Best Sarbpreet Singh Podcasts (2025)

1
Ep 428: The Solitary Writer Meets the Impossible Man 4:24:26

Play Pause

10d ago4:24:26

4:24:26

Writing biographies is solitary and difficult -- even when the subject is way more interesting than anything you could make up. Narayani Basu joins Amit Varma in episode 428 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss writing, friendship, hustling, ageing, intentionality and the subject of her latest book, the impossible KM Panikkar. (FOR FULL LINKED SHO…

1
Ep 427: The Boy Who Loved Cricket -- The Vijay Lokapally Story 3:41:11

24d ago3:41:11

3:41:11

Cricket isn't just what happens across 22 yards, and great cricket writers always go beyond the boundary. Vijay Lokapally joins Amit Varma in episode 427 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the joys and heartbreaks of a lifetime of writing about cricket -- and much else. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Vijay …

1
Ep 426: The Life and Music of Shubha Mudgal 4:45:55

1M ago4:45:55

4:45:55

She's straddled the worlds of Hindustani classical and popular music, and is a legend in both spaces. Shubha Mudgal joins Amit Varma in episode 426 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss her life, her music and this changing world. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Shubha Mudgal on Spotify, Instagram, Twitter, Wik…

1
Ep 425: The Life and Times of Gurcharan Das 7:54:14

2M ago7:54:14

7:54:14

He reached the top of the corporate world -- and then gave it up to become a writer, with books that probed our deepest questions, and influenced millions of people. Gurcharan Das joins Amit Varma in episode 425 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life and learnings. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Gurcha…

1
Ep 424: Gitanjali Babbar and the Didis of GB Road 3:55:28

2M ago3:55:28

3:55:28

Trained as a journalist, but driven by a desire to make a difference, she spent over a decade working with sex workers in Delhi to understand and improve their lives. Gitanjali Babbar joins Amit Varma in episode 424 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss her learnings about GB Road -- and our strange and twisted society. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES,…

1
Ep 423: Minar Pimple's Life in Social Work 9:24:54

3M ago9:24:54

9:24:54

He founded the iconic organisation Yuva 50 years ago when he was in his early 20s, pioneered social work in India, and went on to drive change for the UN and Amnesty. Minar Pimple joins Amit Varma in episode 423 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life, his learnings and the ceaseless tumult in our society. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO …

1
Ep 422: The Past and Present of Cricket 3:00:19

3M ago3:00:19

3:00:19

Cricket is the most unusual of games with the most unusual of histories -- which can reveal so much about our society and our times. Tim Wigmore joins Amit Varma in episode 422 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the history of Test cricket -- and how the game is changing today. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1…

1
Ep 421: Ira Mukhoty's Quest for Unseen Histories 6:04:22

4M ago6:04:22

6:04:22

Too much of our history is looked at through either a colonial lens or a patriarchal one. Ira Mukhoty joins Amit Varma in episode 421 of The Seen and the Unseen to share her gaze on India's history, and all that it has taught her. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Ira Mukhoty on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and …

1
Ep 420: Siddhartha Basu Is in the Hot Seat 4:10:06

4M ago4:10:06

4:10:06

Circumstance made him a legend of the quizzing world, but Siddhartha Basu is a man of many parts. He joins Amit Varma in episode 420 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about life, India, the art of asking questions and the answers he has found. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Siddhartha Basu on Wikipedia, Twitt…

1
Ep 419: India's MSME Landscape -- Some Useful Frameworks 4:40:23

5M ago4:40:23

4:40:23

Firms are the means of economic progress. India's micro, small and medium enterprises have been hobbled for decades, and flounder even today. Sudhir Sarnobat and Narendra Shenoy join Amit Varma in episode 419 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss this landscape -- and Sudhir's brilliant new venture that aims to tackle this. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NO…

1
Ep 418: What Just Happened Between India & Pakistan? 2:29:46

5M ago2:29:46

2:29:46

Why did the attacks in Pahalgam happen? What took place in the skirmishes after that? What have we learnt about geopolitics and our military preparedness? Pranay Kotasthane and Aditya Ramanathan join Amit Varma in episode 418 of The Seen and the Unseen to try to clear some of the fog of war. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also c…

1
Ep 417: Caste and the Census 2:15:39

5M ago2:15:39

2:15:39

Data is apolitical and always useful, right? Then why is the caste census so controversial? Pranay Kotasthane and Raghu S Jaitley join Amit Varma in episode 417 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss its history, context and implications. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Pranay Kotasthane on Twitter, LinkedIn, Am…

1
Ep 416: Kavitha Rao Chases Chatto and Roy 2:55:15

6M ago2:55:15

2:55:15

The most astonishing men lie in the far, forgotten corners of history. Kavitha Rao joins Amit Varma in episode 416 of The Seen and the Unseen to shed light on the life and times of two magnificent failures, Chatto and Roy. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Kavitha Rao on Twitter, Instagram, Amazon and her own web…

1
Ep 415: Ramki and the Ocean of Stories 4:49:24

6M ago4:49:24

4:49:24

He observed our society from up close as an advertising man -- and then became an iconic storyteller on Twitter. Ramakrishna Desiraju aka Ramki joins Amit Varma in episode 415 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his journey, and all that it taught him. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Ramakrishna Desiraju a…

1
Ep 414 : The Spectacular Life of Prahlad Kakar 3:37:11

7M ago3:37:11

3:37:11

He learnt his craft from Shyam Benegal, became a pioneer & a legend of advertising filmmaking, learnt & taught scuba diving, started the Prithvi Cafe, and lived every moment to the full in a million different ways. Prahlad Kakar joins Amit Varma in episode 414 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his long and wondrous life. (FOR FULL LINKED SHO…

1
Ep 413: Shaheen Mistri Goes to School 3:12:53

7M ago3:12:53

3:12:53

One of India's tragedies lies in the schooling of our children. We have let our kids down. Can we fix this problem? Shaheen Mistri joins Amit Varma in episode 413 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe her journey -- and what she has learnt about education. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Shaheen Mistri on Inst…

1
Ep 412: Probal DasGupta Goes to the Himalayas With Books in His Bag 6:03:17

8M ago6:03:17

6:03:17

So much in history never made it to the popular imagination -- such as the battles of 1967 in which India beat China. Probal DasGupta joins Amit Varma in episode 412 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his time in the Indian army -- and his fascinating discoveries as a military historian. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also ch…

1
Ep 411: Vishal Nevatia Finds His True North 4:46:27

8M ago4:46:27

4:46:27

Business and life can sometimes be seen more as a search for values than a quest for profit. Private equity pioneer Vishal Nevatia joins Amit Varma in episode 411 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe his journey towards finding his true north. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Vishal Nevatia at True North. 2. I…

1
Ep 410: Shruti Rajagopalan Remembers the Angle of the Light 6:48:00

9M ago6:48:00

6:48:00

She's an economist, an institution-builder, an ecosystem-nurturer and one of our finest thinkers. Shruti Rajagopalan joins Amit Varma in episode 410 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about her life & times -- and her remarkable work. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Shruti Rajagopalan on Twitter, Substack, Inst…

1
Ep 409: Salil Tripathi and the Gujaratis 6:13:50

9M ago6:13:50

6:13:50

He's lived a rich life as a journalist, a human rights activist, an author, a columnist -- and now he's written a great book on Gujaratis. Salil Tripathi joins Amit Varma in episode 409 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, his learnings, these times we live in -- and the times that came before. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSE…

1
Ep 408: Amitava Kumar Finds His Gulmohar Tree 2:49:35

9M ago2:49:35

2:49:35

His earlier episodes on this show have been huge hits, and as he completes a trilogy of books, he returns to complete a trilogy of episodes. Amitava Kumar joins Amit Varma in episode 408 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about writing, noticing, painting, travelling, trees, and unfulfilled train journeys. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNS…

1
Verse 93 Malki's fury 2:17

10M ago2:17

2:17

In a toweing rage Malki summons Mithi, the barber’s wife and commands her to bring Heer to her. Triggered by Kaido, she pours a stream of abuse upon her daughter using colorful language, which will sound familiar to Punjabis who have ever had the pleasure of being berated by their grandmothers, or have heard them taking someone to task. Under the i…

1
Verse 92 Kaido urges Malki to punish Heer 2:16

10M ago2:16

2:16

Chagrined at being rebuffed by Chuchak, Kaido approaches Malki to vent his spleen. He warns her that her daughter’s brazen ways will bring her much trouble and he urges Malki to chastise her. Kaido, waxing hyperbolic in this verse, as he suggests improbably harsh punishments for Heer, almost appears comical, until one reflects on what is behind the…

1
Verse 91 - The village women complain to Malki 3:09

10M ago3:09

3:09

This verse provides social commentary on the patriarchy, honor and the control of ‘wayward daughters’. A society that elevates the collective at the expense of the individual cannot accept Heer’s haughtiness and pride; the women allege that she comports herself like a queen! Class distinctions also come to the fore; while it is inappropriate for th…

1
Ep 407: Sarbpreet Singh Finds His Sikhism 4:31:56

10M ago4:31:56

4:31:56

He was born in Sikkim and lives in the USA, and in the course of engaging with his identity, has written powerful books of Sikh history, and revived its music. Sarbpreet Singh joins Amit Varma in episode 407 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, his writing, his music and the lessons of Sikhism. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSE…

1
(40) Afghans, Marathas, The British and The Sikhs - The Forces Gather 1:22:58

10M ago1:22:58

1:22:58

As the young Ranjit Singh settles in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab, which he has just captured, he has to contend with rival Muslim and SIkh chiefs, who resent his successes. Even as he deals with the immediate threats he takes note of significant events all over the subcontinent that present challenges and opportunities. There is great turmoil…

1
Ep 406: Sathya Saran and the Shaping of the Indian Woman 3:30:54

10M ago3:30:54

3:30:54

She worked with Femina for 26 years, 12 of them as editor. And she wrote numerous biographies after that. Sathya Saran joins Amit Varma in episode 406 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss Indian society, feminism, femininity, her life as a journalist and the art of the biography. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1…

1
Ep 405: The Forces That Shaped Hinduism 5:53:01

11M ago5:53:01

5:53:01

Every simple story about it is wrong: Hinduism contains multitudes. And it went into the directions it did for specific reasons. Manu Pillai joins Amit Varma in episode 405 of The Seen and the Unseen to describe the role of history in the shaping of Hinduism -- and Hindu nationalism. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out…

1
Ep 404: Part 2: Devdutt Pattanaik and the Stories That Shape Us 6:09:30

11M ago6:09:30

6:09:30

Our societies, our norms, our values are all shaped by stories from the past. Devdutt Pattanaik joins Amit Varma in episode 404 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, our society and why we should take mythology seriously. Note: This is Part 2 of a 12-hour episode, being uploaded in two parts now because Spotify and YouTube don't allow upl…

1
Ep 404: Part 1: Devdutt Pattanaik and the Stories That Shape Us 5:59:59

11M ago5:59:59

5:59:59

Our societies, our norms, our values are all shaped by stories from the past. Devdutt Pattanaik joins Amit Varma in episode 404 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, our society and why we should take mythology seriously. Note: This is Part 1 of a 12-hour episode, being uploaded in two parts now because Spotify and YouTube don't allow upl…

1
Ep 404: Devdutt Pattanaik and the Stories That Shape Us 12:08:38

11M ago12:08:38

12:08:38

Our societies, our norms, our values are all shaped by stories from the past. Devdutt Pattanaik joins Amit Varma in episode 404 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss his life, our society and why we should take mythology seriously. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out 1. Devdutt Pattanaik on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn…

1
Ep 403: Shikha Dalmia Is the Unpopulist 3:08:22

12M ago3:08:22

3:08:22

Populism is on the rise everywhere, and the long arc of history has bent away from freedom. Shikha Dalmia joins Amit Varma in episode 403 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss the derangements of our modern times -- and the threat that Donald Trump poses. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Shikha Dalmia on Twitter…

1
Ep 402: Ajay Shah Brings the Dreams of the 20th Century 10:26:59

1y ago10:26:59

10:26:59

He's a polymath who cares deeply about the world, tries to understand it, and straddles many fields. He's played a key role over the last few decades in India's journey towards development. Ajay Shah joins Amit Varma in episode 402 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life and times. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also c…

1
Verse 90 - Chuchak's Wrath 3:06

1y ago3:06

3:06

Kaido’s allegations elicit an angry and dismissive response from Chuchak, whose family honor has been impugned. He roars that his daughter has been at play with her friends and has been spending her time at women’s gatherings. He then launches into a personal attack on Kaido, calling him a slanderer, mocking his accoutrements that proclaim his stat…

1
Vers 89 - Kaido at the village council 2:31

1y ago2:31

2:31

Kaido manages to salvage some of the churi and rushes to the village council. There he declares that he has evidence that Chuchak’s daughter is brazenly roaming the woods with the new herdsman.By Sarbpreet Singh

1
Verse 88 - Heer threatens Kaido 2:03

1y ago2:03

2:03

Heer threatens Kaido with dire consequences and demands that he return the choori he took from Ranjha, fearful that it would be evidence of her doting on the cowherd.By Sarbpreet Singh

1
Verse 87 - Heer catches up with Kaido 2:38

1y ago2:38

2:38

Heer races to catch up with Kaido and descends upon him like one of the Furies, throwing him to the ground and thrashing him.By Sarbpreet Singh

1
Verse 86 - Heer and Ranjha confer 2:45

1y ago2:45

2:45

In dismay Heer tells Ranjha that he should have bene more careful, who responds that he did not know Kaido was spying on them; he had just seen a disabled beggar begging for food, not realizing that he had ill intentions. Interestingly, rather than chasing Kaido himself, Ranjha asks Heer to do so, suggesting that she first reason with him and then …

1
Verse 85 - Heer is distressed 2:14

1y ago2:14

2:14

Heer, realizing that the person who approached Ranjha was Kaido is, distraught. She declares that Kaido is a trouble maker who will surely go to her parents and tell them about their daughter’s meeting the new herdsman in the woods.By Sarbpreet Singh

1
Verse 84 - Kaido approaches Ranjha 2:37

1y ago2:37

2:37

Kaido approaches Ranjha and begs for food, claiming to be hungry and the lad gives him a fistful of the choori that Heer has brought him. When Heer returns from the river, where she had gone to fetch water, Ranjha tells her about the disabled man who approached him, wondering if he was a mendicant, unaware of the storm that is about to burst.…

1
Verse 83 - Heer brings food to Ranjha 2:13

1y ago2:13

2:13

The narrative moves forward rapidly; even as the poet paints an idyllic picture of Ranjha grazing the herd and Heer bringing him a lavish meal, a new character, Kaido is introduced. The lame Kaido is presented as a malevolent presence as he roots around trying to find the source of the pleasant smell of food that has been wafting to his keen nose.…

1
Verse 82 - The Pirs bless Ranjha 2:58

1y ago2:58

2:58

Waris Shah has his hero encounter the five most storied Sufi saints familiar to the people in his time. Khawja Khizr, the immortal patron sant of mariners, who had drunk from the fountain of life, Sheikh Farid, the first great poet of the Punjabi language, whose shrine at Pak Pattan is considered a portal to heaven, Bahauddin Zakriya, perhaps the m…

1
Verse 81 - Ranjha meets the five Pirs 2:59

1y ago2:59

2:59

Ranjha enters the woods with Chuchak’s herd on a hot day and encounters five saints, who bless him by saying that he will feast on fine food and will drink rich milk. When they tell him that he should not be gloomy, Ranjha boldly petitions them, asking them to bequeath a beautiful lass upon him. The five saints respond by declaring that Heer is his…

1
Verse 80 - Heer reassures Ranjha 2:26

1y ago2:26

2:26

Realizing that Ranjha, who hails from a proud and affluent clan, is not likely to take to servitude well, Heer tries to reassure him. Fearing that the village lads will mock him for being a servant and taunt him saying that he would have to subsit on nothing other than a small bowl of milk, Heer assures him that he will be fed delicacies such as bu…

1
Verse 79 - Heer goes to her mother 2:15

1y ago2:15

2:15

Heer excitedly goes to her mother and tells her that she has engaged a sikful cowherd, who will keep their cattle from straying. While she extols Ranjha’s virtues as a cowherd, she hides the fact that she is attracted to him, yet, she lets slip that he is from a noble Jatt clan, inadvertently showing her real intent.…

1
Verse 77 - Heer presses her father 3:02

1y ago3:02

3:02

Heer ptotests to her father that Ranjha, wise and fair, will be a huge asset to him when disputes relating to cattle straying, or being stolen are brought to the village council. She declares that he is also adept at measuring and marking land, implying that he will be useful if there are any disputes over land. He is fearless and vigilant she says…

1
Verse 78 - Chuchak retains Ranjha 2:11

1y ago2:11

2:11

Chuchak agrees to engage Ranjha and commands Heer to turn over his herds to him. At the same time he admoinishes Ranjha, reminding him to stay vigilant and maintain tight control over the herd, which tends to wander. Observing that Ranjha is new at herding, Chuchak cautions him against getting engrossed in play, indirectly reiterating his suspicion…

1
Ep 401: Finding Love in Modern India 6:26:04

1y ago6:26:04

6:26:04

Bloody hell. The world has changed, society looks different, and men and women have to find new ways of relating to each other. We're not equipped for this. Sanjana Ramachandran and Samarth Bansal join Amit Varma in episode 401 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how meeting and mating are both easier and, well, harder. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTE…

1
Verse 76 - Chuchak's misgivings 2:15

1y ago2:15

2:15

Chuchak continues to express his misgivings, musing if the lad kows anything about the ways of the Dogar Jatts, who claim noble descent and are a proud people. Using Chuchak as his mouthpiece, Waris Shah is commenting on the fractious nature of the somewhat haughty Jatt clans, who are often embroiled in disputes about the ownership of cattle that h…

1
Verse 75 - Heer pleads Ranjha's case 2:20

1y ago2:20

2:20

Heer continues to advocate for Ranjha, telling her father of his pedigree, his origins and his virtues, perhaps appearing to present a suitor rather than a potential servant!By Sarbpreet Singh