A Century Of Stories

In this episode of A Century of Stories: India, Kunal Vijayakar is joined by Ananth Rupanagudi to explore the story of the Bhor Ghat railway line - one of the most challenging engineering feats in India’s history. Built across the steep and unforgiving Western Ghats, this line connected Bombay to Pune, reshaping trade, travel and colonial governance. But behind the tunnels, viaducts and engi...

For most Indians, the day begins with a cup of chai. But India’s relationship with tea and coffee has a far more fascinating history than we often realize. In this episode of A Century of Stories: India, Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Bhavi Patel to explore how tea and coffee travelled across continents and eventually shaped India’s drinking culture. From the legendary story of Baba Bu...

Kabaddi has travelled a remarkable journey - from dusty village fields to packed stadiums, prime-time television, and a professional league that has transformed the sport in India. In this episode of A Century of Stories: India, host Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Suhail Chandhok, CEO of U Mumba and broadcaster, one of the most recognizable voices in Indian sport, to explore the fascinating rise o...

What does the smell of rain have to do with a 3,000-year-old city on the banks of the Ganges? In this episode of A Century of Stories India, host Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Pranav Kapoor, 8th-generation perfumer and a trained chef from Kannauj, to explore Petrichor, the science behind scent and memory, and India’s ancient distillation techniques that predate modern perfumery. From copper...

The BCCI has grown from strength to strength in the past couple of decades to become the strongest cricketing board in the world, also aided by the riches brought to it by the success of the Indian Premier League. Writer and administrator Amrit Mathur, who was at the centre of it all in the ‘90s, tells the story of how BCCI moved from being on the periphery of the cricketing world to sitting...

The 17th edition of the Asia Cup is upon us, and on this occasion we bring to you an episode on the storied history of this tournament that began with the idea of bringing the Asian cricket playing nations closer in the early 80s. While the tournament has had some great cricket over the years, it has also made news for reasons beyond the pitch. Amrit Mathur, who was once offered the role of the CE...

A proper box-office cricketer who entertained with both bat and ball, Yuvraj Singh’s life and career also had all the ingredients of a blockbuster movie. His father’s obsession to make a cricketer out of him, the change he brought to the Indian team, his struggles to find a place in Tests despite obvious talent and his comeback after a battle with Cancer are some of the many chapters t...

We have all seen them on our screens, producing one superlative performance after another. But how are our favorite cricketers when the cricketing limelight isn’t on them? Journalist and TV host Gaurav Kalra who has worked in the television industry for decades talks candidly about the cricketers he had the opportunity to work closely with in his career in this special episode of A Century o...

In this episode of A Century of Stories, Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Rochelle Pinto, Head of Editorial Content at Vogue India, for a deep dive into the evolution of fashion — from red carpets to real life. Rochelle traces the biggest influences on Indian fashion, unpacks how today’s young generation's fashion reflects a world that’s constantly shifting and pulls back the curta...

Just a few months away from the Women’s 50-over World Cup at home, Team India has made a strong impression under Harmanpreet Kaur by winning a T20I and ODI series in England. The success of this team in the past few years is built on the groundwork laid by several generations of women cricketers who played the game for passion. Former team India Captain Anjum Chopra, whose 17-year long caree...

Did you know that dishes like butter chicken and bread halwa were born out of survival and displacement? Or that gurudwaras became lifelines, serving food and comfort to thousands rebuilding their lives after 1947? In this episode of A Century of Stories: India , host Kunal Vijayakar is joined by historian and culinary anthropologist Dr. Kurush Dalal to explore how India’s kitchens transform...

The Kolkata Test of 2001 against Australia proved to be a major turning point in Indian cricket. And one man who will always be synonymous with that special Test is VVS Laxman who established himself as the batter who would produce the tough knocks for the team whenever needed, something he did admirably well over the next decade playing more than 100 Tests. Noted journalist Sharda Ugra looks back...

What did Indians eat 200 years ago? Dive into the fascinating world of traditional Indian food history with Dr. Kurush Dalal, archaeologist and culinary anthropologist, as he joins Kunal Vijayakar on A Century of Stories. Discover how colonial rule, regional migration, and evolving local markets shaped Indian food traditions—from lost recipes to ancient cooking techniques. This episode uncov...

As things heat up between India and hosts England in the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy 2025, we take a look at one of the most controversy-ridden India tours which almost caused a diplomatic row. Our guest Gaurav Kalra, who followed all the developments from close quarters as a journalist on that tour, tells us what all went down when India travelled Down Under in 2007-08 in this episode of A Century...

The breakneck speed at which Indian cricket has moved in the last thirty years has meant that a lot around it has changed as well, and that includes its relationship with the media. Sharda Ugra, who has been writing about Indian cricket for the last 35 years, sheds light on how player-journalist relationships have changed in her time as a journalist in this episode of A Century of Stories: Cricket...

Soon after winning his second ICC trophy as a captain in the form of the Champions Trophy, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Tests. Having already retired from T20Is after winning the World Cup in 2024, Rohit will eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup as his swansong. India cricketer and former national selector, Jatin Paranjape, who saw the growth of Rohit Sharma’s cricketing journey from...

Rishabh Pant recently became the first Indian wicketkeeper to hit two centuries in a Test while his counterpart Jamie Smith blitzed his way to an 80-ball century in the following Test. South African wicket keeper Lhuan-dre Pretorious struck a sparkling century on Test debut. But things were quite different for wicket keepers for most part of cricket’s history. What changed three decades ago?...

The mighty West Indies ruled cricket for about 20 years and gave the world some of the best cricketers. However, the decline post 1995 has been equally spectacular, making many wonder what went so drastically wrong in a team full of champion cricketers. Our guest Shishir Hattangadi explains the reasons that led to the graph dipping for West Indies mid 1990s onwards in this episode of A Century of...

In this unique episode, Rajdeep Sardesai, a cricket tragic among many other things, takes us down the memory lane to talk about the cricketers who left a huge impression on him in his five decades of watching the game. Hear him passionately tell stories of how he fell in love with cricket because of some fine cricketers in this episode of A Century of Stories: Cricket podcast presented by IDFC FIR...

Team India starts its tour to England with a new captain and several fresh faces as four mainstays of the Test lineup in the last few years are no longer with the team. Former National Selector Jatin Paranjape shares his thoughts on how this transition has been handled by the management while also looking back at some of the major transitions the team has gone through in the last three decades in...

In this episode of A Century of Stories India, host Kunal Vijayakar interviews advertising titan Ambi Parameswaran on the evolution of Indian advertising. Discover how Indian advertising strategies turned from Western influenced sensibilities to Indian idioms and cultural narratives. As they built equity, brands and their advertising gave a voice and identity to generations of Indians, shaping and...

A new chapter is set to be added to the India-England cricketing rivalry in the 21st century as the two teams lock horns in a five match Test series in England. Former Indian cricketer and commentator, Deep Dasgupta, who was part of the Indian side when they met England for the first time in this century in 2001-02, talks about that tense series and how the rivalry has grown stronger in the ensuin...

Get ready to drool as we dive deep into India’s incredible world of sweets (mithai) — from temple prasads to Instagram-worthy experiments! Join Kunal Vijayakar and Shubhra Chatterjee (culinary researcher & filmmaker) as they unwrap the origins, flavors, and wild innovations of Indian desserts. Ever tried Pyaz ki Kheer or Mutton ka Halwa? Did you know a sweet was once served to conf...

As a new-look Team India gets ready to take on England away from home, our guest Rajdeep Sardesai takes us back to 1971 when India registered their first series win over England. The year, however, began with another special series win in the West Indies, where a young Sunil Gavaskar combined with a veteran Dilip Sardesai to give India a new self-belief. Hear the veteran journalist...

Dive into the fascinating history of Biryani in India with host Kunal Vijayakar and culinary expert Shubhra Chatterji in this episode of A Century of Stories: India. We explore how this beloved dish traveled from the Persian courts to the Indian subcontinent, evolving into Hyderabadi, Kolkata, Lucknowi (Awadhi), and other iconic Biryani styles that continue to capture our hearts and palates. See o...