Award-winning British-Turkish novelist, political scientist and activist Elif Shafak discusses her bestselling novel The Island of Missing Trees, her multicultural upbringing and the fragile bond between humans and nature.

Prologue:
Elif opens with a daring narrative choice: choosing a fig tree as storyteller.

Roots:
Moving between countries, cultures, and languages, Elif grew up feeling like an outsider. She speaks candidly about displacement, belonging, and finding her literary voice in a language that is not her mother tongue.

Trunk:
Elif confronts the realities of being a woman novelist in Turkey, where writing about ‘taboo’ subjects brought public scrutiny and an investigation. She reflects on the responsibility that comes with storytelling and her resolve to do so with honesty and purpose.

Ecosystem:
In an age of speed and instant gratification, Elif makes the case to slow down and appreciate literature and nature. She champions the power of curiosity as a way to keep creativity alive.

Credits:

Host:
Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.

Reach out on Instagram and LinkedIn

This is a Maed In India Production

Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni

Producer: Rachna Sukuru

Editorial Assistance: Devanshi Chandak

Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar

Artwork: Alika Gupta

Indian journalist Barkha Dutt is one of the most fearless reporters of her generation. Not just for the conflicts she's covered, but for her unflinching commitment to the stories others simply won't tell.

Breaking: From the peaks of Kargil to covering India’s COVID crisis, Barkha Dutt has had a front row seat to India’s defining moments – bearing witness to war, terror, and tragedy while navigating the personal cost of the stories she tells.

Inside Story: Barkha shares the stories that have stayed with her - – the soldiers she’s met on the frontlines, the world leaders she’s interviewed, and the moments that forced her to question the meaning of life.

Exclusive: She opens up about trauma, grief, and loss, including the heartbreak of losing her father during the pandemic, and reflects on what it truly means to bear witness with empathy and humanity.

Feature: Today, as founder of Mojo Story, Barkha is clear-eyed about technology. It can sharpen your tools, but it can't identify a story. That, she says, will always be the job of a human reporter.

Featured Clips in this episode:

NDTV Music
NDTV We The People
Mojo Story - Pahalgam Attack - Barkha Dutt
NDTV Kashmir Terror Attack
NDTV Pahalgam Attack
NCC Girls Marching Contingent
Barkha Dutt Kargil Reportage
Capt. Viram Batra “Yeh Dil Maange More”
Pepsi Yeh Dil Maange More Jingle
Vishal Batra & Barkha Dutt Interview

Credits:

Host:
Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.

Reach out on Instagram and LinkedIn

This is a Maed In India Production

Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni

Producers: Rachna Sukuru, Meghna Gulati

Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar

Artwork: Alika Gupta

Canadian author Yann Martel talks about his Booker Prize winning novel, Life of Pi, a fantastical and philosophical tale of a boy stranded on a boat with a tiger, the power of faith, and how stories help us make sense of the world.

What happens when a boy, a Bengal tiger, and the vast Pacific Ocean become an unlikely story of survival and faith? Canadian author Yann Martel revisits his Booker Prize-winning novel, Life of Pi and discusses what it may look like if written today. Pi would be in his sixties - how might he tell his story with the wisdom that comes with age? This is The Next Edition of one of literature's most beloved stories.

Foreword: Yann talks about how his novel has been received. He discusses the debates readers have between the two endings, and if there’s a “right” one.

Epigraph: Once a hardcore rationalist, a trip to India opened Yann to faith and spirituality. In this episode, he reflects on the novel’s origins, imagines how Pi’s story might shape up in today’s world, and expresses increasing concerns about the rise of materialism and makes a quiet case for holding on to faith.

Author’s Note: Winning the prestigious Booker Prize helped Yann connect with readers across the globe. He talks about keeping Life of Pi alive through its many iterations – on the screen, on stage and in translations.

Epilogue: What's next? Can technology nurture creativity? What different formats is Yann experimenting with in his writing? And, will Pi return to India someday?

Featured Clips in this episode:

Life of Pi (2012), directed by Ang Lee

Credits:

Host: Mallika Kapur is an award-winning journalist and seasoned interviewer with over two decades of experience in television and live journalism. Across three countries and various impactful roles at CNN and Bloomberg, she has reported on major global events, including the London train bombings, the Indian Ocean tsunami and the Mumbai terror attacks. She also moderates news making panels at global forums, leading insightful conversations with the world’s top figures in business and culture.

Reach out on Instagram and LinkedIn

This is a Maed In India Production

Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Sound Designer & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni

Producers: Rachna Sukuru, Meghna Gulati

Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar

Artwork: Alika Gupta