Let’s Talk Bharat

India’s culture needs to be promoted globally: Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor

In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Bharat, Anupam Kher is joined by India’s most celebrated female producer Guneet Monga Kapoor. In a male-dominated industry, where the young are seldom accepted as equal, Monga Kapoor has overcome biases to “adopt dreams of every director” — several of whom are internationally acclaimed. Her talent is a mix of creative brilliance and networking with the industry’s bigwigs, but on her two Academy Awards she says: “I don’t work for awards, they happen.” In this discussion, Monga Kapoor shares tips on how Indian entries at international film festivals can make a more prominent mark on the world stage and celebrates Bharat’s unity in diversity.

Exploring India’s endurance, tolerance, and IQ with Oscar-winning composer MM Keeravani

In this episode of Let’s Talk Bharat, Anupam Kher is joined by accomplished composer MM Keeravani. His renowned composition “Naatu Naatu” won an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards for “Best Original Song,” and not only captivated Western audiences but also conveyed a poignant message – as the chart-topping song eloquently defends Bharat’s dignity and self-respect in the face of colonial oppression. Keeravani considers Bharat to be an extended family in a multipolar world and seeks to celebrate the young nation’s endurance, religious tolerance, and high IQ. A lover of short stories, he liberally quotes from Russian writer Leo Tolstoy’s “The Lion and The Dog,” as the mortality tale rekindles him every time he reads it. Keeravani also dispels claims of the imminent threat of artificial intelligence to the global music industry.

India is about universal brotherhood and spirituality - Sonu Nigam

On this episode of Let’s Talk Bharat, Anupam Kher is joined by one of India’s leading playback singers, Sonu Nigam. The singing sensation opens up about handling stardom and fighting the tests of “jealousy, greed, and insecurity.” Nigam lauds India as a great civilization at the fountainhead of spirituality with roots in the melodious ragas of Hindustani classical music. He cherishes India’s core values like universal brotherhood and, unlike in the West, its aversion to colonization and imposition of cultural hegemony. Nigam also believes the world will soon witness Bharat’s moment in the Sun.

India to reap demographic dividends – Ashish Kumar Chauhan

In this episode of Let’s Talk Bharat, Anupam Kher is joined by Ashish Kumar Chauhan, the head of the National Stock Exchange and chancellor of the University of Allahabad. The technocrat is optimistic about Bharat’s growth story over the next 40 years because of its large young population as compared to a graying Europe and the US. He feels confident that for the first time in his lifetime, the nation controls the circumstances and not the other way around. He cites inclusive growth as a case in point as a bulk of the country’s rural population is enjoying the benefits of technological advancements such as the mobile phone revolution that has transformed their daily lives.

A strong India challenges Western hegemony – Mahes Jethmalani

In this episode of Let’s Talk Bharat, Anupam Kher is joined by leading criminal lawyer and constitutional law expert Mahesh Jethmalani. He prioritizes national self-interest over diplomatic outreach, exemplified in Kashmir’s formal integration into India, which was achieved through legal reclassification in August 2019. Jethmalani lauds Bharat as a nation “on the move” while weighing in on India’s friendship with Russia since “time immemorial.” He sees Bharat emerging as a formidable economic and military force, and harbors optimism for the years up to 2047, which will mark centenary celebrations for India’s independence from colonial rule.

Pride in being unapologetically Indian - Anupam Mittal

In this episode of Let’s Talk Bharat, Anupam Kher is joined by the pioneering entrepreneur Anupam Mittal, who reshaped the dynamics of digital connectivity with Shaadi.com, a matchmaking portal that was established before the dotcom boom. Mittal has become one of the leading Indian voices in antitrust allegations against US tech giants such as Google, which has removed several Indian apps from its Play Store due to a payment dispute over service fees. He emphasizes the growing sense of national pride for Indians, which is reflected in the country’s passport ranking, diplomatic position, or soft power, and the shift away from Western customs to embracing Bharat’s identity unapologetically.