Extra Salty

Are We Even Reading Books Anymore?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure wonder if we have stopped reading actual, physical books these days. Books are certainly being published in large numbers but a majority of our reading seems to happen on phones, computers and tablets. Not only do we get our hobby fixes from podcasts, TV binging and social media scrolling, but important cultural conversations are also happening there. Arguing passionately against this theory is publisher and poet Naveen Kishore, who is celebrating 40 years of Seagull Books, a press that has brought us translated literature from everywhere in the world. Going against our perception that people only read pulp fiction, Kishore says that book publishing is thriving and local readerships are more robust than ever. He also weighs in on our difficult cultural moment and touches upon questions of censorship, cancellation of writers and the role of publishers themselves in what he calls "cannibal times."

Why Are We All So Sleep Deprived?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure explore the sleep crisis impacting our entire world. Statistics about bad sleep are through the roof and sleep has become more than a self-help or social justice issue; it is actually a subject of human rights concerns. As we go through our daily life either a little fatigued or sometimes dead tired, the big questions here are how, when and why did everything start going wrong with our collective sleep? Sleep advocate, researcher and humanist thinker Ruhi Snyder brings sharp insights to the table and explains that our age of hyper-capitalism and shift work has completely destroyed circadian rhythms. Our society demands nonstop productivity, individualist lifestyles and pressure on the self as structures of communal living have also come apart. Snyder reminds us of a different time when naps were encouraged and doom scrolling on phones did not exist. The episode also brings special attention to the plight of working mothers who have to cope with the double yoke of neoliberalism as well as pervasive patriarchal structures.

Are Women in Sports Still Being Marginalised?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure evaluate a year's worth of sports scandals impacting women athletes in India and ask if women in sports matter at all. Women the world over cope with being marginalised in a lucrative sports industry designed for men. In India, it is much worse with issues such as poor coaching and sports facilities, zero or negative media coverage, and offensive gender scrutiny are pervasive. Meanwhile patriotic films glorifying women athletes are very popular, pointing to the fact that sportswomen are hyped as symbols but not treated well in real life. Journalist, film critic and runner Sohini Chattopadhyay joins the conversation. She speaks about the challenges of pursuing running in urban India, a story that turned into the book The Day I Became a Runner: A Women's History of India through the Lens of Sport. She also weighs in on the recent debacles with the wrestling federation and offers an urgent solution for the sports industry. 

Can We Ever Banish the Ghosts From Our Past?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure ask an age-old question about the ways in which we deal with the good, bad and ugly from our past. Humans try their utmost best to cope with the burdens of past relationships, traumas and memories using methods like therapy or engaging with alternative healing through psychics, astrologers, tarot cards and sometimes by attempting to connect with those in the afterlife. Writer of ghost stories Jessica Faleiro joins the podcast from Goa and speaks about her childhood encounter with a haunted house that altered the course of her life. Not only does Faleiro write gripping and frightening ghost stories, she also explores national and political hauntings that can help people understand collective, inherited trauma. The three wonder why psychological and scientific explanations seem to come up short and why we often gravitate to less proven, often mocked methods. 

Is English the Best Language of Them All?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure discuss the supremacy of the English language in South Asia. While there is immense pride in mother tongues and local languages, it is hard to imagine career and business success, literary and cultural currency, and social mobility without fluency in English. Can our polyglot subcontinent ever shake off this colonial domination over our minds and lives? Guest Daisy Rockwell won the International Booker Prize in 2022 for her translation of Hindi writer Geetanjali Shree’s novel Tomb of Sand into English. This prestigious award spurred debates about the ways in which it was English, after all, that finally allowed for the recognition of Hindi literature internationally. She weighs in on some of the changes that might be afoot when it comes to the politics of languages.

What Happens When Caste Enters Mainstream Media?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure discuss new films and television shows that have decided to tackle casteism and caste violence in India today. Films like Sairat, Article 15, Fandry or shows such as Dahaad have paved the way for mainstream conversations and debates about the pernicious and enduring caste system. While such social justice-oriented productions are indeed a welcome change, they raise important questions about precisely how caste is represented, narrated, depicted and visualised. Dalit writer and activist Yashica Dutt joins the podcast to speak about the ways in which the television series Made in Heaven recently plagiarised her work. Dutt speaks about the terrible backlash she has been undergoing after calling out the show’s makers. She explains that producing a progressive and complex episode on caste cannot hinge on a good script and star cast but requires a commitment to Dalit voices, representation and activism.

What Does Palestine Mean for India?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure reflect on the entwined histories of India and Palestine as the world is witness to extraordinary levels of violence being inflicted on people in Gaza by an Israel backed by the US and other global superpowers. What does Palestine mean for India today when the official governmental affiliation seems to be with the state of Israel yet there is a collective memory of solidarities and friendship with Palestine? Historian and activist Vijay Prashad joins the conversation to offer a concise and inspiring history of India as an ally of Palestine going as far back as the 1930s when Mahatma Gandhi wrote about the fact that there was indeed an ongoing attempt to colonise the lands of Palestine. Prashad speaks about the heyday of the friendship during the time of Indira Gandhi, when leader Yasser Arafat visited India frequently, right until the end of the Cold War when there came about a turning point. The episode also ponders whether Palestine offers a framework to understand the struggles in Kashmir. Finally, in commenting on the charming, lone pro-Palestinian protester who ran out onto the field during the cricket world cup, Prashad concludes that billions of people are absolutely pissed off at the grotesque level of violence being perpetrated by Israel and the outrage can no longer be contained.

Does Bollywood Have a Political Agenda?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure ask if Bollywood these days can be seen as mindless entertainment or if it is peddling political agendas. The world’s biggest film industry has seen some massively successful blockbusters sprinkle their plots with allusions to Kashmir, British colonialism, terrorism, geopolitics, espionage and religion all heavily laced with an over the top patriotism. Lyricist, poet and Bollywood insider Husan Haidry joins the podcast to speak about a changing film industry. Haidry shot to fame after a performance of his poem “Hindustani Mussalman” and discusses the complex and contradictory nature of Bollywood which tends to negatively depict Muslim characters while having so many big Muslim superstars that carry theindustry. The three also recommend many exciting, independent film coming out of India and that subvert the messaging of Bollywood blockbusters.

What’s So Great About a Doll Called Barbie?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure tackle South Asia’s new fixation: a busty, blue-eyed, blond doll named Barbie. A recent blockbuster American movie about this famous doll has had South Asians swooning over Barbie and showing up swathed in pink at movie theaters, all the while claiming to be smashing the patriarchy! But this fair and lovely doll was not particularly popular when toy giant Mattel launched her in the region in the late eighties. Pakistani writer and journalist Bina Shah weighs in on the class and gender politics around this expensive toy, and critiques the politics of white feminism that has recently sprung up around Barbie. The three ask if there are toys that can instill progressive values in young minds and whether dolls can ever teach us anything other than gender stereotypes.

Can A Woman Really Travel Alone?

Amrita Ghosh and Bhakti Shringarpure ask what happens when women decide to travel a world that seems explicitly designed for men. Even with privileged passports and upscale arrangements, can a woman ever truly feel safe traveling by herself? And what compromises do women have to make if they choose to be journalists or travel writers? Guest Suchitra Vijayan traveled 9000 miles across India’s vast border for her book Midnight’s Border: A People’s History of India. She shares the many challenges she overcame, the precautions she took, the amazing people she met along the way and ponders whether it was all worth it.