New Venture

Last month, Rajeev Masand and I embarked on our first professional venture together – Take 2, a podcast for the streaming service Saavn. Our big idea was to speak to film artists about specific themes – Aamir Khan spoke in the launch episode about how he makes his cinematic choices; Alia Bhatt chatted about how she convincingly plays characters who are so far away from her own life experiences, Varun Dhawan talked about the struggle of balancing art and commerce. The conversations were candid, informal and fun in a way that was distinctly different from the ones that both of us do on television.

Which made me think about how a camera impacts on conversation. The obvious plus of not filming is that we can be more casual about how we look. I’m less fussed about my hair! But there is also a genuine ease that seeps in. Despite the presence of oversized mikes in front of our faces, we chat as though we are having a conversation over coffee. Of course the podcast is also being recorded but it feels more impromptu.

Doing a podcast has also led me to discover the world of podcasts. I’ve become addicted to The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter with Scott Fienberg. Fienberg is THR’s awards expert – he covers the awards season leading up to the Oscars. In this podcast, he does in-depth interviews with artists who are contenders. Recent episodes include Benedict Cumberbatch, Sean Baker and Jordan Peele. But my favourite podcast by far is Indiewire’s Screen Talk. Indiewire’s chief film critic Eric Kohn and veteran journalist Anne Thompson chat about the new releases, the Indie film world, film festivals and every thing in between. My weekly dose of Screen Talk keeps me updated on the world of film.

Do check these out. There is a unique pleasure in only listening. I plan to do it more often.