ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash Asian News International (ANI)

He is a chef, cookbook author, columnist, and educator. Chef Suvir Saran wears many hats and is being called "the true ambassador of Indian cuisine and culture to the world." He left India at the age of 20 and later opened a restaurant in New York called 'Devi'. It was the first Indian restaurant in America to receive a Michelin star. He further gained fame as the breakout star of the 3rd season of Top Chef Masters.
Saran is the author of three books: Indian Home Cooking, American Masala, Masala Farm, and his latest, Instamatic, a book of prose and photos. Suvir is open about his sexuality and the hurdles he faced in the early stages of his career and life. He is now the culinary director of Bastian Hospitality Private Limited and behind the brands of some of their restaurants like Bastian and Bizza.
In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Suvir explains why he left India and what made him fall in love with cooking. He also recounts the challenges he faced as gay individual and reflects on the support he received from his family and friends throughout. The Michelin star chef further argues that Indian restaurants are not up to the mark and are restricted to limited dishes when Indian cuisine offers so much more.
He also shares his experience as a guest judge on MasterChef India, one of the most popular and loved shows in India. He settles the debate about where one finds better food, whether in Mumbai or Delhi. Chef Suvir also talks about his latest projects and why he moved back to India after facing difficult times in New York regarding his health.
(0:00) Introduction
(2:12) Cooking Journey
(5:57) Societal Pressures
(8:42) Kitchen As A Safe Haven
(11:47) School Experiences
(15:12) Academic Achievements
(17:57) Bonding With Siblings
(20:37) About Sexuality24:27:00Mother's Acceptance
(28:12) Role Models32:27:00Life In New York35:47:00Cooking In New York
(41:27) Western Influence On Indian Diets
(46:27) Coping With Health Issues
(49:27) Dealing Father's Demise
(52:27) Near - Death Experience
(55:57) Michelin Star Achievement
(59:27) Master Chef' Experience
(1:02:27) Current Projects1:05:27Indian Cuisine & Global Perception
(1:08:27) Embracing Cultural Identity & Cuisine
(1:11:27) Future Aspirations

The recently concluded 2024 Lok Sabha polls in India have taken pollsters and political analysts by surprise. While Prime Minister Modi is set to begin his third term in office, his party, the BJP, fell short of securing a clear majority as it had in the past two terms. The BJP needs allies to form the government.
In the latest episode of the ANI podcast with Smita Prakash, the much-awaited "Samosa Caucus" returns with its familiar lineup of guests. Joining the discussion are Sushant Sareen, senior fellow at ORF; Tehseen Poonawalla, TV personality and political analyst; Anand Ranganathan, an author and scientist; and Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, senior fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.
This episode will delve into the factors behind the BJP's failure to secure a majority and analyze the success of the opposition INDIA alliance, as well as the resurgence of Rahul Gandhi in the Indian political arena. Guests also discuss who the biggest losers and winners are in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
How will a coalition government look with Narendra Modi at the helm? Will the BJP be able to take big decisions as it has promised in its manifesto? Will Modi be able to carry allies with their own demands and political ambitions? What lessons should the BJP learn?

(0:00) Introduction1:00Samosa Caucus 3.0
(3:31) Election Results6:50Development Vs. Local Issues
(10:20) 2024 Lok Sabha Results
(16:20) Exit Polls21:00Nitish Kumar Memes
(22:26) What Went Wrong for BJP?
(28:20) BJP's 'Mistakes'31:12:00Jail' Experience35:12:00Tamil Nadu Politics
(37:10) RSS Involvement in Elections
(40:20) Manish Tiwari Controversy
(41:40) Smriti Irani's Defeat
(44:20) Wealth Redistribution' Row
(47:30) Constitution Row
(52:44) Rahul Gandhi's Resurgence
(53:50) Akhilesh's Game Plan
(55:15) JD(U) & TDP Legacy
(58:00) Agniveer Scheme
(1:00:06) Future of 'Welfarism'
(1:02:00) Temple Politics & Reforms
(1:05:15) Dalits in India1:07:20Consumption Patterns & Data
(1:12:40) Malnourishment in India
(1:17:50) Priyanka Gandhi Factor
(1:20:45) Modi 3.0 Foreign Policy
(1:22:52) Khalistan1:28:10Kashmir Politics1:33:40India's 'Drug' Problem
(1:36:50) Indian Police System
(1:40:00) Solutions for Kashmir
(1:47:14) Counter-Insurgency in India
(1:48:30) BJP's Bengal Failure
(1:56:59) YouTubers Influencing Elections?
(2:01:40) Legacy Media Becoming Irrelevant?
(2:06:49) Sanatana Row2:08:30BJP's Political Ethics
(2:13:35) YouTubers Impact
(2:15:10) Rigged Exit Polls?
(2:17:04) Abhijeet's Peacock Dance
(2:22:00) Pune Porsche Row
(2:24:00) Need for Judicial Reforms?
(2:28:28) Closing Remarks

Polls just concluded in India—the world's largest democracy. Exit polls predict NDA's return, but what is the ground reality? What factors boosted BJP led NDA coalition? We will have all these answers and more from three seasoned ANI journalists, who extensively covered the Indian elections.

Joining the discussion are Ashoke Raj, Siddharth Sharma, and Suchitra Mukherjee. Ashoke shares election insights from Punjab and Karnataka, Siddharth has covered polls in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala, while Suchitra reported on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

In this episode of the ANI podcast with Smita Prakash, the three ANI journalists delve into their experiences covering the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. They offer insights into the successes and challenges of the NDA and INDIA alliances and discuss the ground realities in the states they covered.

(0:00) Introduction
(0:28) North-South Divide
(3:44) Who'll win Karnataka?
(7:38) Siddaramaiah Schemes
(13:10) BJP's '400 Paar' Slogan
(14:39) Political Rallies Truth
(19:30) SP-Congress Alliance
(21:02) Why Priyanka didn't fight
(26:30) INDIA VS NDA in UP
(29:30) Rahul's Nyay Yatra
(33:17) Kanhaiya's future in Congress
(38:32) Mood in Punjab44:15:00The Modi Factor47:30:00K-Backer Amritpal
(53:30) Punjab's Chitta economy
(57:30) Odisha Exit poll1:00:50Cong Himachal govt to go?
(1:05:20) Rae Bareli & Amethi
(1:11:30) Personal Attacks in Polls
(1:15:20) Piyush Goyal 'Blushing' Story
(1:17:50) Main Issues in Bengal
(1:28:13) Maharashtra politics
(1:34:41) Exit Polls fallout1:45:30BJP vs Congress Cadres
(1:48:20) Reporter Challenges
(1:58:06) No interviews by Rahul
(2:05:10) Exit polls or exact polls?

Anurag Singh Thakur is a BJP MP in the Lok Sabha representing the Hamirpur constituency in Himachal Pradesh. He currently holds the positions of Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Second Modi Ministry. His father, Prem Kumar Dhumal, was a former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

Previously, Thakur has also served as Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs. Additionally, he was the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from May 2015 to February 2017.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Anurag Thakur discusses the development in Himachal Pradesh during the NDA rule. He also criticized Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, stating that Congress promises in the state remain unfulfilled and accusing him of politicizing the Himachal flood situation.

Thakur also emphasizes PM Modi's popularity, particularly among women voters, and highlights the benefits of the Agnipath scheme for the country's youth, discussing its potential impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

(0:00) Introduction1:00Fifth Term MP?3:31Amit Shah's Appreciation
(5:47) Popularity Among Voters
(7:15) Modi Developing HP?
(12:58) Agnipath Scheme
(16:58) Gandhis Took Chinese Money?
(19:24) Atmanirbhar in Defence...
(22:32) Modi's Women Voters
(27:45) HP Congress Govt. is a Laughing Stock
(32:13) Kargil War35:11:00Himachal is Veerbhumi
(36:49) We Can Raze Pak Down To Dust
(40:05) Who Will Win LS Polls 2024?
(45:05) Foreign Media's Election Coverage
(47:13) INDIA Alliances's Ban List
(49:28) Social Media Influencing Elections?
(50:50) Personal Attacks in Election Campaigns
(52:22) Constitution Amendment Row
(54:30) Sansad Mobile Swasthya Seva
(58:42) Cricket Career0:59:43I Will Win...1:01:10PM Modi's Commitment
(1:04:42) Family is My Asset

Elections are currently underway in India, the world's largest democracy. However, as the voting progresses, there's a noticeable shift in political discourse. The focus has moved away from core issues towards topics like identity, caste reservation, and the constitution. But why are political parties deviating? What lies beneath this shift? We'll delve into these questions to uncover the truth.

Joining the podcast are Suhel Seth and Advaita Kala. Suhel Seth is a brand guru, author, and columnist. Advaita Kala is an author, columnist, and screenwriter, best known for her work on the critically acclaimed film 'Kahaani.'

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Suhel Seth and Advaita Kala discuss the election narrative for the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. They delve into legacy media's coverage of the elections, with Kala claiming that there is a general level of distrust towards mainstream media. She also suggests that social media platforms may be controlling the narrative through their extensive systems. The conversation also touches on PM Narendra Modi, his farsightedness, and his immense popularity among the masses, with Seth claiming that 'brand Modi' is more popular than that of RSS and BJP combined. Tune in for an episode filled with jibes, sarcasm, and satire.

(0:00) Intro1:47Summer Elections
(2:42) Seth's Jibe at Kala
(5:20) Legacy Media's Election Coverage
(6:45) Indian Electorate
(10:30) Brand Modi15:30Toothless Election Commission?
(17:44) Hindu Identity Politics
(26:20) Laws Have Exonerated Modi
(29:20) 1984 Sikh 'Genocide'
(30:50) Congress Controlled Media?
(32:45) Lutyens' Gang'34:50:00Distrust in Legacy Media
(39:14) Hate Economy is Thriving
(43:40) Seth's Meeting with Modi
(45:10) Sensational' Campaigns
(48:00) Western Media's Agenda
(51:35) Primetime Debates
(54:10) Indian Political Discourse
(1:00:12) Tech Platforms Controlling Narrative?
(1:02:30) Politics Affecting Relationships?
(1:04:14) Swati Maliwal Row
(1:06:00) The AAP Campaign
(1:10:40) AAP's Punjab Connection
(1:13:16) Election Reforms?
(1:15:20) Digital Activism
(1:17:17) The Labharthi Factor

Taranjit Singh Sandhu is a former Indian diplomat who served as India's ambassador to the United States from 2020 to 2024. He played a key role in the establishment of the Indian embassy in Ukraine. He also served as the First Secretary in Washington, held the position of Consul General in Frankfurt, and was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, he held various key positions within the Ministry of External Affairs in India.

In March 2024, Taranjit Singh Sandhu joined the BJP and was selected as the party's candidate for the religiously important Amritsar constituency in the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, former ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu discusses the law and order situation in Punjab, addressing the drug crisis affecting the state's youth.

He criticizes the Aam Aadmi Party for failing to manage the situation and provide jobs for Punjab's younger generation. According to Sandhu, there is widespread dissatisfaction with AAP's performance, leading to a strong anti-incumbency sentiment in the northern state.

Additionally, Taranjit Singh Sandhu outlines his vision for transforming Amritsar into a tourism and start-up hub to boost the city's economy.

(0:00) Introduction0:35Diplomat Turned Politician
(2:52) Why Joined Politics
(4:20) Family Roots to Amritsar
(9:53) SGPC Connection with Family
(15:00) Parents' Legacy17:53Higher Education in Delhi
(18:35) BJP's Amritsar Jinx
(20:58) Problems in Amritsar
(23:25) Unemployment in Amritsar
(26:51) Startup Culture in Punjab
(29:30) VFS & U.S. Consulate in Amritsar
(31:25) Agriculture in Punjab
(36:16) Punjab Cargo Facility
(41:15) PM Modi's Policies
(42:13) Punjab's AAP Sarkar
(45:48) On Sukhpal Khera Row
(48:19) Amritpal Singh Poll Debut
(51:02) SAD-BJP Breakup
(52:17) Friendship with Sukhbir Badal
(56:19) PM's Sikh Diaspora Connect
(58:35) India-U.S. Ties