Books and Beyond with Bound

What's it like being a female taxi driver in a city notorious for being unsafe for women? In this episode, Michelle speaks with Manjula Padmanabhan, author of 'Taxi', whose protagonist, 'Maddy', runs a women's-only taxi service in Delhi! And when Maddy receives an attractive job offer as a pretend male chauffeur for a powerful old man, she accepts and becomes 'Ma...

South Asia boasts a less than 1% divorce rate. But the real reason behind it is far from happy marriages. In this episode, Tara and Michelle sit down with Aisha Sarwari and Shasvathi Siva, as they talk about misogyny and marriages in South Asia. Aisha's book, 'Heart Tantrums', is a memoir that addresses her immigrant life and her marriage to a man with a personality-altering brain t...

Find out what it was like growing up in post-independence India through the eyes of a man who lived through it all! Join Michelle as she speaks with Bhaskar Roy, author of 'Fifty Year Road', a personal memoir like no other. Bhaskar talks about growing up during the Naxalbari uprising - the armed peasant revolt of 1967 in West Bengal. He shares his earliest memories of witnessing the viol...

"We will pay the price for the sins of our forefathers" In this episode, Michelle speaks with Santanu Bhattacharya, author of 'One Small Voice' - a thought-provoking coming-of-age book about the politics of modern India, whose protagonist witnesses an act of mob violence in the communal riots of 1992 and is haunted by it for the rest of his life. Santanu speaks about watching m...

One powerful secret. Two stolen paintings. And a man who will decide the fate of the world.  Join Michelle as she sits down with Tarun Mehrishi, author of ‘The Portrait of a Secret’ - a novel inspired by true events. In an epic combination of art heist, historical fiction and spy thriller, Tarun’s book explores the aftermath of the theft of two priceless paintings and a secret that has the RAW, IS...

Find out what centuries-old epics have to offer in the modern era! In this episode, Michelle sits down with Amit Majmudar and Shantanu Gupta to discuss all things mythology. Amit talks about his book, 'The Book of Vows', which is a retelling of the Mahabharata through all the vows that took place in the epic, sprinkled with his own insights on ethics and values. Shantanu's 'Tea...

"One fine morning, he's told, 'Your father is dead, your brother's been exiled, so now you have to go and become king"’. In this episode, Tara and Michelle talk to Shatrujeet Nath, author of the series 'Warlord of Ayodhya'. The series focuses on Bharat - Ram's brother - who was never given a voice in the Ramayana. It tells the story of an untrained, unwillin...

Three sisters, none of whom wanted to fall in love, and yet they did. Are you ready for some dramatic, relatable, and light-hearted desi romance?  In this episode, Michelle and Tara speak to Andaleeb Wajid about her most popular romance series- 'Jasmine Villa'. The series comprises three books, each following one of the three sisters of Jasmine Villa as they navigate Indian family dynami...

How did one disastrous field trip turn a history teacher's life upside down? In this episode, Michelle speaks with Anjum Hasan, author of 'History's Angel'- a riveting novel that explores life as a religious minority in modern India. When an easygoing history teacher is provoked by a student into losing his temper, he finds his life thrown into chaos as he battles with what it...

Imagine a crowded railway station where an attractive stranger catches your eye. A train passes by and– they’re gone! In this episode, Michelle sits down with Damyanti Biswas to discuss her book ‘The Blue Bar’, as it unpacks the disappearance of a woman dressed in a blue sequined saree from a crowded Mumbai railway station and how, 13 years later, a trail of murders begin with nothing to show for...

Picture this: Kerala, a family that suffers a strange hereditary affliction- and everywhere they look is the very thing that could kill them. In this episode Tara talks to Abraham Verghese about his bestselling book 'The Covenant of Water'. The book is set in the Malabar Coast of Kerala and follows three generations of a family where, in every generation, at least one person dies by drow...

What happens when two women find themselves in the midst of horrendous crimes?  Join us as Tara and Michelle speak to two avid thriller writers– Devashish Sardana and Nidhi Upadhyay. In this episode, Devashish discusses his book “The Girl with Broken Dreams”, a story of a feisty CBI investigator who finds herself in a quest for the truth behind a string of suicides, while battling her own demons....

Why do some peoples’ life stories fascinate us? Back with a bang for a brand new season, Tara and Michelle share their love for stories about real people. They discuss tales of extraordinary courage, struggles, perseverance, successes, and failures. What draws us to these stories? Are only some stories deserving of a platform? Whose stories do we not hear enough of?  Tune in to find out! Books and...

Are you ready to go down the path of success?  In this episode, Tara and Michelle talk to the ISKCON monk Gopinath Das, author of “The Power of Karma Yoga: Decoding Ancient Wisdom for Lasting Success”. An IIT graduate turned monk, Gopinath Das is on a mission to educate modern society by combining science and profound life advice found in ancient texts.  In an exciting partnership series with Jaic...

What happens if you are faced with a choice that complicates matters between your professional and personal lives?  This episode sees Tara and Michelle dive into a conversation with Rheea Mukherjee and Gargi Rawat, as they explore the nuances of modern-day activism and the ethical dilemmas that come with it. Join us as we talk to Rheea Mukherjee about her book “The Girl Who Kept Falling In Love”,...

What is it like burning bodies amidst raging fires every day? Who are the corpse-burners and the owners of the “sacred fire”? In this episode, Tara speaks to Radhika Iyengar, author of “Fire On The Ganges: Life Among The Dead In Banaras”, as she provides us insight into the Doms’ lives- the community tasked with handling the last rites of the dead. Researched and compiled from her interactions and...

In this exclusive series in partnership with Penguin Random House India, we will shine a spotlight on two compelling contemporary voices each month, individuals who are reshaping the landscape of Indian literature.  In this special episode of Books & Beyond, Tara and Michelle converse with Aditi Kumar and Shivalik Bakshi as they take us on a tour of the Indian Army and give us an insider’s vie...

Does history give you goosebumps? Specifically, history that explores the minds of kings and uncovers hidden stories of little-known queens? In this episode, Tara and Michelle venture into the ancient palaces of South India as they converse with Anirudh Kanisetti, author of “Lords of the Deccan: Southern Indian from the Chalukyas to the Cholas”. They discuss how a majority of Deccan history got le...

How do you create a family drama embroiled in suspense?   In this episode, Tara and Michelle uncover the nuances of writing a thriller with Vivek Shanbhag. We delve into how he navigates the minefield of family life as well as the intricate realm between truth and perception amidst India's evolving social and political landscape.   Tune in to hear them unpack Vivek Shanbhag’s writing process,...

What ugly truths lie behind the carefully curated social circles in Dhaka’s high society?  In this episode, Tara and Michelle converse with Nadeem Zaman, author of “The Inheritors”, as he talks about privilege, parties, and politics in Dhaka. In a delightful mix of satire and social commentary, his book explores Nisar’s eye-opening journey back to his hometown as he uncovers secrets and revisits h...

What does it take for a national hero to be deemed a deadly criminal? Join your host Michelle, as she dives into conversation with Hussain Zaidi, author of “R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima”, as he talks about covering the story of Lucky Bisht, who was convicted for the alleged murder of two notorious criminals. In his book, he uncovers how a 16-year-old ended up being “a fantabulous ki...

Is our worth as women determined by our ability to make rotis? In this episode, we delve into the nuances of writing mainstream feminist poetry in India! Join Tara and Michelle as they talk to Mehak Goyal about her book “Failure to Make Round Rotis: Poems on Rebellion, Resilience and Relationships”, about her inspiration, her writing process, and her publishing journey. How did she go from a start...

What would you do if you discovered your favourite sport, which is almost a religion in this country, is rife with corruption?  Join your hosts Tara and Michelle as they unravel the shocking story of corruption in cricket with one of India's most well-respected police officers and a former BCCI anti-corruption chief. In this episode, you'll hear from Neeraj Kumar as he tells us how he un...

Imagine discovering surprisingly progressive stories from the 19th century, all written by your grandmother! In this episode, we'll introduce you to Ranjana Kaul and her passionate endeavour to do justice to her grandmother's legacy — a trailblazing woman, who not only wrote but also fervently fought for women's rights.  Join your host, Michelle, as she delves deep into the captivat...

How would you react if you found out that your employer was poisoning you and your community with a deadly substance? Join your hosts Tara and Michelle as they unravel the astonishing story of "Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal" by journalist Ameer Shahul. Prepare to be drawn into a world of courage, corporate recklessness, and the battle for justice. In this epis...