South Central

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Leena Raghunath first discuss actor Vijay’s entry into Tamil Nadu politics. They are joined by senior journalist Kavitha Muralidharan and TNM’s Tamil Nadu bureau chief Shabbir Ahamed, who speak at length about whether Vijay will impact the state’s politics and if his party’s followers, who are predominantly fans of his films, are politic...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss the Vijay Mallya podcast and why political patronage for big businessmen is detrimental. Joining them is senior business journalist Sucheta Dalal. In the second discussion, the hosts delve into the Bharat Mata image controversy in Kerala and the impact of university VCs and Governors endorsing suc...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss the tussle between DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah over the state’s Chief Minister-ship. Professor Chandan Gowda joins them to unpack what this will mean for the state’s politics. In the second half, activist Shivasundar joins the hosts for a discussion on the hypocrisy of the RSS with respect to c...

In this episode of South Central hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Leena Reghunath discuss the censorship on director Honey Trehan’s film ‘Punjab95’, based on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and what the UDF’s win in the Nilambur polls in Kerala means for the state’s politics. Guests Honey Trehan, Amandeep Sandhu, and MG Radhakrishnan weigh in. All this and more—tune in. Audio Timecodes ...

In Episode 32 of South Central, Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna speak with journalist Sivapriyan ETB about why the Keezhadi excavation challenges the Union government’s narrative and how the DMK is politicising it ahead of 2026. In the second half, lawyer Rohin Bhatt and journalist Leena Reghunath join to discuss the Sonam Raghuvanshi murder case in Meghalaya and what it reveals about caste, p...

In Episode 31 of South Central, singer Chinmayi Sripaada joins hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath to talk about her years of isolation after speaking out against sexual harassment in the Tamil film industry. From being unofficially banned despite hit songs to the emotional impact of her recent Thug Life performance, Chinmayi reflects on what it means to be remembered again...

In this episode of South Central hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss the tragic stampede that occurred in Bengaluru during RCB’s post-win celebrations, and Kamal Haasan’s comment on Kannada’s origin. They are joined by journalists Venkat Ananth, Anisha Sheth and Professor Purushothama Bilemale.  Audio timecodes 00:00:00- Introduction 00:03.43 - Headlines 00.5.4...

In Episode 29 of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss the dichotomy of the BJP’s Muslim-messaging within India and abroad. In the second section, they also talk about whether art can be truly separated from the artist. Joining the discussion are The Wire’s editor Seema Chishti, Musician TM Krishna, and senior journalist Anna MM Vetticad. Once a month,...

In Episode 28 of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Sudipto Mondal discuss if Shashi Tharoor is at a breaking point with the Congress party, and TNM-Newslaundry series on police excesses and impunity across India. Joining the discussion are lawyer and activist Vinay Srinivasa and TNM’s Chennai Bureau Chief Shabbir Ahmed.  Once a month, we will invite one TNM subsc...

In Episode 27 of South Central, Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss the India–Pakistan ceasefire following Operation Sindoor and examine the role of the media during military escalation. They speak with defence expert Sushant Singh and senior journalist Prem Panicker. Once a month, we will invite one TNM subscriber to the show. Write to us on what you would like to speak...

In Episode 26 of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss India’s Operation Sindoor, evolving military posture, diplomacy, and the challenges of reporting during heightened conflict. In the discussion are foreign affairs reporter Smita Sharma and Takshashila Institution co-founder Nitin pai.  On India’s airstrikes, Nitin Pai says, “The three points Ur...

In the aftermath of the tragic killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam, how should India respond — and what signals do recent government measures really send? Meanwhile, India has moved up in the World Press Freedom Index. But does this reflect actual change on the ground, or just a shifting global baseline? On South Central Episode 25, Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath speak with...

In Episode 24 of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss Bengaluru’s migrants vs Kannadigas issue and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar’s criticism aimed at the Supreme Court’s powers. Also part of the discussion are comedian and writer Nithin Kamath, lawyer Suhrith Parthasarathy, and TNM’s Anisha Sheth.  On the Bengaluru debate, Dhanya says, “For many...

In Episode 23 of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna discuss Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s dig at Indian startups and the Supreme Court verdict on Tamil Nadu Governor that revived the debate on federalism. Joining them are chairman of Aarin Capital Mohandas Pai, political and policy consultant Tara Krishnaswamy, and TNM’s senior news editor Shabbir Ahmed.  On the startup...

In Episode 22 of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss the US crackdown on Indian students through self-deportation notices and detentions and the implications of the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 with Suhasini Haidar, Diplomatic Affairs Editor at The Hindu, and Senior Counsel Zafarullah Khan. On the scale of the US crackdown, Suhasini says, “What we have see...

In Episode 21 of South Central, hosts Pooja Prasanna and Leena Reghunath discuss the Empuraan controversy and the Telangana government’s use of bulldozers and police force to clear ecologically rich land near Hyderabad Central University, alongside TNM’s Nandini Chandrashekar, lawyer Nikhil Narendran, and environmental journalist Bahar Dutt. On the outrage over Empuraan , Nikhil says, “What is the...

In Episode 20 of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath discuss the absurdity of targeting Kunal Kamra, why the contempt of court law needs to go, and what the Kiran Bedi tapes reveal, alongside Alok Prasanna Kumar, Co-Founder and Lead, Vidhi Karnataka, and independent journalist Nikita Saxena. All this and more—tune in! Write to us on what you would like to spe...

Are the arrests of journalists in Telangana a sign that the Revanth Reddy government is misusing power? Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, Leena Reghunath, and Sudipto Mondal speak with Amar Devulapalli, Editor of Mana Telangana, about what these arrests signal for press freedom in the state. They also speak with independent public health researcher Malu Mohan about why ASHA workers—hailed as heroe...

The 18th episode of South Central, a weekly podcast hosted by TNM’s editor-in-chief Dhanya Rajendran and editorial head for reporting Pooja Prasanna, discussed concerns of  electoral roll manipulation and Bengaluru’s governance challenges. Joining them were senior editor Nandini Chandrashekar, Nitin Sethi, the founding editor of Reporters' Collective, and activist Tara Krishnaswamy. Nitin Set...

This week’s episode of South Central , hosted by journalist Dhanya Rajendran and co-hosted by Pooja Prasanna and Leena Reghunath, explored two pressing topics—youth violence in Kerala and the growing influence of hyper-nationalism in Indian cricket. The episode featured filmmaker Don Palathara, senior sports journalist Sharda Ugra, and social media influencer Aysha Mahmood. With Kerala witnessing...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by activist and journalist Shivasundar and retired IAS officer PV Ramesh to discuss the looming delimitation and Karnataka’s Naxal journey. With delimitation set for 2026, will south India’s political representation shrink if more seats go to northern states? What does this mean for governance,...

The Union government is withholding education funds from Tamil Nadu over its refusal to implement the three-language policy. Is this really about language, or is it about control over states? Vikatan’s website was abruptly blocked days after BJP leaders attacked its cartoon on Modi. With independent media under pressure, is digital censorship the next frontier? Hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasan...

Did Infosys rig performance tests to push employees out? As mass layoffs spark outrage, why do IT workers resist unionizing, and what deeper issues plague corporate India? India’s film industry is censoring itself—before the government even steps in. From CBFC delays to streaming platforms playing it safe, who really controls what we watch? Hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Leena Reghunath, and Sudipto Mond...

In this episode of South Central, hosts Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna, and Leena Reghunath are joined by NewsLaundry’s Manisha Pande, along with TNM’s Sudipto Mondal and Jahnavi.  On the Kumbh Mela Stampede, Manisha Pande discusses NewsLaundry’s ground report, highlighting how the official death toll is significantly lower than the actual numbers. “We accessed hospital records that show at...

In this episode, hosts Dhanya Rajendran and Leena Reghunath are joined by Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri and independent journalist Sowmiya Ashok.  On the AI copyright battle between Indian news organizations and OpenAI, Dhanya points, “This is not the first time. We are seeing a lot of litigation like this across the world. The New York Times and others have gone to court over this. Leena a...