 2. My Daughters' Mum -- Natasha Badhwar. 3. Immortal for a Moment -- Natasha Badhwar. 4. Natasha Badhwar's newsletter on Substack...
Oct 31, 2022•6 hr 49 min•Season 1Ep. 301
Our selves are nebulous, the world is complex and the times they are a-changin'. Pratap Bhanu Mehta joins Amit Varma in episode 300 of The Seen and the Unseen for a freewheeling chat about how to make sense of all of this. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in .) Also check out : 1. The Hunter Becomes the Hunted -- Episode 200 of The Seen and the Unseen, where Amit Varma answers questions from his guests. 2. Pratap Bhanu Mehta on Twitter , Amazon and the Indian Express . 3. What Have ...
Oct 24, 2022•4 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 300
What should a newsroom report on? Does journalism know its own purpose? Do we? What ethics should we live by, and why? Samarth Bansal joins Amit Varma in episode 299 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about living the examined life, and asking the fundamental questions. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in .) Also check out : 1. Samarth Bansal on Twitter and his own website . 2. The Interval -- Samarth Bansal's newsletter. 3. Truth Be Told -- Samarth Bansal's Food and Fitness newslet...
Oct 17, 2022•6 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 299
Her pioneering work has helped us understand how caste and gender remain huge problems in India. But her past goes beyond numbers, into a rich history of aajobas and aajis and theatre and song. Ashwini Deshpande joins Amit Varma in episode 298 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how she used her economist's gaze to understand our social problems -- and how films and music also played their part. (For full linked show notes, go to SeenUnseen.in. ) Also check out : 1. Ashwini Deshpande on Twitte...
Oct 10, 2022•4 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 298
