Beyond Charminar

One of the biggest enigmas of Hyderabad's heritage are the famed Nizams jewels, a portion of which are with the Reserve Bank of India. The collection, which includes the infamous 186 carat Jacob diamond, is always a topic when we talk about the Nizams of Hyderabad.  To understand how big the entire collection is, and the stories surrounding it, host Yunus Lasania speaks with art historian Deepthi Sasidharan is an art historian. Deepthi is also a curator and founder Director at Eka Archiving, a cultural advisory and works on heritage and museum projects across India with the government, private and corporate clients. Deepthi, has led Eka projects have been path-breaking in India, including setting up museums, seminal exhibitions, and the creation of several important archives across India. This past year she curated the celebratory AD Museum – Design in 75 years and curated the Dr. Savita N Museum and Library at Porbandar, Gujarat. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

Language is a means of communication, which often is shaped (or changes) based on our socio-cultural and political milieu. In India's Deccan region, the spoken language (widely) today is in fact Dakhni, and not Urdu. The former, often mistaken to be a dialect of Urdu, is actually older and was at one point of time the mainstay of literary culture in the 16th and 17th centuries, especially in the Deccan. In spite of Urdu eventually becoming the official language over a century ago, Dakhni has still persisted and remained as our spoken tongue. To decode that host Yunus Lasania speaks with researcher and upcoming author Karthik Malli, and also Mohd Affan aka Pasha Bhai, a Bangalore-based hip-hop artist who released his maiden and the first ever Dakhni rap album 'Pasha Bhai'. Affan had earlier released a few singles, but his latest album, which is chosen to sing in Dakhni, is a must listen for anyone looking to understand language dynamics. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

Most of us today know of software giant TCS (Tata Consultancy Services). It's part of Hyderabad's Hitec City that emerged in the 21st century.  However, many aren't aware that TCS in fact was originally a government Public Sector Unit called CMC (Computer Maintenance Corporation) that came up after IBM was asked to leave India. IBM used to maintain PCs and databases in India and when IBM was asked to leave, the government hired individuals who would set up an alternative. Among those who were hired was BK Gupta, who was one of the founding employees of the CMC, India's first software company, which he helped set up in Hyderabad. Host Yunus Lasania speaks with Mr Gupta for this episode, whose eventful journey also includes a ship journey from India to the UK at a very young age for his studies.  See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

Off-late, the word Razakaars is being thrown around in political circles quite often in Telangana. Referring to the militia under ex-MIM Leader Qasim Razvi in the Hyderabad state during its last Nizam, the Razakars have once resurfaced in the state's politics.  The Hyderabad state, under its last Nizam Osman Ali Khan (1911-48), became part of India on Sept 17, 1948, more than a year after the British left. What happened in the last two years before that is needed to understand the Razakars, the Nizam and the annexation.  Rakesh Kamal, Co-founder of Suno India, speaks with host Yunus Lasania to unravel the entire saga of the Hyderabad state in 1948.  See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.

When it comes to our freedom struggle from the British, one doesn't think of Hyderabad. More importantly, we're seldom taught about how the 'Jai Hind' slogan came about. Abid Hasan Safrani, a Hyderabadi, was one of those rare individuals who had gone to Germany to study in the 20th century before independence. A chance encounter with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose eventually ended up with him undertaking a submarine journey with Bose as an Indian National Army personnel. How that went and how Abid Hasan Safrani came back is perhaps one of the most important stories from Hyderabad of the freedom struggle. For this episode of Beyond Charminar, host Yunus Lasania speaks with sisters Dr Ismat Mehdi and Bizeth Banerjee, both nieces of Safrani, about his life, INA and the freedom struggle from a different perspective.  See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy [https://www.sunoindia.in/privacy-policy] for privacy information.