In this episode, Pooja Bhatt sits down with film archivist S. M. M. Ausaja for a conversation that traces the fragile, often forgotten journey of Indian cinema’s memory. From wandering through dusty godowns and discarded collections to building one of the largest private archives of film memorabilia, Ausaja reflects on a life spent rescuing fragments that the film industry - and time - have quietly left behind.

What begins with a story about a lost photograph soon unfolds into a deeper conversation on erasure and recovery. Ausaja speaks of the archivist not as a collector, but as a custodian of emotion - someone who restores not just images, but identities. Posters, lobby cards, glass slides, and song booklets become more than artifacts; they become evidence of a cultural past that risks disappearing with every passing year.

As the conversation moves through the evolution of cinema, they reflect on a time when film imagery carried a sense of distance and devotion - when stars felt mythical, and posters were treated like shrines. In contrast, today’s digital saturation has made cinema more accessible, but perhaps less magical. Between them lies a shared concern: that in gaining immediacy, cinema may have lost some of its soul.

They revisit the legacy of Amitabh Bachchan and the rise of the ‘angry young man,’ connecting his persona to the social unrest of his time. It becomes a lens to examine how cinema once mirrored reality - and how, in many ways, it has drifted from it.

As the discussion deepens, Ausaja reflects on the growing dominance of commercial pressures, the shifting nature of audiences, and the quiet neglect of cinematic history. He speaks of preservation not as nostalgia, but as resistance - and of the urgent need for filmmakers and the industry to look back, in order to move forward.

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A chest cut open, a heart repaired, and a bottle left behind. Does a taste of death ignite a passion for life?

In this episode Pooja sits across Kaustav Narayan Niyogi, a man who lived the fast-paced life of an advertising "alchemist" before life forced him to slow down. From becoming India’s youngest creative director at age 29 to becoming one of its "oldest debutant" film directors at 50 with Cabaret, Kaustav’s path has been anything but linear.

Beyond the director’s chair, Kaustav possesses a rare, haunting gift for song writing, crafting lyrics and melodies that served as the pulse of Cabaret.

Life has knocked on his door twice: first with a battle with the bottle that he conquered to finish his debut film, Cabaret, and later with a hammer-blow to his physical heart. Having stood at the threshold where his chest was literally cut open for repair, he now answers the starkest of questions: will this brush with mortality hurl him into the spring of his life where he finally blooms? Or will he continue to seek out the exit points?

Join us for a raw, profound conversation about recovery, the weight of the "almost," and the delicate art of surviving oneself.

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In this episode, Pooja Bhatt sits down with Aadhya Anand for a conversation that traces the journey of a young actor coming of age in the glare of an industry that rarely pauses. From her early years in Singapore to stepping into the volatile, demanding world of Indian cinema, Aadhya reflects on the experiences that shaped her instinct, resilience, and sense of self.

Thrust into the deep end with Bombay Begums, Aadhya speaks about portraying Shai, a character layered with rebellion, confusion, and quiet fragility. What the audience saw as performance, she experienced as immersion - navigating themes far heavier than her years, while learning to hold her ground amid the noise of attention and expectation. For Pooja, it marked a return after decades; for Aadhya, it was an initiation. Between them lies a shared understanding of what it means to grow under scrutiny.

As the two relive the controversy that followed Bombay Begum, Aadhya explains how important having a supportive family to fall back on has been for her. She admits that not everyone is lucky enough to have a support system around them and sometimes outside noise can really get under the skin.

As the conversation deepens, Aadhya opens up about the pressures of social media, the illusion of validation, and the quiet discipline required to remain authentic. She speaks of mental health not as a trend but as a necessity, and of learning to trust her own voice in a world that constantly projects alternatives.

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In this episode, Pooja Bhatt sits down with producer Ronnie Lahiri for a conversation that traces the journey of a true cinematic nomad. From his early years in Shillong - surrounded by music, nature, and quiet observation - to navigating the dynamic landscape of Indian filmmaking, Lahiri reflects on the experiences that shaped both his worldview and his storytelling voice.

They trace Lahiri’s upbringing in the Northeast - where nature, sound, and solitude created a language of observation that continues to define his cinematic lens. Raised in an army household, he reflects on a childhood of shifting landscapes and perspectives, where real-world experience became his greatest education. From football fields to film sets, he speaks about the unlikely threads that connect discipline, collaboration, and creativity.

Pooja and Ronnie revisit his early years in advertising, where the grammar of filmmaking first took shape, and the leap of faith that led him toward independent cinema. Together, they examine the challenge of representing Northeast India with authenticity, and the responsibility of telling stories that hold emotional truth over commercial expectation.

As the conversation deepens, Lahiri reflects on risk, patience, and the cyclical nature of both cinema and life itself. Films like Vicky Donor, Pink, October, and Sardar Udham emerge not as milestones, but as expressions of conviction. Ronnie confesses that for him it’s not the film collection that determines success but it’s the number of lives it touched.

With a character forged on the football field, Lahiri brings a sportsman’s grit to the producer’s chair. He is a man who remains remarkably unaffected by success, staying grounded even when his films soar. He understands that a producer's true power lies in the capacity to claim both the hit and the flop with equal composure—backed by a radical faith that says, “If it doesn't work, I’ll sell my house.”

In this episode, Pooja Bhatt doesn’t tell the story of a nomad, she simply travels with him.

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In this episode, Pooja sits down with acclaimed cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi, the visual force behind Company and Maqbool, for a conversation that unfolds as a profound meditation on memory, loss, and preservation.

They trace Hemant’s epic 70,000-kilometre ‘pilgrimage’ across 21 states - an unwavering race against time to document over 1,300 single-screen theatres before they crumble into oblivion. This journey unearths the vanishing ritual of cinema-going, mourning the shift from the vibrant collective spirit of "dreaming in the dark" to the fragmented, digital consumption of the modern age.

Pooja recalls the magic of seeing her own films, such as Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin and Sadak, play to packed houses in an era when projectionists were the high priests of a communal sanctuary.

Hemant also recounts shooting for Company in Hong Kong, where they found unexpected common ground through the legacy of Bruce Lee.

As they confront the inevitable erasure of these landmarks, from fading facades to the charred legacy of the Uphaar Cinema fire, it is Hemant’s extraordinary gift for storytelling that breathes life back into the silence, resurrecting the stories embedded in these dying walls.

This episode is a stark, moving tribute to India’s cinematic soul and its emotional landscape, serving as a final call to honour these sacred spaces before they fade forever into the shadows.

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This episode features a deeply personal conversation between Pooja and filmmaker Mohit Suri, moving beyond the mechanics of cinema to explore memory, loss, and the unspoken family bonds that shape their lives.

They revisit their shared legacy and discuss how the early loss of his mother acted as the silent engine behind the melancholic, high-emotion tone and texture of his films. They dive into the industry's pressure for "scale" and the brave choice of casting fresh faces in Saiyaara, establishing that a director's vision, a producer’s faith, and raw performance outweigh star power.

Mohit emphasizes that you don’t need big studios or the usual trappings to create a great song; he reminds us that a soulful melody that stands the test of time can only come from a place of genuine feeling. The conversation shifts from commercial success to the necessity of failure and the courage required to prioritize personal truth over box-office expectations.

Being family, their easy rapport allows for a level of vulnerability that typical press junkets rarely reach. The episode offers a unique view into the making of cult hits and box-office successes, ending with a refreshing reflection from the director on his own evolving journey: "I still don’t know."

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In this episode Pooja Bhatt and seasoned journalist Vickey Lalwani deconstruct the glamour to expose the friction between Bollywood, the nature of fame and tough reporting. A warhorse of the industry, Lalwani operates on a singular, blunt principle: real news is exactly what the industry wants to hide. Together, they critique how modern celebrity culture has traded grit for sanitized, PR-controlled narratives, contrasting today’s scripted image-making with an era that treated entertainment coverage as a fight for the truth.

The episode offers a fascinating insight into what truly makes news and the high-stakes game of how it is broken. Beyond the headlines, Lalwani reflects on his lifelong passion for his first love - cricket and how those early memories still anchor him today. From a career forged in the wake of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination to a debut interview with Dev Anand, Lalwani details the persistence required to interrogate an industry built on secrets. The conversation cuts through the shifting power dynamics with icons like Shah Rukh Khan and the stubborn refusal to stop asking the questions everyone else is paid to ignore. It is a look at a man who remains guided by the conviction that journalism only matters when it makes people uncomfortable. His mantra is simple: love him or hate him, you simply cannot ignore him.

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In this vibrant episode that radiates sun-drenched energy and laughter, Pooja Bhatt and Zareen Khan wipe away the greasepaint to reveal the bare-faced realities of stardom. The duo dives deep into the industry’s obsession with the next big thing, a volatile cycle that demands a luminous, unshakeable spirit. They candidly call out the film Industry and a relentless media for enforcing narrow beauty standards and failing to celebrate diverse body types, challenging the status quo of female representation.

Together, they trace their journey towards self-acceptance after exhausting every fad diet in the book, and finding their power through weight training. They advocate for a shift from the aesthetic of looking thin to the utility of strength, viewing physical discipline as a vital mental anchor that provides grounding amidst professional chaos. Crucially, Zareen demystifies the fear that many women harbor about bulking up, explaining that lifting is the key to vitality and functional empowerment.

Beyond the gym, Zareen opens up about the necessity of mothering herself, a practice of nurturing her inner child through reading, a deep love for travel, and finding her own sense of peace. This protective instinct extends to the next generation where she expresses a heartfelt desire to be the mentor she never had growing up for her niece, guiding her with the wisdom she gained the hard way. This philosophy of simplification also inspired her skincare brand, Happy Hippie, which she launched to strip away the overwhelming complexity of modern beauty routines for herself and her consumers.
The conversation takes a sharp turn as they debunk the perceived glamour of love scenes, reframing them as tedious, choreographed labor. Pooja likens the highly technical process governed by rigid lighting and camera angles to "watching paint dry." They agree that these moments are often the most difficult to film because they require emotional detachment and mechanical precision, performed in front of a full crew rather than in a space of genuine intimacy.

Despite never sharing screen space, the conversation is marked by genuine warmth and deep mutual respect. This episode is a powerful reminder of the resilience required to stay authentic in an industry that demands perfection, summed up in Zareen's stark ultimatum "Judge me for my work, not my weight."

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