The Sandip Roy Show
What makes people tick? What are the stories they carry with them? In a world of shouting heads, veteran journalist, radio commentator and novelist Sandip Roy sits down to have real conversations about the fascinating world around us and the people who shape it. Catch these engaging interviews every other Sunday
On migration, climate change and The Gun Island, with Amitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh talks about migration, cosmopolitanism, the lack of climate change in literature and his latest novel - The Gun Island.
Afghanistan’s first openly gay person, Nemat Sadat
Sandip talks to Sadat about what made him finally come out, why people around him saw it as an act of cowardice and his skepticism of 'liberal' Islam.
A sanctuary for all creatures great and small, with Anjali Gopalan
LGBTQ rights activist and the founder of Naz foundation, Anjali Gopalan, on the way we treat our animals and what that says about us as a society.
Close to the Bone, with Lisa Ray
In this episode, Lisa Ray talks about being boxed into the category of a "sex symbol", the problem of hypersexuality in Bollywood, her struggles with eating disorders and more.
What it means to be secular in India today, with Harsh Mander
Writer and human rights activist Harsh Mander on the threat that we face as a nation and the need for fraternity in our society.
People with mental illnesses and their right to vote, with Ratnaboli Ray
Ratnaboli Ray, the founder of Anjali, a mental health rights organization in Kolkata, talks to Sandip about the challenges and her efforts of getting people with mental illnesses to cast their votes.
Understanding the Indian Constitution, with Gautam Bhatia
In this episode, Sandip speak to lawyer and legal scholar Gautam Bhatia about his new book 'The Transformative Constitution: A Radical Biography in Nine Acts'.
Decoding Indian Elections, with Prannoy Roy
In this episode, Sandip talks to the man who, in many ways, brought elections to our living rooms.
The BDSM scene in India, with the Kinky Collective
Journeys into the world of kink and the learnings that we can all take from the BDSM community.
Ruskin Bond, The Man with the Golden Pen
In this episode, Sandip talks to the beloved author, Ruskin Bond, about his journey as a writer so far.
Coming Out as Dalit, with Yashica Dutt
Journalist Yashica Dutt talks about how she passed as being upper caste and what made her finally come out as Dalit.
Discovering Shakespeare in Bollywood, with Jonathan Gil Harris
Author Jonathan Gil Harris explains how Bollywood films are closely related to the work of Shakespeare and how the 'masala' genre celebrates India's cultural diversity.
The Great Smog of India with Siddharth Singh
Siddharth Singh talks about the extent of the air pollution problem in India, what it costs us, and what we can do about it.
Feminism, writing and mythology in the age of #metoo, with Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan
Author Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan joins Sandip to talk about her new book, a retelling of the life of Amba/Shkhandi, the second in her series on the girls of the Mahabharata.
End the year by learning to build on your failures, with Shabnam Aggarwal
Shabnam Aggarwal talks of the risk she took to follow her dream, and the lessons she learned when she failed.
The close relationship between crime and politics in India
Carnegie Fellow Milan Vaishnav on how Indians like to elect people facing criminal charges
The twice born: Talking to Indian Brahmins with Aatish Taseer
In this episode, Sandip speaks to author and journalist Aatish Taseer about his experiences writing The Twice Born: Life and Death on the River Ganges.
The great Indian rope trick: A magical history of India with John Zubrzycki
John Zubrzycki talks to Sandip about the history of magic and magicians in India, from fakirs to P.C. Sorcar
Mapping food in India, through time and place, with Pushpesh Pant
Pushpesh Pant talks to Sandip about food memories, sweets and what the map of India would look like if it were drawn by food.
The buffet edition: Extended excerpts from our best episodes
A special episode with extended excerpts from James Crabtree, Devdutt Pattanaik and Shubha Mudgal
Shubha Mudgal on music, activism and more
Shubha Mudgal talks about music, activism, education and more, with stories from her life and experiences.
Devdutt Pattanaik on mythology, tribalism and #377
Mythologist and writer Devdutt Pattanaik talks about life for LGBTQI people after #377, Indian society's relationship with sex, our tendency to tribalism and more.
Explore a fading community: Flower Silliman on the Jews of Kolkata
A conversation with one of the oldest of the dwindling Jewish community in Kolkata, Flower Silliman.
The Billionaire Raj with James Crabtree
Sandip and James talk about the book The Billionaire Raj, the personalities of these tycoons and India's problem with corruption and crony capitalism.
Making it in Hollywood: Aseem Chhabra on Priyanka Chopra
On this episode, Sandip sits down to chat with author and film journalist Aseem Chhabra, who wrote the recently released unauthorized biography, Priyanka Chopra: The Incredible Story of a Global Bollywood Star. Aseem talks to Sandip...