The Desi Detective Show

Suparna Chatterjee
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Exploring the history and the mystery behind the best detective stories from India

  1. 6D AGO

    Ep 21: A Demon in Dandi with Lavanya Karthik

    In this episode, host Suparna Chatterjee speaks to kid-lit author and illustrator, Lavanya Karthik, about her book, A Demon in Dandi. The year is 1930. All the world's eyes are on this tiny village by the Arabian Sea, where Mahatma Gandhi will arrive soon to break the salt law. But there is a demon roaming the village, claiming victims. Can the young Dinu solve the mystery before Bapu arrives?  Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram:⁠⁠ thedesidetectiveshow⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ soup_and_chat⁠⁠ Guest: Lavanya Karthik Instagram: @_lavanyakarthik_ Books and references: A Demon in Dandi The Dreamers - a series Podcast Theme Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala  Instagram: @b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala Haradhoner Doshti Chhele: https://youtu.be/z4S3fVtyCFc?si=XsuWsCUmXZ-GbrFr

    31 min

  2. 12/21/2025

    Ep 20: Gajanan Godbole with Salil Desai

    In this episode, author Salil Desai talks about his journey into novel writing, the influences and inspirations that have shaped his storytelling - from Hitchcock and Colin Dexter to Hakan Nesser and P.L.Deshpande, his beloved fictional character Inspector Saralkar who has been with him for 6 books already, the art and craft of coming up with a suitable title, and of course, his book with the unlikely murderer, The Grudges of Gajanan Godbole. Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram:⁠ thedesidetectiveshow⁠ and⁠ soup_and_chat⁠ Guest: Salil Desai Instagram: ⁠@salildesai_mysteries www.salildesai.com Books and references: Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles/Anthony Berkeley The Murder of Roger Akroyd by Agatha Christie Books by Salil Desai Killing Ashish Karve The Murder of Sonia Raikonnen Three and a Half Murders Murder Milestone The Kid Killer 206 Bones The Grudges of Gajanan Godbole The Sane Psycopath Murder on a Side Street Lost Libido and Gulp Fiction Podcast Theme Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala  Instagram: @b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala Haradhoner Doshti Chhele: https://youtu.be/z4S3fVtyCFc?si=XsuWsCUmXZ-GbrFr

    38 min

  3. 11/23/2025

    Ep 19: Wildlife in Detective Fiction with Shoumo Bhattacharya

    Writers have consistently found ways to incorporate wildlife into interesting whodunit plots. In this episode, host Suparna Chatterjee delves into some prominent detective stories from India featuring wildlife in a significant manner. She is joined by wildlife photographer (and avid detective fiction fan) Shoumo Bhattacharya, who talks about his favourite detective stories featuring animals, and about his detecting experiences in the jungle.  Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram: thedesidetectiveshow and soup_and_chat Guest: Shoumo Bhattacharya Instagram: @shoumo29 Books mentioned in this episode: By Edgar Allan Poe - Murders in the Rue Morgue By Arthur Conan Doyle - The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventures of the Speckled Band By Agatha Christie - Dumb Witness, A Death in the Clouds, Elephants Can Remember, Five Little Pigs, Pale Horse By Saradindu Bandopadhyay - Chorabali (The Quicksand), Makorshar Rosh (The Tarantula's Juice), Shojarur Kanta (The Quills of the Porcupine), Chiriakhana (The Zoo). By Satyajit Ray - Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress), Royal Bengal Rohosyo (The Mystery of the Royal Bengal Tiger), Badshahi Angti (The Emperor's Ring) By Sunil Gangopadhyay - Sabuj Dwiper Raja (The King of the Verdant Island) By Vaseem Khan (@vaseemkhanwriter) - The Baby Ganesh Detective Agency By Abir Mukherjee (@radiomukhers) - A Necessary Evil By HRF Keating - Inspector Ghote Hunts the Peacock By Harini Nagendra (@harini.nagendra) - A Nest of Vipers, Into the Leopard's Den By Suparna Chatterjee (@soup_and_chat) - The All Bengali Crime Detectives, A Gathering of Crows By Mallika Ravikumar (@mallika.ravikuamr) - The Case of the Missing Turtles By Ravi Subramanium (@ravisubramanian70) - The Mystery of the Missing Cat Podcast Theme Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala  Instagram: @b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala Haradhoner Doshti Chhele: https://youtu.be/z4S3fVtyCFc?si=XsuWsCUmXZ-GbrFr

    58 min

  4. 10/21/2025

    Ep 18: Nobody's Child with Kanchana Banerjee

    In this episode, host Suparna Chatterjee talks to author Kanchana Banerjee about her book, Nobody's Child, published by @harpercollinsin, where a TV celebrity is presumed dead, only to resurrect two years later, throwing the nation into a frenzy. We also talk about the writing process, the joys and the frustrations of being a writer, navigating psychologically disturbing passages and the difficulty of coming up with a suitable book title. Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram:⁠ thedesidetectiveshow⁠ and⁠ soup_and_chat⁠ Guest: Kanchana Banerjee (https://kanchanabanerjeecom.wordpress.com) Instagram: @kanchanabanerjee Books by Kanchana Banerjee A Forgotten Affair Eye on You Nobody's Child Until I Find You The Actor Podcast Theme Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala  Instagram: b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala Haradhoner Doshti Chhele: https://youtu.be/z4S3fVtyCFc?si=XsuWsCUmXZ-GbrFr

    31 min

  5. 09/06/2025

    Ep 17: The Mahabharata Murders with Arnab Ray

    In this stimulating conversation, drawing from his vast knowledge of Hindi movies and popular culture, author Arnab Ray discusses what he thinks makes a good detective novel. We talk about the male gaze in crime novels, 'And Then There Were None' and other things Christie, post-war detective novels from Japan, his favourite desi detective, Byomkesh Bakshi, and of course about 'The Mahabharata Murders' and his upcoming book, 'The Bucket'. Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram: thedesidetectiveshow and soup_and_chat Guest: Arnab Ray Instagram: @greatbong www.greatbong.net Books by Arnab Ray: May I Hebb Your Attention Pliss? The Mine The Sultan of Delhi Shakchunni Yatrik The Mahabharata Murders Podcast Theme Music by B. Prasanna and Khurshed Batliwala  Instagram: b_prasanna and @khurshedbatliwala Haradhoner Doshti Chhele: https://youtu.be/z4S3fVtyCFc?si=XsuWsCUmXZ-GbrFr

    57 min

  6. 08/11/2025

    Ep 16: Tagore's Detective

    The name Rabindranath Tagore needs no introduction.  In this episode, Suparna takes a look at his run-ins with the detective department of the Calcutta police in real life, and the short story he penned titled The Detective published in 1898.  Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com Books and references: Wikipedia The Detective When Tagore lost his pen When Tagore was named a Conspirator Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna

    32 min

  7. 07/03/2025

    Ep 15: The Sensational 'Germ Murder' of 1933 - Concluding part

    This is the concluding part of the sensational germ murder case of colonial India. A sizeable inheritance, a disgruntled half-brother, a killer bacteria and the plot of a Sherlock Holmes novel come together in the sensational royal murder involving the scion of a zamindari estate called Pakur.  The planning was so meticulous and the execution so clinical, that it made headlines around the globe, from London to Sydney to New York. This case was unlike anything the world had seen outside the works of detective fiction. In this episode, I take a look at the sensational 'germ murder' of 1933. Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com Books and references: Wikipedia ⁠⁠Article in BBC.com/Asia⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Calcutta High Court Judgment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Article in The Telegraph⁠⁠ The Poisoner of Bengal by Dan Morrison ⁠⁠How Bubonic Plague Reshaped Mumbai⁠⁠ ⁠⁠How Bombay Fought the Plague⁠⁠ Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna

    48 min

  8. 06/04/2025

    Ep 14: The Sensational 'Germ Murder' of 1933 - Part 2

    This is Part 2 of the sensational 'Germ Murder' of 1933. A sizeable inheritance, a disgruntled half-brother, a killer bacteria and the plot of a Sherlock Holmes novel come together in the sensational royal murder involving the scion of a zamindari estate called Pakur.  The planning was so meticulous and the execution so clinical, that it made headlines around the globe, from London to Sydney to New York. This case was unlike anything the world had seen outside the works of detective fiction. In this episode, I take a look at the sensational 'germ murder' of 1933. Host: Suparna Chatterjee (www.suparnachatterjee.com) Instagram: soup_and_chat and thedesidetectiveshow Email: thedesidetectiveshow@gmail.com Books and references: Wikipedia ⁠Article in BBC.com/Asia⁠ ⁠Calcutta High Court Judgment⁠ ⁠Article in The Telegraph⁠ The Poisoner of Bengal by Dan Morrison ⁠How Bubonic Plague Reshaped Mumbai⁠ ⁠How Bombay Fought the Plague⁠ Podcast theme music by Khurshed Batliwala and B. Prasanna

    34 min
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About

Exploring the history and the mystery behind the best detective stories from India

Information

  • Creator
    Suparna Chatterjee
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Suparna Chatterjee
  • Show Website
    The Desi Detective Show