Five Best Indian Podcasts in 2020
My current favourite Indian podcasts
When we (Vishnu and I) started Writer & Geek in 2017, the podcasting scene in India was at its infancy. For the first six months or so we thought we were the only ones who were podcasting in India (exaggeration, of course). Also, the fact that we are introverts did not help.
There were a few networks which were doing good in the industry. Other than that, the independent podcasting scene in the country had nothing to boast. But things changed a lot since then. Especially since the outbreak of the pandemic, there have been a significant increase in podcast production and consumption in India. Podcasting in India is no more in its nascent stage. In fact, it is a thriving community of talented creators.
As Writer & Geek will be reaching the milestone of 100 episodes next week, I thought why not make a list of the Indian podcasts that I listen to, week in week out.
Death, Lies and Cyanide
Hosted by journalist Sasi Kumar, this podcast on the Koodathai cyanide murders is nothing less than fascinating. Being a true-crime nutcase, I had gone through all the information available on the internet about this case and thought that there is nothing more to know about it. But Mr Kumar has turned the drama up a notch with excellent narrative and production quality. With every passing episode, the story grows on you.
Spotify: Death, Lies and Cyanide
History Chatter Podcast
History Chatter by Ep.Log Media Network is the podcast you need, but you never knew you did. In this podcast, host Anirban Bandyopadhyay expresses his unique perspective on certain details from Indian history. From “what it means to be Indian” to “censorship in India”, the podcast is a mind-blowing journey through things we were never taught in history class.
Spotify: History Chatter Podcast
Indian Noir
A distinctive voice, in-depth narrative, well-defined characters, and bone-chilling sound effects are words that define Indian Noir. Narrated by Nikesh Murali, the podcast chronicles mystical tales of “Indian” horror stories that will give you sleepless nights. Nikesh is also a good friend of ours and he was kind enough to do an episode with us on horror.
Spotify: Indian Noir
In the Field
In The Field is the podcast for you if you are concerned about the socio-economic condition of the country. Hosted by Radhika Viswanathan and Samyuktha Varma, it dissects issues in the current practices of philanthropy and social work to understand how much progress and development is actually happening. Their latest series, Kaalavastha, talks about the deep-rooted relationship between the people of Kerala and nature and how the floods of 2018 deeply affected their livelihood.
Spotify: In the Field
Khooni: The Crimes of India
What happens when you add a pandemic to the lives of two lawyers who are lifelong friends? They start a true-crime podcast. That is exactly what Aditi and Sneha did. From Raman Raghav to Charles Sobhraj and Veerappan to Umesh Reddy, they have covered some of the darkest true crimes India ever witnessed.
Spotify: Khooni: The Crimes of India
Well, that’s the list of Indian podcasts I listen to. What about you?
