Madhushala: exploring the soul of Bachchan's timeless poetry

Ep 46 of Madhushala podcast: When Bachchan pledge to leave alcohol to save his son Amitabh | मदिरा का त्याग In the previous episode of Madhushala, we visited Amritsar and Lahore, where Bachchan’s poem resonated in somebody’s heart several miles away, unbeknownst to him - until a chance meeting with that beautiful heart in Bareilly. So, what makes Bareilly unique? Let’s find out. पिछले अंक में बात...

Check out YouTube for some unseen pictures! In the previous episode of Madhushala, we visited Amritsar and Lahore, where Bachchan’s poem resonated in somebody’s heart several miles away, unbeknownst to him - until a chance meeting with that beautiful heart in Bareilly. So, what makes Bareilly unique? Let’s find out. पिछले अंक में हमने यात्रा की थी लाहौर और अमृतसर की और बताया था कि लाहौर की छत से क...

Madhushala Podcast on YouTube - Now with some unseen and rare pictures of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan! Episode 44: Madhushala: Love returns to Bachchan, from Lahore to Bareilly / Women in Bachchan's life: Teji Suri / लाहौर से बरेली तक In the previous episode, we discussed an incident of a young fan of Madhushala committing suicide in Bareilly and how deeply it affected the poet. As destiny will...

Madhushala Podcast on YouTube - Now with some unseen and rare pictures of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan! Last few episodes, we have discussed women in Bachchan's life and in this connection, we spoke ‘Champa’, his friend Karkal's wife, ‘Shyama’, poet's first wife who came into his life like ‘Joy’, and ‘Iris’ which remained a mirage for the poet. These were the days when Champa and then Shy...

We are discussing women in Bachchan’s life in these episodes. We spoke about Bachchan’s first wife “Shyama” in the previous episode and how she shaped poet’s life. In this episode, we are talking about “Iris”, who remained a mirage, a mystery in Bachchan’s life. This episode includes poems of an elusive Madhushala of life (a mirage). इन दिनों हम बात कर रहे हैं बच्चन बाबू के जीवन में आने वाली स्त्र...

In the previous episode, we started a discussion on women in the life of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan and how they influenced his life and poetry. We started with ‘Champa’, who he called ‘Dryad of the Trees’. In this episode, we are talking about Bachchan’s lesser known first wife ‘Shyama’. पिछले अंक से हमने शुरुआत की थी एक चर्चा की – बच्चन बाबू के जीवन में कुछ महत्वपूर्ण स्त्रियों पर। सबसे पहले बात...

In the previous episode, we spoke about “Shanti path” in Madhushala, shared a beautiful piece from Rahi Masoom Raza's book Topi Shukla, some things about one carefree Hindi poet Pandey Bechan Sharma ‘Ugra’, and a story about the English poet Shelly and Keats. With this episode, we are starting a series about the women in Bachchan’s life and how they influenced the life and poetry of our Kavira...

In the previous episode, we spoke about stages of life after youth, especially the final mile. There was one story about the death of Dr Bachchan’s first wife “Shyama”. In this episode, we are talking about Pandey Bechan Sharma ‘Ugra’, and English poets John Keats and PB Shelley. पिछले अंक में बात की थी जीवन में यौवन से आगे की अवस्थाओं पर, अंतिम पड़ाव पर, और एक बात बच्चन बाबू की पहली पत्नी श्यामा क...

Welcome to The Madhushala Podcast (मधुशाला मंथन), based on Harivansh Rai Bachchan's epic poetry. In this, we explore the soul and essence of Hindi poetry, poet's life-stories, philosophy and a bit of India's history. In the previous episode , we talked about the stages of life in Madhushala, especially the significance of youth, with a reference from Shivaji Savant’s famous book ‘Mrity...

Welcome to The Madhushala Podcast (मधुशाला मंथन), based on Harivansh Rai Bachchan's epic poetry. In this, we explore the soul and essence of Hindi poetry, poet's life-stories, philosophy and a bit of India's history. In the ⁠ previous episode ⁠, we told you about a road accident of Bachchan family and how Madhushala came to her poet’s rescue. Today, we talk about the stages of life, es...

In the previous episode , we had talked about the importance of dissatisfaction in life and told why Bachchan had to leave his well-organized life and go for military training, and some poems related to the same. Today let us tell you an incident about the Bachchan couple's road accident and how his poetry saved them. पिछले अंक में बात की थी जीवन में असंतोष के महत्व की और बताया था कि बच्चन बाब...

In the ⁠⁠ previous episode⁠⁠ , we had talked about the fragility of life, a small discussion on the ornaments of poetry called “Alankar”, and told why Bachchan's family members used to hide certain things from him. Today’s episode talks about the inherent dissatisfaction of man and why our poet had to undergo military training at one time. ( ⁠⁠⁠Read more here⁠⁠⁠ ). पिछले अंक में हमने जीवन की क...

In the ⁠ previous episode⁠ , we spoke about the comic side of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan and some of the lighter shades in the poet’s life, especially the ones from his university days. Let’s talk about the volatility of life in today’s episode and a discussion on Alankars ( ⁠Read more here⁠ ). Also a reference to Yuval Noah Harari's Homo Deus and a documentary Aftermath: Population Zero. ⁠पिछल...

In the previous episode , we spoke about Bachchan’s meeting with Sarojini Naidu and introduction with Nehru – Indira family. There was also a poetic introduction of Mr Bachchan. In this episode, a comic intro of the poet and little more bit from his life experiences ( Read more here ) पिछले अंक में बात की थी कि कैसे कवियों का परिचय भी कविता जैसा ही होता है, एक किस्सा सुनाया था भारत कोकिला सरोजिनी...

In the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠previous episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , we spoke about poet’s unquenched thirst and about his work as a special officer of Hindi at the Ministry of External Affairs (Videsh Mantralaya). In this episode, a poem about why people worry much. ( ⁠⁠⁠read more here⁠⁠⁠ ) ⁠⁠⁠पिछले अंक⁠⁠⁠ पिछले अंक में हमने बात की थी कवि की अधूरी प्यास की, मधुशाला के प्यास बुझाने से ज़्यादा प्यास बढ़ाने की, और एक किस्सा सुनाया था...

In the ⁠ previous episode ⁠, we spoke about the insults that Bachchan has to endure during his Pioneer Press days and how later in his life, he took a sort of revenge on society for such old insults. In this episode, we speak about an interesting introduction with Sarojini Naidu and the India-Nehru family. ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠read more here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) ⁠पिछले अंक⁠ में बात की थी कि पायोनियर प्रेस में काम करते हु...

In the previous episode , we spoke the games fate or ‘Niyati’ plays, and a story about Bachchan’s first independent and important decision in life when he was barely a teenager. We also read two poems by Maithilisharan Gupt and Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’. ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠read more here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) पिछले अंक में बात की थी बालक हरबंस राय के जीवन के पहले महत्वपूर्ण और स्वतंत्र निर्णय के बारे में, और चर्चा की थी भाग...

In the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ previous episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , we spoke about a story from Bachchan’s childhood and what his father’s family Guru had predicted about Bachchan’s future. There was also a Nazm by Nazeer Akbarabadi – “Sab thath pada rah javega, jab laad chalega Banjara”, on the games fate plays. In today’s episode, some more discussion on fate and Niyati, about the first important decision Bachchan made ab...

In the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠previous episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , we spoke about why people worry much about life and destiny. We also discussed Shakespeare’s “character is destiny” and the initial days of Amitabh Bachchan practicing his hands on acting. In this episode, we discuss some more about the role luck and destiny play in one’s life. ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠read more here⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) ⁠⁠⁠⁠पिछले अंक⁠⁠⁠⁠ में हमने मधुशाला के संदर्भ में बात की...

In the ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠previous episode⁠ ⁠⁠⁠, we spoke about the mannerism and the beauty of language in Lucknow and why ‘Saaki’ got bored of the poet. There was also a story of Bachchan’s encounter with illness. In this episode, we speak about poet’s unquenched thirst and a little about Bachchan’s work as a special office of Hindi at the Ministry of External Affairs. ( ⁠⁠read more here⁠⁠ ) ⁠⁠पिछले अंक⁠⁠ हमन...

In the ⁠⁠⁠ previous episode ⁠⁠⁠, we spoke about what Bachchan used to say about the men-women relationship and discussed a controversy often attached to a line by Goswami Tulsidas ( ⁠read more here⁠ ) ⁠पिछले अंक⁠ में हमने बात की थी कि बच्चन बाबू स्त्री-पुरुष संबंधों के बारे में क्या कहते थे और चर्चा की थी गोस्वामी तुलसीदास जी की एक पंक्ति पर, जिसका सहारा लेकर अक्सर विवाद खड़ा किया जाता है – “ढोल, ग...

WFH could well be Work from Himalayas , or Working remotely from Hills! That’s what we did before COVID wave surged again. In this episode, we travel to a small village called Jibhi, in Himachal. We talk about the experience of working remotely, and life in the hills with some short poems inspired by these pristine hills , waterfalls, simple living people. You can read the full script with meaning...

In the ⁠⁠ previous episod⁠⁠⁠⁠e ⁠⁠, we told a story from the Cambridge University days and how Bachchan was often mistaken for being younger, and of romance in Madhushala. In this episode, we talk about romance, of beauty and an analysis of Tulsidas’s line from Ramcharitmanas- “Dhol Ganwar Shudra Pashu Naari”. ( read more here )   पिछले अंक में हमने बात की थी यौवन की और एक किस्सा सुनाया था कैंब्रिज...

In the ⁠previous episod⁠ ⁠e⁠ , we spoke about the extreme criticism faced by Madhushala and how Bachchan was threatened to be shot in Patna once. There was another story of the friendship of Sumitranandan Pant and Bachchan . Today, a story from Cambridge University and how Bachchan was often mistaken for being younger, and some discussion on the men-women relationships. Read the ⁠f⁠ ⁠ull script of...

In the previous episod e , we spoke about the social boycott of Bachchan family for attending a wedding, alongside a poem from Madhushala on the topic. Today, a story of Madhushala’s extreme criticism and Bachchan’s poetic reaction to that, and a story of Bachchan-Pant friendship and of their hairstyle. You can read the f ull script of the episode here . पिछले अंक में हमने बात की थी कि क्यों एक शा...