Where Were You When

Where were you on 27 February 2002 as India witnessed one of its bloodiest Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat over three days prompted by the burning of a train in Godhra? Twenty years since the Gujarat riots which led to at least a thousand deaths, there are still many questions and elusive answers about how a large-scale massacre could take place over a span of three days. Who started the fire in coach S-6 of Sabarmati Express? Was the state complicit in the violence that followed in the aftermath?  In this episode of Where Were You When we revisit the event. Tune in! Interviews (In order of appearance) Jatin Vaghela, son of Rajesh Vaghela — a karsevak who died in Godhra train burning incident Imtiyaz Khan, survivor of Gulberg Society massacre Shama Pathan, Gujarat 2002 riots survivor Rakesh Sharma, documentary filmmaker Voiceover and Production: Shorbori Editor: Shelly Walia Music: Big Bang Fuzz Sounds: Freesound, Doordarshan [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7xnSrBaBuo], Final Solution [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQA8zJhogU] News articles and references: * 'Lord Ram has given me new lease of life' [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2900672.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst] * Communal Riots in Gujarat: The State at Risk? by Christophe Jaffrelot [http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/4127/1/hpsacp17.pdf] * Naroda Patiya Riots: A Timeline of the Case that Killed 97 Muslims [https://www.thequint.com/news/india/a-timeline-of-the-naroda-patiya-case#read-more] * Timeline of the Riots in Modi’s Gujarat [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/06/world/asia/modi-gujarat-riots-timeline.html#/#time287_8514] * History of Communal Violence in Gujarat [https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/history-of-communal-violence-in-gujarat/217988] * 15 years after Godhra, we still don’t know who lit the fire [https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/15-years-after-the-godhra-we-still-don-t-know-who-lit-the-fire/story-vkeZowN2nhvVkAJPZAPntN.html] * Is Godhra Violence Still Shaping India’s Political Discourse 20 Years On? [https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/is-godhra-violence-still-shaping-indias-political-discourse-20-years-on-gujarat-riots-2002-narendra-modi#read-more] * Revisiting Sabarmati Express Fire That Engulfed Gujarat in 2002 [https://www.thequint.com/explainers/gujarat-riots-2002-godhra-sabarmati-express-fire-explained] * Gulberg Society: The case so far [https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gulberg-society-the-case-so-far/] * Nanavati panel gives Modi clean chit in post-Godhra riots [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nanavati-panel-gives-modi-clean-chit-in-post-godhra-riots/articleshow/72482704.cms] * Supreme Court to peruse 2002 Gujarat riots’ SIT closure report [https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-peruse-2002-gujarat-riots-sit-closure-report-101635275800627.html] * Not Shielded Anybody In 2002 Riots: Probe Team Tells Supreme Court [https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/not-shielded-anybody-in-2002-gujarat-riots-probe-team-tells-supreme-court-2623551] * The 2002 Gujarat riots cases and their statuses so far [https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-2002-gujarat-riots-cases-and-their-statuses-so-far/article61864675.ece] * 2002 Gulberg massacre: Gujarat HC suspends life term of three more convicts [https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/2002-gulberg-massacre-gujarat-hc-suspends-life-term-7645002/#:~:text=The%20three%20convicts%20%E2%80%94%20Yogendrasinh%20alias,appeal%2C%20in%202020%20and%202021.]

RK Laxman, the legendary cartoonist spoke through his cartoons, about the concerns of The Common Man — a character that featured for almost half a century in The Times Of India's daily cartoon strip, You Said It. Laxman's bald, bespectacled, and dhoti-clad Common Man was part of every frame as either a spectator or a subject. And, the way Laxman wrote the captioned dialogues, not only resonated with the readers but politicians as well. How Laxman's genius brought his aam aadmi to life on TV as Wagle is a lesson in creative wisdom. Tune in as we speak with Aanjan Srivastava who played this Common Man in Wagle Ki Duniya and Atish Kapadia who has re-created the show which is called Wagle Ki Duniya - Nayi Peedhi, Naye Kissey. We also catch up with editorial cartoonist, Manjul, who breaks down how RK Laxman captured modern India and its problems through his cartoons.

It's been 20 years since Karan Johar's cult-classic 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' (or K3G as it's popularly known), captured our attention with a dazzling star-cast, extravagant sets and glitzy fashion. We may find the KJo brand of films as far off from reality as it can be, yet can we honestly stop humming to 'Suraj Huya Madhyam' or forget the moment when Shahrukh Khan aka Raj jumps out of the helicopter? Love it or hate it, K3G delivered the entertainment that it promised to. 20 years on, we caught up with film critics and journalists, Khalid Mohamed and Aseem Chhabra to understand our love-hate relationship with KJo's Cinema. We also speak with three child artistes from K3G — Maalvika Raaj who played young Kareena Kapoor, Parzaan Dastoor who plays Usman Siddiqui, and Jesse Lever who plays the son of Haldiram played by Johnny Lever, and they take us through the lesser-known details behind the making of K3G. Tune in.

Two years have passed since the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act was passed in the parliament. In these two years, those who have protested against the act, have also faced repercussions in the form of arrests and detentions. Yet, the government has not written and rules implementing CAA. What is it that probably has resulted in this delay? Is it the protesting section of the country? Protests have become synonymous to any debate around CAA. In this episode, we caught up with activist and scholar, Fahad Ahmed, who led the massive protests in Mumbai, right after the act was passed. We also speak with political commentator,  Professor Apoorvanand and Advocate Nizam Pasha who is lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. Tune in.

How a film that was rejected by two lead actors and its director, went on to become a success? Why did the film's director, Milan Luthria had to initially stop shooting after having worked for four days with Vidya Balan? Is the film addressing the male gaze or providing for it? Tune in as Milan Luthria and Emraan Hashmi revisit the making of The Dirty Picture, and RJ Stutee help us understand our sentiments for the movie.