ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

Dr. Vinay Prabhakar Sahasrabuddhe served as a Rajya Sabha member from 2016 to 2022 and held the position of Vice President in the BJP from 2014 to 2020. He also assumed the role of President at the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, a government organization fostering cultural exchanges between India and other nations. He is recognized as a key figure in the BJP's think tank. He had spearheade...

Konkona Sen Sharma is a versatile actress, director, and writer renowned for her ability to depict a wide range of characters. She gained recognition for her role in the critically acclaimed film 'Mr. and Mrs. Iyer' (2002), directed by her mother, Aparna Sen. Her outstanding performances have earned her several awards, including the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in 'Mr. and Mrs...

Pankaj Tripathi is often considered one of the few actors in cinema with zero haters. Known as a method actor, he is widely recognized for his unconventional choices. He has received two National Awards: one for Best Supporting Actor in 'Mimi' and a Special Mention for 'Newton'. From 'Gangs of Wasseypur' to 'Mirzapur' to 'OMG 2,' Tripathi's flawless performances have earned him massive popularity...

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Manjul is the Additional Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India. He has made significant contributions to Indian Archaeology, leading excavations in Rakhigarhi, Bijnor, Rajasthan, Barnawa, Sinauli, and Baghpat. The Sinauli findings, including the earliest known chariot, were highlighted as the "Discovery of the Century" at the National Museum of Modern Art, New Del...

In the special year-end 2023 edition of our podcast, dive into insightful discussions covering everything from the sizzle of political dynamics to the crunch of cricket excitement – where every topic is seasoned with a pinch of wit and a dash of intrigue! In the special edition of the ANI podcast with Smita Prakash, The guests include Sushant Sareen, an analyst on Pakistan affairs; Tehseen Poonawa...

Niyaz Khan is an IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, who is known for his views on cow protection, Sanatana Dharma, and Bollywood. He has authored over half a dozen books, including one on Gangster Abu Salem's 'love story', triple talaq, and Brahmins. Khan has stirred numerous controversies in the past due to his progressive thinking and pro-Hindu writings. Khan has blamed Bollywood for rel...

From being a television star for eight consecutive years to becoming a Union Cabinet minister, Smriti Irani has come a long way, carving a niche for herself in every field Currently, she holds the portfolios of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs in PM Modi's cabinet. Smriti is known for not mincing her words when expressing her thoughts. After facing numerous struggle...

Vikrant Massey is known for leaving a lasting impact with his compelling performances. This is evident in the success of the '12th fail' movie, which received acclaim from both critics and audiences, establishing itself as a box office hit. He is fondly known as 'Bablu Bhaiya' for his role in the 'Mirzapur' series. Beginning his career in TV, Vikrant has successfully transitioned to carve a niche...

Suniel Shetty is an actor, film producer, and entrepreneur, fondly known as Bollywood's 'Anna'. With a career spanning almost 30 years, he has acted in over 100 films and is the owner of the production house Popcorn Entertainment Private Limited. The black belt kickboxer entered the Hindi Film Industry in 1992 at the age of 31 with "Balwaan." In 2001, he clinched the Filmfare Award for Best Villai...

Gautam Gambhir is a former cricketer, who is known for his candid demeanor and calling a spade a spade. He currently serves as a Member of Parliament for the BJP from East Delhi Constituency. He played a crucial role in India’s victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Gambhir also led the Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. His foundation also runs ‘Jan...

Amish and Bhavna have once again joined forces, following the tremendous success of their collaborative venture, 'Dharma: Decoding the Epics for a Meaningful Life,' which boasts a remarkable 6 million copies in print. Their latest book, 'Idols: Unearthing the Power of Murti Puja,' serves as a companion volume to 'Dharma'. It explores the profound reasons behind idol worship. Amish is one of the be...

Nripendra Misra, an IAS officer of the 1967 batch, boasts a career spanning over 52 years with diverse roles. He served as the former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and currently chairs the committee overseeing the construction of the Grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. This move is perceived as part of the Centre's strategy to closely monitor the temple's construction. He also held...

Shaurya Doval is the founder of the RSS-affiliated ‘India Foundation’. He currently serves as a state executive committee member of the BJP in Uttarakhand. He is also the son of India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. Shaurya is an economics graduate from Hindu College of Delhi University and holds two MBA degrees from the University of Chicago and the London Business School. Before establi...

Lieutenant General Vinod G. Khandare, a distinguished former officer of the Indian Army, currently serves as the Principal Adviser in the Ministry of Defence. With a remarkable 38-year career, Gen. Khandare has worn many hats, including roles such as Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff for Intelligence from Nov 2015 to Jan 2018. His exte...

Shehla Rashid is an activist, researcher, and academician who gained prominence in 2016 for advocating the release of then JNU President Kanhaiya Kumar, arrested on sedition charges. Recently, she made headlines for a notable shift, applauding the central government for the 'improved' situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Previously critical of human rights issues in Jammu and Kashmir, Shehla faced sedi...

Chhaya Sharma is a senior IPS officer, currently serving as Joint CP-Eastern Range in Delhi. With over 23 years of experience, she has served as DGI at the National Human Rights Commission and as the director of the Central Vigilance Commission. She is widely recognised for her pivotal role in apprehending the perpetrators of the infamous 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder case. In the latest ANI podca...

Lt Col Pavithran Rajan (R) is a Military Veteran, Tech Entrepreneur, and Academic. He has served as an Advisor at the Ministry of Home Affairs and holds the position of Adjunct Faculty at the Cyber Security Research Centre at Punjab Engineering College. Additionally, he serves as an Advisor for the Cyber Peace Foundation. He is also the author of the book "Engaging China: Indian Interests In The I...

Karnal Singh is an IPS officer from the batch of 1984, who headed the Enforcement Directorate from 2015 to 2018. In his impressive 34-year career, Singh led the Special Cell of the Delhi Police and as ED Chief, Singh also took charge as the Director of India's Financial Investigation Unit (FIU), playing a key role in shaping the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. During his tenure, Singh led investi...

Adil Hussain hails from Assam’s Goalpara, is renowned for his critically acclaimed performances in theater and movies like ‘Mukti Bhawan’ and ‘Othello - A Play in Black and White.’ Adil has worked in more than 80 films, including a standout role in Ang Lee's Oscar-winning ‘Life of Pi,’. He won National Award for his lead roles in ‘Mukti Bhawan’ and ‘Maj Rati Ketaki.’ He studied at the National Sch...

Manoj Tiwari has worn many hats throughout his life, transitioning from an actor, singer, music director to becoming a Member of Parliament representing the North East constituency for the BJP. Regarded as one of the most successful and prominent stars in the world of Bhojpuri cinema, Tiwari gained recognition with a series of hit songs in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Fans of Bhojpuri music fond...

Hardeep Singh Puri embodies a unique blend of technocratic expertise and political acumen. Over the course of 39 years as a civil servant, he held diverse roles, including Permanent Representative to the UN and Chair of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee. In 2014, Hardeep Puri joined the BJP, marking the onset of his political journey. In Sep 2017, he became the Minister with In...

Kalvakuntla Kavitha is a member of the Legislative Council from Nizamabad and the daughter of Telangana's Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekar Rao. Before returning to India, she worked as a software engineer in the USA. Her political journey began when she joined her father's movement for a separate state of Telangana. From 2014 to 2019, she served as the first woman parliamentarian from Telangana, r...

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is a minister in PM Modi's cabinet currently heading the department of Jal Shakti. He is a two-time parliamentarian representing Jodhpur constituency in the Lok Sabha. Shekhawat, like many other BJP leaders, started his political journey as a karyakarta of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad during his student days and was elected as student union president at JNVU Universit...

Tensions between Israel and Palestine continue to escalate with the conflict entering its sixth day, which started after militants from the Hamas group infiltrated southern towns of Israel last Saturday. The terrorists, which came on motorcycles, SUVs and paragliders, have claimed over 1500 lives and taken hundreds of hostages whose fate remains uncertain. While Israel is committed to ending Hamas...

Akshay Kumar is an actor and producer with a career spanning over 150 films who also has two national awards to his name. He has also been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 for his contribution to the field of arts. He is affectionately known as the 'Khiladi Kumar' of Bollywood due to his fearless portrayal of action-packed roles, often performing his stunts without the use...