ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

Rahul Bose is an actor, director, and writer who has worked in more than 55 films in different languages. He is famous for picking meaningful roles. Movies like Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, The Japanese Wife, and Chameli show how he prefers strong and thoughtful characters. Rahul is more than just a film personality. He was also a national-level rugby player and is currently the President of Rugby India. He is working hard to grow the sport. For him, rugby is not just a game; it’s a way to teach kids teamwork, discipline, and confidence. In this episode of The ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Rahul talks about his 32 years in the film industry. He clears up some common myths, like the idea that Bollywood is only about glamour and big money. More about the process behind choosing a film, the debate between theatres and OTT platforms, and whether Bollywood is lacking in content. Timestamps 00:00 – Coming Up 01:53 – Introduction 03:10 – Story Behind Carrying His Own Chair on Sets 10:45 – Left's Influence in Bollywood 12:21 – Working with Female Directors 16:35 – Experience in South Indian Film Industry 22:35 – Process Behind Choosing a Film 26:45 – Script Improvisation 28:45 – Journey into Rugby 36:50 – Advice on Overcoming Fear 40:50 – Role of Discipline in Sports 43:43 – Rugby: A Costly Sport? 50:10 – Benefits of Playing Rugby 54:30 – Nutrition for Rugby Players 01:02:35 – Rugby vs. Films 01:04:30 – Theatres vs. Films vs. OTT 01:07:58 – Impact of OTT on Storytelling 01:13:32 – Lack of Quality in Bollywood Content? 01:17:30 – Lessons from His Parents 01:25:25 – Rahul Ever Regretted Doing a Film? 01:30:12 – Laapataa Ladies & Thappad 01:39:24 – Upcoming Projects

Tejashwi Yadav is a former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and the de facto chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. He currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the state. Before entering politics, Tejashwi was a professional cricketer. Today, he is seen as the political heir to Lalu Prasad Yadav's legacy and a key figure in shaping Bihar’s politics. In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Tejashwi Yadav responds to the 'Jungle Raj' jibe made by opposition leaders, referring to the years when his father and family governed Bihar. He says nothing has been done in Bihar under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar. He calls the Chief Minister "tired" and claims that corrupt officers are running the government. He also speaks about the caste census, the controversy over his son's name, Prashant Kishor, Chirag Paswan, and the Mahagathbandhan. *Timestamps* 01:58 – Introduction 02:32 – Welcoming a Second Child 05:30 – BJP vs JDU in Bihar 09:44 – Development in Bihar 12:11 – Criticism of the Media 17:30 – Is Nitish Kumar Unwell? 20:08 – Who’s Really Running the Bihar Sarkar? 24:35 – Can Nitish Return as CM Again? 27:20 – INDIA Bloc’s Bihar Plan 28:50 – Chirag Paswan vs Tejashwi Yadav 30:29 – Tejashwi’s Plan for Bihar Polls 32:00 – Tejashwi’s Son’s Name Row 35:45 – RJD & Congress in Bihar Polls 37:11 – Tej Pratap’s Love Controversy 38:10 – Newcomers in RJD & Bihar Polls 41:51 – Caste Factor in Politics 42:25 – Caste Census 46:20 – Media Colleges in Patna 49:25 – Can Youth Trust Tejashwi? 53:37 – Who’s the BJP’s CM Face in Bihar?

Rajesh Kumar Singh took over as Defence Secretary in the Ministry of Defence in November 2024. He is a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre and has held several key positions in the Government of India. In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the Defence Secretary clears the air around the India-Pakistan ceasefire, laying out the full sequence of events and stating that it was Islamabad that begged for a ceasefire. He also talks about Made-in-India weapons and how they turned out to be a game-changer. Defence Secretary speaks about China’s involvement in backing Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and highlights the gaps in India’s drone production. He also underlines the importance of reducing the defence procurement timeline from six years to two. He shares updates on the timeline for AMCA, India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, and addresses the speculation around whether India is planning to buy the American F-35A or the Russian Su-57E. Introduction – 00:00 Defence Secretary Job Explained – 00:40 India’s Defence Capabilities After Op Sindoor – 02:23 Planning Behind Op Sindoor – 03:50 New Normal After Op Sindoor – 05:50 International Reaction to Op Sindoor – 07:32 Pak’s Support to Terror Groups – 08:42 Impact of Op Sindoor – 10:05 How Pakistan Pleaded for a Ceasefire – 12:30 India’s Drone Strategy – 13:46 Made-in-India Weapons During Op Sindoor – 17:20 India’s Defence Budget & Push for Transparency – 18:47 Solving Delays in Defence Procurement – 23:54 Future of India’s Defence Exports – 26:23 India Buying the F-35A or Su-57E? – 31:20 India’s 5th-Gen Fighter Jet Plans & HAL’s Role – 32:52 Russia as India’s Biggest Defence Supplier – 35:47 MRCA Procurement Process – 37:30 What “Op Sindoor is On” Really Means – 40:25 Pak’s Support from China During Op Sindoor – 43:47 Asim Munir’s Meeting with Donald Trump – 46:07 What Happens in CCS Meetings? – 49:23 Working Relationship with the Three Service Chiefs – 51:09

Chandan Roy was born and brought up in Bihar. He studied mass communication in Patna and Delhi before moving to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting. He rose to fame with his role as Vikas in the popular web series Panchayat. In this edition of the ANI Podcast, Chandan Roy shares what audiences can expect from Panchayat Season 4 and how it will be different from previous seasons. He also talks about his journey into acting and what inspired him to become an actor. Plus, he reveals an untold story about why he changed his name from Chandan Rai to Chandan Roy. Introduction – 00:00 Panchayat Season 4 – 00:33 What Makes Panchayat Special – 01:55 Story Behind 'Vikas' Accent – 03:23 Actors from Rural India – 05:52 Creative Freedom on Set – 09:41 From Bihar to Delhi to Mumbai – 11:02 Inspiration Behind Name Change – 13:46 Family Reaction to Panchayat – 14:42 Working with Big Stars – 15:39 Local Accent – 17:14 Why He Left Journalism – 18:10

Khan Sir is a well-known teacher from Bihar, famous for his unique and engaging style of teaching, especially on topics related to current affairs. In 2020, he started his YouTube channel, Khan GS Research Centre. His honest and straightforward approach quickly gained popularity, and today, the channel has over 2.5 crore subscribers. He is admired for providing an affordable and comprehensive learning experience to students preparing for various competitive exams. In this podcast with Smita Prakash, Khan Sir speaks openly about many important issues. He discusses the Pahalgam attack and India’s Operation Sindoor. He also shares his thoughts on entering politics and gives his views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Khan Sir talks about the current education system, the unemployment situation in Bihar, and the reasons behind the state’s lack of infrastructure and development. He also speaks about mental health, the rising issue of depression, and how parenting has changed in today’s world. In a rare personal moment, he opens up about his marriage and addresses the controversy surrounding his wife wearing a ghunghat during the wedding reception. This is the most honest podcast Khan Sir has ever done. Timestamps 00:00 – Coming Up 01:22 – Introduction 02:36 – Khan Sir’s Marriage 10:01 – Khan Sir’s Classes 20:40 – Indian Engineers' Motivation 28:38 – Corporate Social Responsibility 37:34 – Love for Bihar 46:59 – AI’s Impact on Education 51:58 – Pahalgam Attack 56:21 – India–Pakistan Ceasefire 1:02:30 – How to get Students’ Attention 1:16:45 – Coaching Trend in Kota 1:24:59 – Language Inferiority Complex 1:26:44 – Snap Reaction Segment 1:57:54 – Bihar’s Challenges 2:06:00 – BPSC Paper Leak 2:09:30 – Agniveer Recruitment 2:16:02 – Views on Nitish Kumar 2:25:28 – Caste Census and NRC