On Episode 82 of #LearningStories we chat with Diya Sengupta. Diya is the founder and co-curator of Juhu Reads, a silent reading community in Mumbai. She is also a Sustainability Strategy leader in a global strategy and consulting firm. She was born in Durgapur in West Bengal. She grew up across mining towns in Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh owing to her father's transfer prone job with Coal India Limited. Her reading and writing comes from fond memories of growing up in India's hinterlands. She is an avid reader and passionate book reviewer. In this episode we spoke about her childhood, her love for books and how she nurtured and built a silent reading community in the fast paced city of Mumbai.

Timestamps

(00:10) - Podcast Introduction

(01:10) - Guest Background

(02:00) - About Juhu Reads

(03:30) - Stories from your Childhood

(03:38) - "I am always happy to talk about books and childhood"

(03:58) - "I grew up in small mining towns"

(04:00) - What did your parents do?

(04:35) - What did your grand parents do?

(04:45) - "I was born in Durgapur, West Bengal"

(04:50) - "I spent the first seven years of my life in Asansol, West Bengal"

(05:30) - What were your first memories of books as a child?

(05:55) - "My parents were both avid readers of Bangla and English Literature"

(07:40) - "I remember climbing mango and guava trees with my books"

(08:45) - What did your mother and father love reading?

(10:30) - "My parents had a large home library"

(12:40) - What were your memories of growing up in small mining towns as a teenager?

(16:57) - "I would have to buy books from larger cities"

(17:40) - "I moved to Calcutta for further education at the age of 17"

(19:00) - What did you decide to study in high school and university?

(19:32) - "If I chose Arts I would be looked down on as Science was prioritized"

(22:22) - "I completed my Bachelor in Commerce from University of Calcutta"

(23:00) - "I moved to Mumbai for a finance job in the mid 2000s

(23:30) - How did you transition into a career in the field of sustainability?

(24:30) - "In between I took a year off to complete an executive MBA"

(26:30) - What were your memories of living & working in Mumbai in the 2000s and 2010s?

(29:45) - What is your idea of home?

(32:30) - "I am a country and provincial girl at heart"

(34:00) - What is the day to day life of a consultant?

(37:00) - How reading fiction can help you professionally

(39:00) - What is a silent reading community? What are its origins?

(41:00) - What is the story of Juhu Reads and its readers?

(43:30) - What were some challenges you faced in the first few months of Juhu Reads?

(47:20) - What were some joyful stories of readers you meet at Juhu Reads?

(52:40) - What are some book recommendations?

(53:00) - "Since 2022, I developed an interest in contemporary Indian writers"

(53:50) - Why read, 'The Firebird' by Saikat Majumdar?

(54:10) - Why read, 'A Speck of Coal Dust' by Rohit Manchanda?

(54:55) - Why read, 'The Last Song of Dusk' by Siddhant Dhanvant Sanghavi?

(55:35) - Why read, 'Blue Women' by Anukriti Upadhyay

(56:00) - How I write book reviews? Why they matter

(59:20) - How has reading added value to your life?

(01:02:00) - Closing Notes

Links

1. Diya on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/diya-sengupta-410b5213/

2. Juhu Reads Instagram Page - https://www.instagram.com/juhureads/

3. Author Page on Scroll.in: https://scroll.in/author/23853

4. Article on Juhu Reads 100th session - https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/culture/article/world-book-day-2025-its-100-how-mumbais-silent-reading-communities-continue-to-engage-readers-23525485

Description

This is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 81 of #LearningStories we chat with Devayani Khare. She is a communications consultant and geomorphologist. Through her career in communications, she has worked in fields as diverse as fundamental biology, translational research, biodiversity and conservation, and even as a travel writer. At present, she is an environmental advocacy communicator for an organisation called Break Free From Plastic. For the past 4 years, she has also been running a newsletter called Geosophy, that explores geoscience topics. She has always believed that landscapres contain clues to the past and present. You can find her on Linkedin and Substack.

Timestamps

(00:10) - Introduction and Background

(02:00) - Stories from your Childhood

(02:10) - "As a child, I guess I was just as wild and curious"

(02:20) - "My school campus was very far away from the city"

(03:10) - "The school was very experimental and hands on"

(03:40) - What are your earliest memories of learning geography in school?

(05:30) - What was your experience in high school?

(06:20) - "I did not study geography in 11th and 12th"

(06:40) - What subjects did you want to study in university?

(07:20) - When did you choose to specialize in geography?

(08:40) - What is involved in the study of geography at university?

(08:50) - "At the undergraduate level it is focused on human geography"

(09:20) - "At the master's level I studied geomorphology"

(10:30) - How do you define geography?

(11:20) - "Geography is a snapshot of everything related to landscapes"

(13:30) - How is geographical information used in a government and industry context?

(18:00) - What are some examples of geo heritage sites around the world?

(20:50) - What bodies regulate geological and geo heritage sites around India?

(23:00) - How to transition from academic to on the job learning?

(23:30) - "It was difficult to find jobs after my degree in Geography"

(25:00) - Working for the Western Ghats Biodiversity Portal in Pondicherry

(25:30) - "Communications was the common theme across all my jobs"

(28:00) - Job of a communications consultant on a day to day basis

(33:00) - What is the story behind the 'Geosophy' newsletter?

(39:00) - How do you research and write your essays and articles?

(40:10) - Writing about geo heritage sites in India

(42:50) - "Sometimes it takes me 10-20 hours of research for one piece"

(43:00) - "With geography there are no definite answers"

(45:00) - On the Lonar crater in Maharashtra

(45:30) - On the Gandikotta fort in Andhra Pradesh (see article linked below)

(48:30) - On the Geosophy Bookshelf and Book Recommendations

(51:40) - How to teach children Geography in our schools?

(56:30) - What have you learned and observed from your travels as a geomorphologist?

(1:01:00) - Closing Notes

Links

Devayani's Website - https://www.devayanikh.com/

Devayani on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/devayani-khare

Geosophy Newsletter Archives - https://substack.com/@geosophy/posts

On Episode 80 of #LearningStories, I interviewed Suchin Mehrotra. Suchin is a critic and film journalist who covers streaming for The Hollywood Reporter India. He's also the host of The Streaming Show podcast on his own YouTube channel, and has written for publications like Film Companion, News9 and The Hindustan Times among others. An unabashed mainstream cinema junkie, he sincerely believes that movies and storytelling can change the world. You can find him on Instagram, Spotify and Youtube.

Timestamps

(00:10) - Introduction and Background

(02:10) - Stories from your Childhood

(02:15) - “I moved between Mumbai, Bengaluru and London”

(02:50) - “My dad was a lawyer and mom was a housewife”

(03:20) - Where did you complete your schooling?

(03:40) - What did you study at university?

(03:45) - Why did you study economics at university?

(04:20) - “I worked in banking for 2 years in London”

(06:30) - What are some key childhood and teenage memories with films?

(08:00) - When did you realize you loved movies a bit more than just another hobby?

(09:03) - What happened when you watched ‘Haider’ in 2014?

(09:20) - “I just wanted to write about this movie”

(09:50) - “I used to watch, ‘The Front Row’ with Anupama Chopra.”

(10:40) - “I then started a blog on films”

(11:50) - What are some observations on film journalism in India?

(12:00) - “I believe Film Journalism is an art form”

(12:30) - “Film Culture in India is insane”

(12:50) - On Film Journalism in the west

(13:40) - “There are few publications that take films seriously in India”

(14:50) - “Scroll, The Hindu, Mint, Frontline have good writing on films”

(15:20) - What have you learned from other film journalists in your trade?

(16:20) - Difference between trade journalists, film journalists and film critics?

(18:10) - “Anupama Chopra and Baradwaj Ranjan are the north stars for most critics”

(18:30) - On Rahul Desai’s film criticism

(18:50) - On Uday Bhatia’s film criticism

(19:07) - On Gayle Sequeira’s film criticism

(19:20) - On Pratyush Parasuraman’s film criticism

(19:40) - On Vishal Menon’s film criticism

(20:20) - On Sidhant Atlakha’s film criticism

(20:40) - On David Ehrlich’s film criticism

(21:45) - How did you transition from banking in London to journalism in Mumbai?

(22:40) - “There are few courses on film criticism”

(23:40) - “Film Critics need to love films, love writing and love writing about films”

(25:00) - What happens to the film critic in the world of social media?

(26:00) - What was your experience being a freelance film journalist?

(26:50) - “For a year, I just watched films every Friday and wrote about each film”

(29:00) - How do film reviews change in the video and print form?

(32:00) - How can publications support film critics?

(34:00) - The pressure of earning a living as a film journalism

(34:20) - On the star rating system of reviewing films

(35:00) - How film reviews affect films in India?

(39:30) - How film critics can throw light on the work of other technicians in the film industry?

(41:40) - What was your experience as a programme coordinator at the MAMI film festival?

(43:35) - On the role of film festivals for independent and world cinema

(48:10) - On the era of streaming and the rise of OTT shows in India

(49:10) - “The finest story telling in India is on the streaming space”

(59:10) - Film and Show Recommendations

Links

Suchin’s Reviews on The Hollywood Reporter India - https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/author/suchin-mehrotra

Suchin’s Reviews on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/suchin545

Suchin’s Reviews on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@suchinmehrotra

Streaming Show Playlist - https://bit.ly/thestreamingshow

Description

This is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.

On Episode 79 of #LearningStories we chat with Arjun Hemmady. Arjun is a full time treasury finance professional, two time published author and freelance sports journalist. His most recent bestselling sports based fiction novel is called, 'Captain Khadoos'. This book explores themes like mental health, training time and media attention in the life of an athlete. Arjun is also an avid memer. He enjoys guiding and mentoring aspiring authors. You can find him on Instagram and Linkedin.

Timestamps

(00:10) - Introduction and Background

(02:10) - Stories from your Childhood

(02:14) - "I was encouraged to read from a very young age"

(02:20) - "My grandfather had got the world book encyclopedia for us as children"

(02:40) - "My grandmother was a librarian"

(03:00) - What are your earliest memories as a reader?

(04:10) - What did you study in high school and university?

(04:20) - "My day job involves managing money and forex exchanges"

(04:40) - "I did a Bachelor in Commerce and MBA degree"

(05:35) - How did you write and publish your first book?

(06:30) - "I had this strong urge to tell and write this story"

(06:50) - "I would write stories for my school and community magazine"

(07:20) - "I did not know much about publishing before releasing my first book"

(07:50) - What are some common mistakes first time authors make?

(08:40) - "I edited my second book everyday for three months"

(09:35) - "I always take time to encourage and guide new authors"

(10:10) - What are finances and costs involved in publishing a book in India?

(10:20) - Why is it hard to make a living as a writer in India?(11:10) - What are some frustrations in the life of an author?(11:25) - "Being an author is a lonely journey"

(11:37) - "Authors will face a lot of failures"
(12:48) - "Writers should find joy in getting their story into the world"

(13:00) - What are the methods of publishing a book in India?

(13:30) - "Most big publishing houses need a literary agent to back your book"

(14:50) - What is the marketing process for an author in India?(19:40) - On getting feedback from readers

(22:50) - On the sports fiction genre in India

(23:30) - On how sports fiction is connected to the real world

(24:30) - "I used to play cricket a lot in my colony"

(24:40) - "The first tournament I remember watching was the 1996 world cup"

(25:00) - What was your experience as an Indian cricket fan?

(26:50) - "Sports has always been there for me since a young age"(27:30) - "The main character Suraj Bhatkal talks openly about mental health struggles"

(28:00) - Who are your favourite cricketers?

(32:30) - How athletes navigate media attention, lack of privacy and fandom?

(34:00) - "Athletes can be lonely and find it hard to trust others"

(36:20) - "Athletes have to focus on things that are in their control"

(37:00) - How to face criticism as an author?

(38:50) - How do you design the book cover and promotional material for a book?

(41:00) - Why you chose to write your book in English?

(41:05) - "I know English more than my mother tongue"

(42:30) - How has reading helped you navigate personal challenges and setbacks?

(44:00) - On thinking and mental health

(45:40) - "Sticking to a daily routine helps with mental health struggles"

(46:30) - How to support a friend that is struggling with their mental health?

(47:00) - On dealing with emotions in your life

(48:50) - "Sometimes you have to pat yourself on the back"

(49:55) - "Everyone is struggling with something"

(51:00) - Book Recommendations(53:00) - Closing Notes

On Episode 78 of #LearningStories we chat with Neha Modi. Neha is a Chartered Accountant by profession and an academician and book blogger by passion. While teaching was her childhood dream, it only truly called out to her after a brief stint in the corporate world. She soon transitioned to academia, joining a Management Institute as a finance faculty. Motherhood brought with it new priorities, and for over a decade, Neha worked with a private coaching setup. Three years ago, she took the leap to start her own private tuitions from home—a venture driven by a simple yet powerful idea: to support students who struggle in traditional classroom settings. Her sessions offer more than just academic guidance; they’re built around boosting confidence and nurturing individuality. When she’s not teaching, Neha is immersed in the world of books. A thriller before bedtime is her non-negotiable brain workout, and her book blog is a vibrant expression of that love. She curates book recommendations, creates engaging literary content, and connects with fellow bibliophiles who share her passion for reading. You can find her on Instagram.

Timestamps

(00:10) - Introduction and Background(02:50) - Stories from your Childhood

(02:55) - "I grew up in Jaipur"

(03:10) - "My mom used to save money to buy books for us"

(03:40) - "My father loves reading too"

(04:00) - "It is like a mini book club at home"

(04:50) - What was your experience at school?

(05:45) - What was your school library experience like as a student?

(06:20) - "Our librarian had to tell me to read books a little slow"

(07:15) - What languages you spoke at home?

(07:20) - "In school and home we spoke English"

(08:40) - What was your high school experience?

(08:50) - "My father was a chartered accountant"

(09:30) - "I told my father I wanted to pursue fashion designing"

(10:53) - What was your experience training to be a chartered accountant?

(12:25) - "It took me five years to complete my CA training and exams"

(14:50) - On choosing between the corporate world and teaching?

(14:57) - "Teaching came very naturally to me"

(15:10) - What were your first teaching experiences and memories?

(16:55) - "I worked in a management institute for three years"

(18:30) - "I took a break when I became a mother"

(18:50) - "I started working in a private coaching setup"

(19:00) - What was your experience as a tutor for over 10 years?

(20:00) - When did you start your own tutoring business and academy?

(20:10) - "I got my first student because of my son"

(21:00) - Building trust in the tutoring business

(21:50) - "You want to work with students that are really struggling"

(22:50) - What are some stories of good teaching from your journey?

(28:20) - How do you build strong relationships with your students and parents?

(30:00) - How to slowly encourage and build the reading habit in children?

(32:10) - How to encourage young readers in the digital age?

(32:20) - Do you read in front of your kids?

(33:10) - "In our house we have a one hour daily limitation on technology use"

(33:40) - "Replace mall visits with book purchases"

(35:00) - How do parents access age appropriate books for their children?

(37:40) - "Bookstores do book swaps and book readings for children"

(41:00) - What are the various phases of your life as an adult reader?

(41:20) - "I used to do reading challenges with children"

(42:40) - What was your experience as a book instagrammer?

(45:00) - How does reading bring joy to your life?

(45:10) - "You understand other people's point of view after reading"

(45:30) - "Reading also brings people together"

(49:00) - Book Recommendation 1 (Thrillers)

(49:30) - Book Recommendation 2 (Young Adult Book/ Historical Fiction)

(50:10) - Book Recommendation 3 (Thriller/Illustrated Book)

(50:50) - Book Recommendation 4 (Historical Fiction)

(51:40) - How do you discover and find new books?

(53:10) - What is your advice for new book instagrammers?

(55:50) - Closing Notes

On Episode 77 of #LearningStories we chat with Vikram Shah. Vikram is an independent editor and writer. He has previously worked as an associator editor at narrative journalism magazine FiftyTwo, as a copy editor at Mint Lounge and as a commercial lawyer at the firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. He has also co-researched and co-written a non-fiction podcast called ‘Barefoot Boys’, about the football club Mohan Bagan’s unlikely win in a colonial football tournament. One of his short stories has been published in Mint Lounge and another is forthcoming in an anthology published by the administrators of the Deodar Prize for short fiction. You can find him on Substack and Linkedin.

Timestamps

(00:10) - Introduction and Background

(02:45) - Stories from your Childhood

(04:10) - "I grew up in Mumbai"

(04:20) - "Both my parents are doctors"

(06:00) - "I loved the Social Sciences"

(06:15)- "I loved learning about different places"

(06:45) - On Anthony Bourdain's Television Shows

(08:30) - On travelling with my parents in the summers

(09:30) - On my love for sports and football

(10:15) - On quizzing

(14:00) - What is your relationship to books?

(14:20) - "I was always a very interested reader as a kid"

(14:35) - "I used to get really excited about school book fairs"

(15:00) - On 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexander Dumas

(18:00) - On 'Midnight's Children' by Salman Rushdie

(21:00) - On 'Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew' by Shehan Karunatilaka

(24:00) - On 'Sly Company of People who Care' by Rahul Bhattacharya

(25:18) - "I used to read a lot in college"

(25:30) - On meeting authors in bookstores in London

(26:50) - On reading books about places you visit

(27:50) - "Over the last couple of years I haven't read as much"

(31:43) - On being a law student

(32:08) - "I did a five year law course at the National Law School in Bengaluru"

(32:45) - What was defining about studying law in Bengaluru?

(33:00) - "In the first few years you study a lot of Social Science subjects"

(35:30) - On constitutional law

(36:50) - On the socratic mode of learning in law classrooms

(37:10) - On how parents can influence your career decision

(40:30) - On your linguistic and cultural identity

(42:40) - "Kutchi is my father's language and Tamil is my mother's language"

(43:20) - "We spoke Hindi or English at home"

(44:20) - "My mother's father grew up in Kerala"

(44:30) - "I grew up with a cosmopolitan view of cities and cultures"

(46:30) - "I am curious about this country and the way it works"

(48:00) - Why did you transition from law to journalism and writing?

(49:25) - "There was always a sense that I wanted to work with words"

(49:40) - "I rarely read or write for leisure"

(50:00) - What was your first writing assignment?

(52:20) - On jobs to pay bills versus work that fuels your creativity

(54:00) - On your early writing jobs

(1:00:00) - On writing about Virat Kohli's cricket career

(1:14:00) - On writing a spy story titled, 'Kukri'

(1:26:00) - Film Recommendations

(1:29:30) - Television Show Recommendation

(1:32:30) - Podcast Recommendation

(1:34:50) - Musician Recommendation

(1:36:00) - Closing Thoughts

Guest Image Credit

M.S. Gopal from Mumbai Paused

On Episode 76 of #LearningStories we chat with Eshna Benegal. For Eshna, dance is her first love and everything else comes secondary. She has been training in two forms of Indian classical dance, Odissi and Kathak, for the last 17 years. She works as a freelance writer and video editor by day, and a dance teacher and practitioner by night. Her formal training is in filmmaking and her Substack, the Deep Cut, is a place where she combines her two loves of film and dance. The platform is a space where she analyses, critically appreciates and fangirls over dance on screen. This year, her obsession with dance becomes official as she prepares to do her masters in the field of dance research. She hopes that through her research and her physical practice she can explore how dance can create meaning off the stage and how the form can be a space where all man-made boundaries can come to rest. You can find her on Substack, Youtube and Instagram.

Timestamps:

(00:10) - Introduction and Background

(02:30) - What are your earliest memories of dance?

(02:53) - "Dance is one of my favourite things in the world"

(03:00) - How did Bollywood influence your love and passion for dance?

(03:40) - "There is this joy of moving to music"

(04:30) - What dance forms did you first learn?

(04:45) - "I started training for dance at the age of 10"

(04:50) - "My mother first put me in a music class"

(05:35) - "In school I was constantly being picked for the dance groups"

(06:00) - "I realized dance makes my brain sing"

(06:05) - What are the common Indian dance forms?

(06:30) - How did you find your first dance teacher?

(07:00) - "I started with Odissi and then also started Kathak six years laters"

(08:00) - What are the eight Indian classical dance forms? (Manipuri is the eighth one)

(08:40) - "Each dance form is different based on the region they come from"

(08:50) - "Many dance forms originated in temples"

(09:00) - How is Kathak different from the other dance forms?

(09:20) - What is the importance of the Natyashastra to Indian dance traditions?

(09:50) - "All these dance forms are made to tell stories"

(10:00) - What is the difference between narrative and non narrative dance?

(10:30) - "In Bharatnatyam you will hear Carnatic Music"

(10:35) - "In Kathak you will hear Hindustani Music"

(10:40) - How is Indian dance different from Western dance?

(11:55) - What is Odissi and what is its historical relevance to Orissa?

(13:40) - "Dance was like the theatre of that age"

(14:15) - What was the experience of watching dance performance in ancient royal courts?

(14:50) - "Dance was a way for people to commune to enjoy art"

(14:58) - "In the classical world there is a problem with the word entertainment"

(16:00) - Was dance used to comment about social and political realities of the time?

(16:40) - "Dance research was not very well documented"

(18:30) - What was the importance of religion, royalty and language in dance?

(21:30) - What were you curious about at school apart from dance?

(21:50) - "I went to an alternative education school in Bengaluru"

(22:30) - "My school would push us to question things"

(24:30) - What is the relationship between authority, teaching and art?

(25:50) - "I was very curious and enjoyed learning"

(26:40) - "I studied psychology, biology, history and art in high school?"

(27:00) - What can dance teach you about the world?

(29:00) - Why did you study film making for four years at university?

(32:00) - How was film and dance connected for you as an artist?

(32:40) - "I wanted to write or edit films in the long term"

(33:00) - What films did you watch at film school?

(35:00) - What films would you recommend to other film lovers?

(40:00) - What is unique about story telling in India?

(43:00) - How stories change in different contexts and mediums?

(45:00) - Tell us about your creative projects (youtube channel, podcast, newsletter)?

(50:12) - Why do you write about dance in cinema in your newsletter?

(55:00) - Closing Thoughts

On Episode 75 of #LearningStories we chat with Saqib Ahmad. He is from Lucknow, and is a working professional who considers himself to be a big time ‘Generalist’, balancing multiple passions—from dancing and cooking to fitness, sports, and gaming—throughout his life. He works as a manager at an insurance company in his day job. However, his love for books eventually took center stage, especially after launching his Instagram book review account, saqib_bookstafied. As his community grew, he gained recognition as a thoughtful critic, and their encouragement inspired him to write a story of his own. Saqib credits the completion of this book to them, marking the beginning of his journey as an author. His book is titled, 'Heartbreak - The Weight of One Goodbye'. You can find Saqib's reviews on Instagram at @saqib_bookstafied and purchase his book on Amazon.