Shows
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Wishes in the crowdPeople whisper their wishes to the God that smoked and drank alcohol. One day a destitute woman appeared who was a prostitute. She too had a wish. The priest refused to help her. A strange man in tattered attire guided her through the process. And the wish of the woman came true in a while! But...but...the man in tattered attire was not a priest. The woman in the end spelt out the secret of getting one's wishes come true!Story - Saikat BaksiVoiceover - Saikat Baksi and Mrinalini M Khusape2025-05-3109 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.BACKSPACESome stories never come to an end yet they disappear into the fog of absence without a trail. This short story by the best selling author Saikat Baksi is about the encounter between a man and woman in a hotel room one evening. They could become everlasting passionate lovers or absolute strangers, from this point of intersection in their lives. Afterall, crossroads are tricky. we never know which way they head for.2025-05-2606 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Elsewhere...Even if we love the wind yet we can not grasp it. Despite being charmed by the morning sun, we fail to capture it in a confine. Perhaps, this is the very reason, we love them. We fall in love with those who remain unattainable for good. We chase what we do not get. Once found, we stop chasing that. This is an ironical truth of nature.This short story by the Bestselling author, Saikat Baksi, is about such peculiar fallacy of human love. Voice over - Saikat Baksi and Nilanjana Roy2025-05-1003 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.I am still thereHow many days or years does it take for man to perish? Even if man perishes, how long does it take for his love, passion, lust to perish? Perhaps never! Even if obsession kills the lovers, it fails to annihilate love and desire. The flames of love keeps burning for eternity. 2025-04-2805 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Speaking to the starsIt is a story about the encounter of a middle aged man with the stars up in the sky. In his childhood, he used to talk to the stars. But now that he is a grown up, he tried to strike a dialogue with his old buddies. They are the same stars up there, yet they seem strangers...Author - Saikat BaksiVoice Over - Saikat Baksi and Kathamala Saha2025-04-1509 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Mumbai Pune ExpresswayRahul Screwwalla roars down the Mumbai Pune Expressway in his BMW. He will sign a multi-crore business deal this afternoon. He is in high spirits this morning when a strange man appears before his speeding car running in a zigzag trail oblivious of the upcoming vehicles! A series of collisions result. Author - Saikat BaksiVoice over - Saikat Baksi and Mrinalini M Khusape2025-04-0409 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.THE FUGITIVEThis short story by Best Selling Author, Saikat Baksi, is about a chance encounter of a man with his missing business partner who cheated the entire world and vanished into thin air. The mysterious fraud is right within his reach and not denying any allegation. Will the man be able to consign the fugitive to the police? He was once a buddy after all!2025-03-2407 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.GOLDEN JUBILEE MARRIAGE ANNIVERSARYThis story is about the hypocrisy and falsehood around the big fat marriage anniversary celebrations in Indian society these days. The romance and beauty of being together take a backseat while status and showmanship become the agenda.Author - Saikat BaksiVoice over - Saikat Baksi, Kathamala Saha, Nilanjana Roy, Banani Kundu and Mrinalini M Khusape2025-03-1813 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedV S GAITONDE - A life beyond paintingV S Gaitonde was one of the pioneers of abstract expression in India contemporary art. But unlike MF Husain or S H Raza, Gaitonde remained almost missing in the cloud of obscurity. He shunned his parents, sisters and most of the relatives and settled in Delhi. He lived a quiet life of solitude. But why? 2025-03-1626 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Wish you a merry ChristmasIt is a story about a little girl expecting gifts from Santa Clause. But what is the real gift from the loving magic man? Is it chocolate? It is doll? Is it some exotic toy? Or something that stays for a lifetime?Voice over is by Saikat Baksi, Kathamala Saha and Banani Kundu.2025-03-1106 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Letter of a drunkardIt is a story about a man getting incrementally drunk while writing a letter to his wife who is visiting her mother's place for a short time.2025-03-0115 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.The huntA young woman working in a dance bar of Mumbai is murdered. savagely. And then, follows the unassuming twists in the tale...2025-02-2325 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Faithfully yoursIt is a short story about a man and woman bumping into each other incidentally after many years at a park. They had been romantically attached once upon a time. Now they are oldies. Listen to the story to find out how they reunion unfolds.The story is written by Saikat BaksiVoice over - Saikat Baksi and Kathamala Saha2025-02-0909 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.A beautiful nightIt is a story about a young man and a woman trying to know the feelings for each other. This story explores the intensity of moments in our lives standing like singularity points for ever.2025-02-0206 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.Lock and keyIt s a short story about the train journey of a couple of mismatched age and spirit.
Author - Saikat Baksi.
Voice over - Kathamala Saha2025-01-2609 min
Stories I must tell before it is too late - a short story podcast about love, lust and laughter.ARRANGED MARRIAGEIt is about an evening of a newly wed couple married through arranged marriage.2025-01-2008 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedF N SOUZA - WRATH OF REBELLIONF N Souza's paintings were disturbingly engaging. But why? What was the driving force that made him paint the way he painted? 2024-12-2227 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedInfinite in a bindu - S H RazaSayed Haider Raza, an artist from the Progressive Artist Group of Bombay, proved himself to be master on the world of art. He is known largely for his Bindu. The dot. He had denied any connection with Tantrik Art. But what was the driving force behind his unique expressions? 2024-10-2026 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMaqbool Fida Husain - the dancing linesOne of the most enigmatic and controversial artist in Indian History, Maqbool Fida Husain, had left an indelible mark in the world of art. But still, even this day, his name is clouded by negative sentiment thanks to the fanatics in Hindu politics. Many galleries are nervous about displaying his works. Art gallery owners often whisper, 'Let us avoid Husain. It brings trouble.' The amazing skill and depth in M F Hussain's paintings have no parallel in the history of modern art yet most of us do not even know who the man was really. This episode is...2024-09-1933 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedAbstract painting explained!
Abstract expression is not that abstract really! It does not sound convincing. But knowing the background and origin of abstract expression clears the cloud of confusion. Paintings by Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko or Jackson Pollock begin to speak volumes. They do not seem to be random riot of color on canvas. One gets access to the mysterious matrix of abstraction.
2024-08-1813 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedCIA and Modern artAbstract Expressionism shot to fame in a blink in the 40s. Artists like Jackson Pollock turned into mythical hero with unprecedented rapidity. But there was an invisible force acting in the backyard. It was CIA. The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. The funds that propelled the publicity of Abstract Expressionism, came from CIA. But why? And what about the legendary artists in Indian context? How S H Raza, V S Gaitonde, Krishan Khanna or Ramkumar were influenced by this elaborate propaganda by CIA? 2024-07-1613 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedRising from the phoenix - Calcutta school - an Anti-movement of artSecond world war did not only affect the west but also the east in equal ferocity and violence. In Bengal itself three million people died. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose almost succeeded in evicting the colonial power from Indian soil but failed. In this backdrop of destruction and death, rose the Calcutta school of artists like a phoenix from the ashes.2024-06-2115 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedInfinity within - Amrita Sher Gil (part two)Amrita Sher Gil was a narcissist. They say so. But was it only that? Was it some other reason that prompted the artist to be sexually rebellious and also defiant to every social custom? In this episode, we shall take a plunge into the mystery of the enigmatic artist whose death too left a blank void! Who was this legend of Indian modern art?2024-06-1116 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedOcean in a drop - Amrita Sher Gil (part one)Why did Amrita Sher Gil painted the way way she did? There had been strange alienation in the characters she painted. On the surface, they look like plain depiction of women figures but as we look deeper, layers of mystery show up. During such a brief spell of just twenty eight years, Amrita Sher Gil presented the world an oeuvre incomparable to many artists until this day. What was the driving force behind her strange depictions? 2024-06-0221 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMissing in the shadow of Jamini RoyA poor young artist from a village of Bengal remained in close contact with Jamini Roy for almost two decades. His name was Basanta Jana. Jamini Roy kept most of his paintings. Both had almost identical style. But Basanta Jana's paintings almost vanished from record! What really happened?2024-04-1608 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedJAMINI ROY - A REMIX MOGULJamini Roy is one of the most famous artist even this day in Indian world of modern art. But did he paint anything new? Did he set a new movement in motion? What prompted him to paint in the folk style? Was it his deep concern for the neglected and dying art form of the Santhal Tribes or Kalighat Patuas or a pure quest for a winning strategy for the market?2024-04-1118 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMysterious art of Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore began to paint at the age of 67. Long after he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Until then he did not paint beyond the doodles on his manuscripts. But when he painted, he demolished every rule and convention in place. His paintings opened a radically new horizon in Indian art. But there were mysterious elements in his color palette. This episode talks about the mystery behind the legend's artistic creations. 2024-03-3123 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedNot a cubist - Gaganendranath TagoreGaganendranath Tagore, nephew of the legendary poet, Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, was a great artist. In some section of art lovers in India, he is taken for a cubist. But did he indulge in cubism? Why do we know him? Is it only because of his wonderful paintings and cartoons or there was some other aspect too? 2024-03-1510 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedTagore family enters Indian artAbanindranath Tagore, the nephew of the legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore, brought in a radical change in the style of art in the early twentieth century India. Even if in today's context, his paintings appear to be old fashioned and less appealing, his turning away from the western perspective driven art was a shocking creative rebellion at that time. This episode talks about the Bengal School of art that shaped the form of Indian Art for ever. 2024-03-0514 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedRevolt of Bengal SchoolAfter the death of Raja Ravi Varma, entered the Bengal School. But Bengal School did not celebrate the art of the British. It fell back on the Mughal Art. Bengal school came up with an original art form of India. But what prompted the flag bearers of Bengal school to revolt against the colonial art forms? What made them the rebels of art? What made the legendary Tagore family the breeding ground of revolutionary world views? 2024-02-2510 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedOne tight slap!One tight slap by Siraj Ud-Daulah changed the course of history in India and British colonialism began! The would-be-Nawab slapped the great Marwari Banker, Jagat Seth in a fit of anger and the revenge of the Banking community invited the East India Company to settke score.2024-02-1818 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedThe tenant – the new avatar of east India CompanyFrom the status of struggling merchants, East India Company turned into a tenant of the Mughal land in India. Hardly a thousand rupees per year! And a secret intelligence report made some anonymous man at some faraway port landed at the table of the British officials. Even if innocent occurrences apparently, yet these two events transformed formed history of a sub-continent.2024-02-1208 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedPoor merchants from a foggy island – The East India CompanyEast India Company was just a bunch of merchants looking for a living by buying and selling goods like any private company opening an outlet round the corner. But how is it that such insignificant Englishmen ended up colonizing and entire sub continent? This episode is about history, not art history. But it is important to understand the fabric of British India before we dig into the anatomy of art during that period. In this episode, the values of currency mentioned are based on the current value of Pound. 2024-02-0512 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedRaja Ravi Varma - why we know him?Ravi Varma was a phenomenon who turned into a runaway success during his lifetime. Among a lot of company artists educated in the art colleges established by the British, Ravi Varma stood out in the crowd with his distinctive creations. He is a household name even this day. But why? What did he do differently? Moreover, does it make sense doing it today? If an artist paints like he did, will she be as famous as Ravi Varma became? 2024-01-1420 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedDid the British loot or enrich India?While there is a general perception among most Indians that the British stripped the country of its riches during its two hundred years of colonial rule, was there some priceless contributions too in their part that made Indians what they are in the following days?2024-01-0506 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMughal art - Persian or Indian?Mughal art was the the product of patronage of the emperors. The style was peculiarly, neither Persian, not native Indian. Artists worked under strict guidelines of the Mughal School of painting evolved through hundreds of years. Did it allow creative freedom to the artists? 2023-12-3116 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedUNIVERSE UNDER THE SKIN - THE SPIRIT OF INDIAN ARTIndian paintings without Mughal influence had the spirit of contemporary art way ahead of the west. This episode explains the nuances of Pahari art in particular.2023-12-2021 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedTribal art - the voice of ancestorsTribal arts are traditions surviving more than a millennium. Tribes do not paint them for money. Why do they do it then? Is it art really? And in today's commercialized world, tribal arts appear on various merchandise too. Large corporate buyers enforce customization as per their brand image to be used as gift items. Is it corrupting the ethnic originality of the art forms?2023-12-1019 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedIndian Mural - is it art?The great mural tradition of India seen on the walls and roofs of caves and temples of Pallava, Chola and Pandya dynasty were painted under strict rules and guidelines. The patrons were the kings and royals. Their faith and belief and ego reflect on the ancient images. The question is, can we call them art?2023-11-2614 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedAJANTA MURALS - PAINTING MARVELPaintings at the Ajanta Caves have captured the world in awe since the day those were discovered. In this episode we are discussing about the unique aspects of Ajanta paintings that render them stand out as exception among all the paintings done in the world during the period between 200BC to 600CE.2023-11-1810 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedEast meets west - new trend in Indian artThanks to the Greek influence as well as Hindu idolatry, a radical transformation happens in Indian style of art. Frozen moments are born. 2023-11-0209 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedThe great vanishing act!The first flash of great art, the Ashoka pillar was subjected to a great vanishing act. It resurfaced as what it is, after almost a thousand years! How and why?2023-10-2721 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedThe past we forgot to remember...The earliest testimony of true artistic creation in the Indian subcontinent was the emblem of an empire that vanished from history for two thousand years! This episode is about that emblem.2023-10-1212 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedWomen in art...is it a cake walk? perhaps not!In this episode we discuss about various aspects of the challenges women encounter as artists. Why? We also try to explore the root causes.2023-08-2921 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedWho were mad? Them or the world?History says that creative geniuses in the field of art and literature had been a bit crazy in their ways. At times, such element of madness caused acute suffering to such personalities themselves. In this episode we discussed with psychologists as well as authors about the need or utility of modern psychiatric consultations for such outliers of creativity. Will the treatments damage them or enable them live better? 2023-08-0629 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedGive in to pain, sorrow and fearThe survey conducted among several emerging artists brought our some interesting result about fear in a creative soul. Is it to be avoided? Is the artist or poet to be in perfect bliss all the time?2023-07-3018 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedFear and challengeCreative legends are not born on a bed of roses. They walk through fire of adversities. Conventional rules of society do not fit their ways. Hence the ideal man or ideal woman format often is a misfit for them. They are not immune to anxieties and fear. In the quest for the unknown, they often break rules of life as perceived by the society. In this episode, several emerging artists of today had been interviewed for their fear and challenges as artists.2023-07-2427 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedEcstasy of pain - Frida KahloThis final episode of this season speaks about the tormenting yet thrilling life of Frida Kahlo and her twice married husband Diego Rivera. 2023-06-2715 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedJackson Pollock - the dance of madnessIt is the strange life of the Artistic genius Jackson Pollock who gave birth to Americal Absrtact expressionism but could not be saved from himself in the end!2023-05-1816 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedStrange life of Salvador DaliSalvador Dali was a genius of rare order but cause of his fame was more from his outrageous publicity stunts. Listen to the story and be entertained! 2023-05-1213 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedAnd then all hell broke loose! Dada arrived...Who were the DADA rebels? Why did they demolish the convention of the western world? Why they called themselves by the strange non-sensical word - DADA? And how did the DADA revolt led to surrealism? Did the Surrealism of Dali make any sense of it was mere visual illusion? How Freud was connected to the strange developments in art that changed the face of art for good?2023-05-0148 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedAbstract art ? My five year old boy can do that!This episode is about the pros and cons of abstract expression. How and why Wansley Kandinsky realized the magic of abstract expression? Moreover, how did he become famous despite painting in such inconceivable manner?2023-04-2116 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMessage from the future that was ignoredAll masters do not secure the forefront of the pages of history. Some disappear only to be discovered much later or never to be found at all! Luck plays the trick, for both, the winners and the losers in the game of survival. There had been masters ahead of time when Picasso and Matisse were shaking the world, but they are still not known beyond the serious circle of art. Because they were the wrong men at the wrong time!2023-04-0510 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedThe missing masters of artThere had been artists as radical as Picasso or Matisse but people outside the art-circle hardly ever know about them. Why? What made them vanish from the pages of history. Perhaps pure bad luck...2023-03-3009 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedThey painted but who made money?Did the masters like Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh make money out of their paintings? When we google their names, we find them described as famous artists. True. They became famous. But when? Their artworks turned worth multitude of millions of dollars. But did they earn even a living out their paintings?
Of course, Picasso became rich. Matisse became famous in their lifetime. What was the mystery of their quick success?2023-03-2024 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedOutliers and outcasts - Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and CezanneThe most radical works that changed the course of art were done by artists who lived far from the mainstream of the impressionist movement. They pursued art in silence away from the fanfare. They never learned what was happening in the epicenter of the movement. But as in any field of creativity, in the realm of art too, outsiders play the gamechangers. It is peculiar, but it is the fact!2023-03-1314 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedNo lies on canvas please... the impressionists arrived!The impressionists wanted to paint truth on canvas. The real vision they encountered. Hard facts of life. No matter if ugly or bitter or ironic. The subjective version, not objective. But vision altered fast. And the impressionist-brush crisscrossed the canvas in blistering pace. Paints poured straight from the tubes. No time to mix paints. But how much truth can we face even if it is the time for face-off!2023-03-0617 minArt beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedLiberty kills death - French revolution and artFrench revolution killed thousands of people but opened the door for the modern era of art. Without a doomsday, no new beginning is possible.2023-02-2713 minArt beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedThe industrial revolution - Machines - friend or enemy of art?Industrial revolution brought gigantic machines and created rich business magnets. But it also released art from the bondage of church. It made art a public affair. Industrial revolution made artists like Turner and Constable. The ever misunderstood notion of Constable being an impressionist haunts emerging artists even this day. The strange conflict between what Turner might have wanted to depict and what the world perceived remains an irony until this day. This is the period of transition of classical art to modern.2023-02-2016 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedDaggers of death? or Brush on canvas? Caravaggio enters...Baroque period had a unique quality of being direct and compelling. The Christian world was under radical transformation due to Protestant reformation by Martin Luther and counter-reformation of the Catholic church. The church set a new guideline for art. But a few artists like Caravaggio or Rubens emerged who obeyed and disobeyed the dictate at the same time. How?2023-02-1317 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMadonna with long neck - revolt against mannersWhen perfection is achieved, there is nothing else to do but to stay there. This was the challenge set by Leonardo and Michelangelo during renaissance. The period, that followed, caused plenty of struggle for the artists to shatter the conventions and traditions. It is an episode about the few great artists who crashed the jail of style during the mannerist period.2023-02-0623 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedRenaissance – the celebration of skillThe masters of Renaissance did magic in art. True. But what was the motivational force behind that magic spell? Perhaps it was money and power, not pure passion for creation.2023-01-3129 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMusing of the mysticsWhen the Egyptians were building the pyramids and the Greeks were building architectural marvels, the Vedic mystics in the east were intoning hymns. Why? Was it mere lethargy or something deeper? 2023-01-2331 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedRoman adventureRoman rulers lived in anxiety. They feared for their lives all the time. They fought endless battles with internal and external enemies. To top it all, entered Christianity with its denial for likeness in art. Despite these challenges, the most important discovery happened during Roman period that changed art for good. 2023-01-1614 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedArt of the warriorsThe flag bearers of art after the Egyptians were the Greeks. But who were Greeks anyway? Did they do any different from the Egyptians? And what was the revolutionary change in the history of art during the Greek period? The meaning of portrait was not what we know today. But what was it?2023-01-0923 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedGods with baboons' bodies and Foxes' headsIn this episode I am talking about the longest lasting civilization of Egypt. They made stone reliefs and statues in the cold underground chambers of the Pyramids. But was it a testimony of their creative urge or mundane need of earning a living? Can those qualify as art at all?2023-01-0219 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedBeginning from beginningThis episode is about a fleeting journey of art through fifteen millenniums. Even if the cavemen in the east and the west painted the same images of hunting during the ice-age, yet with the passage of time, artists from the two ends of the world parted ways diametrically, only to meet again in the 20th century! How and why?2022-12-2616 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedMona Lisa with MustacheWho painted that mustache on the face of the beautiful Mona Lisa, and why? It was a turning point in the journey of Art. But that is about a hundred years ago. This podcast explores the question about the driving force behind art. What propelled art's adventure through thousands of years, blind passion or a need for earning a living?2022-12-1924 min
Art beyond canvas - why they painted what they paintedART BEYOND CANVASIt is about the turning points in the history of art. The narrative aims to bring art closer to the heart and demystify the myth that art is too complex and abstract for non-artists. Mysterious and curious ways of the world of art are described in this series. The unusual and controversial lives of the legends have been analyzed to explain why they painted what they painted. 2022-12-1401 min