Once in a while, along comes a creator who exemplifies the sheer joy of creation. Our guest today, Hari Chakyar, is one of them. It's hard to pin down what Hari actually is. His output spans zines, Instagram comics, heart-wrenching written stories, physical cyanotype art, and even fonts made out of dosa (yes, you read that right). So we naturally wanted a peek inside his head to see how he thinks about all of this, determines formats, and even what to give his time and attention to. The...

We always knew this would be a hilarious episode. What we weren’t prepared for was how profound it would be. Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Abish Mathew speaks about content, comedy and his process. What’s your favourite brand of Abish Mathew comedy? The talk show host one? The musical comedy one? The one-man-act one? The weird Reels one? The sketch actor one? The good ol’ standup one? The improv one? The answer is yes. We peer into the colourful, zany, beautiful mind of one of...

Two people decided to grab a bite after their run. A few years later, that became a thriving community of 1000+ people with “slots” going in a minute. This is the story of Thindi Capital. Ajit Bhaskar is a tea scientist by day. By weekend, he curates ‘Thindi walks’ in Bengaluru - where he leads a group to sample some of the city’s best fare (dosa, idli, chaat and the like) from Darshinis (old-school, cheap eateries). Through these walks, people discover the culture of the city and its...

From the rise of comedy, to curating events; from appreciating comedy as a fan to selling it as a businessperson - there are few better people to speak to in India than Dhruv Sheth. Currently the co-founder and CEO of the m19collective, Dhruv cut his teeth at talent-and-events company OML Entertainment, where he went from (no joke) amp-carrying intern to COO in about a decade. He has seen up close how music festivals are curated, how Zakir Khan rose to fandom, how the promise of independent...

We believe there is always a different way of looking at things, another layer to be peeled. For cities, for an interest, for any topic. And that should be liberating as a budding creator. In this episode, we speak to Gopal MS, who runs the popular Instagram page Mumbai Paused. Gopal is not just any photographer. He seeks out the stories that lie around us, that capture the dichotomy of the city - between the fast parts, and the slow parts. He is motivated by finding the relationship between...

If there is one person who will convince you that having diverse interests will benefit you personally and professionally, it’s Berty Ashley, one of the most multifaceted people we know. He’s a quizmaster, musician, scientist, author, music artist manager - professionally. He’s also a vinyl record collector, coffee taster and (as he puts it) local jokester and punmaker. His diverse interests crosses over in everything he does - from giving audiences scientific epiphanies while conducting...

Kunj is someone who has seen content both as a creator and a businessperson. This quote-a-minute interview is a must-listen for anyone interested in the space. Kunj is currently the VP of content at audio streaming platform Kuku FM which has defied expectations, building a massive paying subscriber base from Tier-2 cities. He has built a Silver Button-winning YouTube channel at InsideIIM, apart from being the author of four (very different) books. At Kuku FM, Kunj has overseen one of...

Alicia Souza is an illustrator with an instantly identifiable style, and has been referred to as a "happiness illustrator". We speak about her evolution, process, love for stickers, and advice for impatient young creators! Anyone who's been on the internet in India over the last decade would have certainly seen an Alicia Souza illustration. Her work punctuates planners, mugs, stickers and of course, observational comics on her own Instagram. We are delighted to be able to speak to her to ask...

The leading design and brand strategist joins us and drops truth bombs about craft, what counts as content, and finding one's true audience. Meeta Malhotra is a veteran in the Indian branding and design space. She was a partner at the iconic design consultancy Ray+Keshavan, where she helped build brands such as Airtel, Kotak Bank, Mother Dairy, and Vistara Airlines. She continued founding firms and remains active in the startup ecosystem. In 2020, she started The Hard Copy - a digital...

The bassist and banterer-in-chief of folk rock veterans Swarathma talks about keeping your audience in mind, crafting a setlist, adapting with technology, and more. Oh, and Ga*nd Mein Danda, of course. For the inaugural episode of To Your Heart's Content, we are delighted to have Jishnu Dasgupta with us. His band, Swarathma, has been making a fun-yet-poignant brand of folk rock for close to 2 decades. They've delighted audiences across the country (and world) with music laced with social...