In this Guftgu episode, Manoj Bajpayee speaks with unusual honesty about cinema, craft, and the kind of inner life that keeps an actor growing.

He reflects on how the pandemic changed theatres, streaming, and the way people now live with stories, fear, and habit.

He believes cinema will return, but not in the old way, and makes a strong case for theatres and OTT existing side by side.

The conversation then moves into acting in a way listeners rarely get to hear. Manoj breaks down his preparation for Aligarh, from Marathi literature and music choices to gait, backstory, and the tiny behavioral details that make a performance feel lived rather than performed.

He also speaks about Barry John, realism, simple living, and why craft matters more than image.

The episode closes on poetry, with powerful readings from Dinkar and Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug, revealing how literature, rhythm, and voice shape the actor behind the screen.

Ali Fazal at Jashn-e-Rekhta is a warm, candid conversation on cinema, craft, Urdu, and the life experiences that shape an artist.

From opening with a nazm to reflecting on Lucknow’s tehzeeb, family influences, theatre, failure, ambition, and the long road from Bollywood to Hollywood, Ali speaks with honesty and ease.

He shares how books, poetry, language, and lived memory continue to inform his work, and why Urdu still matters deeply to performance and storytelling.

The session also moves through his acting journey, producing choices, research-driven roles, and his thoughts on the state of cinema today.

Personal, thoughtful, and full of recall value, this Jashn-e-Rekhta episode brings together literature, films, and the kind of conversation that stays with you long after it ends.

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In this episode of Guftugu, Adarsh Gourav opens up about the road from My Name Is Khan to The White Tiger, the performance that brought him global attention and award nominations.

He talks about growing up with music in Jamshedpur, moving to Mumbai, discovering acting later than expected, and building his craft through theatre, training, auditions, and relentless observation.

Adarsh shares behind-the-scenes stories from his early career, his preparation for playing Balram Halwai, and the mindset that shaped his work across Hostel Daze, Guns & Gulaabs, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan.

Along the way, he speaks about music, acting teachers, inspiring filmmakers, and why learning never really stops for a performer.