ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

Aruna Irani, a versatile actress who has acted in more than 500 films still brims with enthusiasm as she recollects her experience as a child actress, and her time in theatre and language films. In a candid interview with Smita Prakash, Aruna Irani describes her life, her entry into Bollywood, her struggles and how she dealt with the issue of typecasting. She goes on to speak about her relationship with Mehmood and why she feels he was responsible for her downfall. She recounts some incidents on the sets with Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan. She also reveals for the first time the poignancy of being ‘married’ to an already married man, Kuku Kohli.

Lt Gen Kuldip Singh Brar is a veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the liberation of Bangladesh. He was also the commanding officer of Operation Blue Star and to this day, he remains on the hit list of Khalistani terrorists. In an informative conversation with Smita Prakash, 89-year-old Lt Gen Brar explains the preparations that went behind Operation Blue Star and the situation in Punjab during that time. He describes, in gripping detail, the operation and the events that followed. He recalls the assassination attempt on him by Khalistani terrorists ten years ago in London and how he fought back. He goes on to narrate his experience during the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the inside story of Pakistan’s surrender.

Annamalai Kuppusamy, the Tamil Nadu state president of BJP is one of the sharpest young politicians in the country at present. An engineer who holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the Indian Institutes of Management, Annamalai enlisted himself in the police force in 2011. Not satisfied with what he had achieved after eight years in the Indian Police Service, he joined the BJP in 2020 and was named the state unit president a year later. In an engaging interview with Smita Prakash, Annamalai talks about Tamil Nadu politics, BJP’s inroads and the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He explains the challenges and opportunities for BJP in Tamil Nadu and the way forward. He also slams the DMK and Chief Minister MK Stalin for creating a rift between Tamil Nadu and the rest of the country. Annamalai reveals what exactly happened with the Governor inside the assembly and clarifies the reason behind using a watch which was in news recently.

It has been a tumultuous year in the United Kingdom as it saw three prime ministers in less than two months, and the fifth in six years. Rishi Sunak, in October, became the first Indian-origin politician to head the United Kingdom. In this ANI podcast with Smita Prakash, British High Commissioner Alexander Ellis tells how the UK, after leaving the European Union, is looking up to India for cooperation in diverse fields like climate change, trade and business, pharmaceuticals among others. He is also in favour of more skilled Britishers coming to India. While terming India as a powerful country, the High Commissioner supports India's candidacy for a permanent seat in the UNSC. The British High Commissioner also sings an SRK number in the podcast.

Lt Gen Anil Bhatt (Retd), DG, Indian Space Association served for 40 years in the Army in various capacities. He handled major operations in Kashmir as Chinar Corps Commander and was Director General of Military operations during the Doklam crisis with China in 2017. In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he shares his experience of bringing in normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir which led to the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019. He elaborates how the Indian Army eliminated three nephews of designated global terrorist Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar in Kashmir within days of them setting their foot on the Indian soil. In a candid conversation Lt Gen Bhatt (Retd) tells how forces dealt with the Doklam crisis as China brought forces in the Chumbi Valley- much closer to the LAC. In his current role as the DG of Indian Space Association, India opened the space to non-government private entities benefiting the Indian Space Industry. 

J. Sai Deepak is an engineer turned litigator turned author. His two books India that is Bharat: Coloniality, Civilisation, Constitution and India, Bharat and Pakistan: The Constitutional Journey of Sandwiched Civilisation are two voluminous well-researched books on the Indian civilisation. His views are hugely popular among a cross-section of the Indian population which believes that the way Indians have read and perceived the history of their own civilisation is through the prism of their colonial masters and that Indians constantly seek validation. On the other hand, some historians feel that J. Sai Deepak and other historians are whitewashing history through an unnecessary debate of native versus colonial prism. In an in-depth conversation with Smita Prakash, J. Sai Deepak busts historical myths which have been propagated by historians for decades. From Wahhabism to Sufism to the origins of the Two-Nation Theory he explains each topic meticulously. Throughout the conversation, he emphasises the fact that there is a need for more proponents of the alternate narrative.

Three-time Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar currently serves in the Narendra Modi Cabinet as Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and also as the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Besides being a politician, Rajeev is an entrepreneur and technocrat. He doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind on matters that mean much to him like administrative reforms, national security and the welfare of Veterans. In an informative interview with Smita Prakash he opens up about his life, his time in the United States, his entry into politics and the opportunities that followed. He explains in detail the nuances of the internet and the need for better regulatory measures. He highlights the important parts of the Digital India Act that is poised to replace IT Act, 2000. He further talks about how the policies of the current government have boosted the growth of the Indian Electronics Industry and uplifted India’s workforce through the Skill India Mission.

Four-time Member of Parliament, Asaduddin Owaisi is considered one of the most influential Muslims in the world. A barrister by profession, it’s hard to pin him down in debates; something that even his greatest opponents admit. Hence most of the criticism against him is rhetorical by nature. His views veer towards being radical and regressive on some occasions and on others, nationalistic and progressive. In an interesting conversation with Smita Prakash, he opens up about his life, entry into politics, and political legacy. He speaks his mind with great conviction and shares his views on controversial issues like Love Jihad, the Triple Talaq law, and the Hijab ban. He slams both the BJP and the Congress with the same vigour for ignoring the Muslim community and for polarising the society. Through the interview, he emphasises his faith in Indian Democracy and insists that he doesn’t need a certificate of Nationalism from anyone.

India formally assumed the Presidency of the G20 or the Group of 20 developed or developing nations on November 2022. This will last for a period of one year and this one year is packed with events with several heads of state and governments visiting India. Is this just a talking forum or can this powerful group find solutions to global issues? To discuss this and more Smita Prakash spoke with Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency Harsh Vardhan Shringla. He was previously the Foreign Secretary of India and Ambassador to the United States of America. In this conversation, he explains in detail the logistics behind holding such a massive event and the immense opportunities to showcase different parts of the country. He speaks about issues impacting the World and India's role in resolving them. Through the conversation, he empasises on how the global perception of India has changed in recent times and the respect it commands on the global level. He also opens up about his personal life and encourages the youth to join the Indian Foreign Services.

What happens when an analyst on Pakistani affairs, an author and scientist, a political analyst and a researcher who speaks on political ideologies and social issues, come together on a Podcast with an Editor? Let’s tune in to the year ender edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash where in a free-wheeling conversation they discuss wide-ranging issues including Punjabi supremacy, Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress party, India’s G-20 presidency, Pakistani narrative, Nupur Sharma, calls for Sar Tan Se Juda, controversy surrounding Pathan movie and the unforgettable romance in the 1981-released movie Silsila.