The Next Edition with Mallika Kapur

Jeet Thayil: on 'Narcopolis', Bombay and the pull of 'elsewhere'

Author and poet Jeet Thayil’s work moves fluidly between fiction, poetry and memoir. He reflects on the Booker-prize shortlisted Narcopolis years after its release, the emotional intensity of writing it, and how his latest book The Elsewhereans marks a shift—from stories of addiction and survival to deeply personal explorations of family, memory and loss.    Epigraph: More than a decade after ‘Narcopolis’ first released, Jeet Thayil reflects on his relationship with the book today. He describes the process of writing the book as the opposite of catharsis, exploring how it made him reconcile with the city’s and his own traumatic past.    Poet in Prose: Jeet takes us into his creative process—how poetry shapes his sentences, why writing fiction demands a different discipline, and how he crafted one of literature’s most unforgettable long sentences.    Elegy: In The Elsewhereans, Jeet Thayil turns the conversation inward – writing about family, grief, and the passage of time. He opens up about the delicate balance of writing about loved ones, the responsibility that comes with it, and how the book has become a quiet memorial to his parents.    Epilogue: For Jeet, the role of the artist is simple yet profound: to connect. Whether through the troubled worlds of Narcopolis or the intimate reflections of The Elsewhereans, his work reaches readers in different ways — offering recognition, resonance, and a sense of shared humanity.    Credits:    Host: Mallika Kapur [https://mallikakapur.com/]   Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.   Reach out on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mallika.kapur/?hl=en] and LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mallika-kapur-a288b4131]   This is a Maed In India [http://www.maedinindia.in] Production   Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas [https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en] Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome [http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome] Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni [https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en] Producer: Rachna Sukuru [https://www.instagram.com/rachnasukuru] Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar [https://www.instagram.com/nihar_temkar?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D] Artwork: Alika Gupta [https://www.instagram.com/capefoxalix/]

Deepa Mehta and Lisa Ray: on Water and women shaping the narrative

When Deepa Mehta began filming Water in Varanasi, India, protesters burned the sets and forced production to a halt. The film, the final chapter in her trilogy exploring fire, earth, and water as metaphors for social realities across the Indian subcontinent, was eventually made in Sri Lanka. Twenty years later, Mehta and actor Lisa Ray look back on what they built, what it cost, and why the story still matters.   Critics’ Choice Deepa Mehta and Lisa Ray reflect on what it meant to commit fully to a story about women on the margins and why the film continues to move audiences around the world. As Lisa Ray puts it, it was made with such sincerity that people could feel it — “it was the little indie film that could.”   Close-Up: Deepa described making Water without an agenda; Lisa described surrendering to the role rather than performing it. Here, they focus on the process — how the film was made, the close-knit community that formed around it, and what it felt like to work in a simpler time, when no one retreated to their trailer between takes.   The Edit This conversation moves across memory, politics, identity, and time with two of the most influential women in Indian cinema thinking aloud together.   Epilogue Twenty years on, Water is no longer met with outrage or political defence. As Deepa puts it, it feels like a truth that never dies, it’s still finding new audiences, still landing where it needs to.   Featured Clips in this episode: 79th Academy Award Nominations   Credits:    Host: Mallika Kapur [https://mallikakapur.com/]   Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.   Reach out on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mallika.kapur/?hl=en] and LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mallika-kapur-a288b4131]   This is a Maed In India [http://www.maedinindia.in] Production   Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas [https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en] Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome [http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome] Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni [https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en] Producer: Rachna Sukuru [https://www.instagram.com/rachnasukuru] Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar [https://www.instagram.com/nihar_temkar?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D] Artwork: Alika Gupta [https://www.instagram.com/capefoxalix/]

Lara Love Hardin on Mama Love: on addiction, healing and writing her way back

Lara Love Hardin lost everything. Writing helped her find her way back. In this conversation, the author of the New York Times bestseller  and Oprah’s book club pick reflects on The Many Lives of Mama Love, a memoir of addiction, incarceration, motherhood, and recovery. She talks  about reading as her first addiction, writing as a survival tool within prison walls, and what it takes to tell the truth without softening it for the page.   Author’s Note: Lara traces her earliest attachment to books, long before prescription drugs or heroin, framing literature as both refuge and obsession.   Margins Lara reflects on what it means to carry a past without being defined by it. Addiction, prison, motherhood, and authorship are all layers that make her who she is.    The Spine Lara speaks about prison as a place where every woman had a “superpower”. Hers  was writing. By helping other inmates with their correspondence, writing got her through her darkest days.    Footnotes: The conversation goes  beyond the book. Lara speaks about re-entering the workforce after incarceration, the barriers women face, and her work today as a ghostwriter, literary agent, and co-founder of the Gemma Project. She considers what Mama Love could not yet include — a quieter chapter defined by steadiness, work, and rest.   Featured Clips in this episode: Oprah selects "The Many Lives of Mama Love" as newest book club selection [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvsd4wc0Sps&t=1s] Message from Lara Love’s sons for Oprah [https://youtube.com/shorts/TJW-41jrTxk?si=uzOmdoA7YqG3UiIH] Credits:    Host: Mallika Kapur [https://mallikakapur.com/]   Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.   Reach out on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mallika.kapur/?hl=en] and LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mallika-kapur-a288b4131]   This is a Maed In India [http://www.maedinindia.in] Production   Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas [https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en] Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome [http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome] Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni [https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en] Producer: Rachna Sukuru [https://www.instagram.com/rachnasukuru] Editorial Assistance: Devanshi Chandak [https://www.instagram.com/adriannelenkerismylove25?igsh=ZzVnZ3djdmYxdXc0] Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar [https://www.instagram.com/nihar_temkar?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D] Artwork: Alika Gupta [https://www.instagram.com/capefoxalix/]

Shrabani Basu: on Victoria & Abdul, forgotten stories and an unlikely friendship

Indian journalist, historian and bestselling author Shrabani Basu has spent her career rescuing stories that history forgot. She talks about uncovering the extraordinary bond between Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim, bringing spy and SOE agent Noor Inayat Khan into the light, and why these stories matter more than ever.   Preface: From researching the story of curry, to writing about Abdul Karim’s extraordinary  relationship with Queen Victoria, and bringing Noor Inayat Khan’s story to light, Shrabani Basu has dedicated her career to uncovering stories that history has overlooked.   From the Archives: Shrabani takes us through her process. Her books  often begin with a chance discovery, followed by years of research, poring over archives untouched for over a hundred years.   Legacy: Shrabani shares the pride she feels in reviving buried stories and the impact they’ve had. From reconnecting Abdul Karim's descendants with his story to campaigning for the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial in London, the first plaque dedicated to a woman of Indian origin.   Keeper of History: Shrabani continues her journey to bring untold stories to life, giving  trailblazers their rightful place in history. Featured Clips in this episode: Victoria & Abdul (2017) Official Trailer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T504u17Ao9A] Victoria & Abdul (2017) Movie clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfqNK6TRKxE&list=PLZbXA4lyCtqqMhB3oh6WE6PUmDsfBwPra&index=14] Noor Inayat Khan: The Unveiling of the Memorial [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNrgnjBkyyI] Credits:    Host: Mallika Kapur [https://mallikakapur.com/]   Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.   Reach out on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mallika.kapur/?hl=en] and LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mallika-kapur-a288b4131]   This is a Maed In India [http://www.maedinindia.in] Production   Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas [https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en] Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome [http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome] Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni [https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en] Producers: Rachna Sukuru [https://www.instagram.com/rachnasukuru] , Meghna Gulati [https://www.instagram.com/amadnessepidemic/] Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar [https://www.instagram.com/nihar_temkar?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D] Artwork: Alika Gupta [https://www.instagram.com/capefoxalix/]

Lynsey Addario: on documenting reality: the bold, the brutal and the beautiful

Pulitzer winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario has spent her career documenting war and covering conflict. She discusses her commitment to capturing hard truths and opens up about what happens when she puts the camera down and steps back into life as a wife and mother.    Aperture: She captured images of the moon as a child.That sense of wonder and beauty guides Lynsey as she travels the world, documenting pivotal moments in modern history with grace and grit.   Focus: Lynsey talks about the boundaries she sets for herself as a photojournalist: being respectful of her subjects, knowing when to intervene, and stepping back when the situation calls for it.    The Raw image: Lynsey opens up about what it’s like to be behind the lens – the grief that comes with witnessing lives lost, the constant threat to her own wellbeing, and processing the trauma of being held hostage twice.   Exposure: Lynsey talks about photographing a subject to becoming the subject in the recently released National Geographic documentary, Love+War.   Featured Clips in this episode: Love + War Official Trailer [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSqRXVlITBc] Credits:    Host: Mallika Kapur [https://mallikakapur.com/]   Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.   Reach out on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mallika.kapur/?hl=en] and LinkedIn [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mallika-kapur-a288b4131]   This is a Maed In India [http://www.maedinindia.in] Production   Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas [https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en] Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome [http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome] Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni [https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en] Producers: Rachna Sukuru [https://www.instagram.com/rachnasukuru] , Meghna Gulati [https://www.instagram.com/amadnessepidemic/] Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar [https://www.instagram.com/nihar_temkar?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D] Artwork: Alika Gupta [https://www.instagram.com/capefoxalix/]