I'm curating 101 questions and answers from over 300 conversations on The Gyaan Project Podcast. It argues to change how you see Design.

What this book hopes to do - Expand your definition of design through a series of 101 questions and answers.

Who this book is for - Curious minds and creative souls from any background. Those who desire to see design in places they’ve never seen before

The book is still taking shape. No launch date yet. But you're seeing this first.

A short survey. Your vote goes directly on the cover. It will take 2 mins and will really mean a lot to me.

The survey has a few more fields if you wish to follow the journey.

More soon. And thank you.

Kedar

P.S. The manuscript is 99% ready. Permissions, typesetting, cover design and more to go. If you have suggestions or feedback, comment below or email me at thegyaanprojectpodcast.

This week’s SamaChar is slightly different. Instead of sharing 4 Q&A from past episodes, I am sharing my 30 learnings from a Poet - Mohammad Muneem Nazir (Alif). We spoke about poetry, pain, philosophy and art in episode 265 (Feb 2023). The episode ends with a beautiful recital from him. Do tune and listen to the amazing conversation.

Mohammad Muneem Nazir (Alif) is a singer, songwriter and poet who sings and writes in the Kashmiri, Urdu and Hindi languages.

Micro Gyaan (from a poet to all artists).

1. A poet is anyone who can transport you from one state to another. If a thing has that capacity, it is poetry for you.

2. Ghalib could have gone to a therapist in BKC. What you do with your pain is your choice.

3. If you decode the magic, it is not magic anymore.

4. Do not try to control what your art does to other people. If you try to control that, you will have a lot of anxiety.

5. As a creator, the choice is only yours. You can create to be liked by the audience, to express a piece of yourself, or a bit of both. It is your choice and there is nothing wrong with any of it.

6. It does not give you any high if you cannot take risks.

7. Fans get hooked on a certain version of you. When you change your style, you face rejection. That is the cost of growth.

8. You are not born an artist. You get comfortable in the skin of an artist because you choose it.

9. A prerequisite for any artist is the comfort in wanting to express yourself.

10. Experience is the biggest thing to acquire. Experience of making mistakes, experience of doing things, experience of riyaz.

11. Creativity is a feeling, but there are tangible ways and rules to express it. If you know the rules, you can break them.

12. If you do not know the rules, you are lost. You have to know how to sing in key to be able to sing anything.

13. Even poetry has mathematical balance. If it does not have that balance, it cannot be called a ghazal.

14. Sometimes the masters will not tell you how to crack it. That hustle to figure it out yourself is part of the learning.

15. Music and words are something people can take back home.

16. Presenting your work is like serving a meal. When do you put the dessert cup, when do you put the tea cup. That sense comes from the experience of making mistakes.

17. Sometimes your work makes people uncomfortable. Sometimes people may leave. That is part of sharing what you believe.

18. Ishq-e-Majazi (worldly love) is often the doorway to Ishq-e-Hakiki (love for the divine). Your earthly passions and desires are the path.

19. How you react to things is the most beautiful thing. That comes with training.

20. Be okay with not being okay.

21. If you decide today you are an artist, you are an artist. The journey from one person to 15 lakh people liking your work is a matter of time.

22. You do not know who you are, you decide who you are. You do not have to take permission to be yourself.

23. The greats - Muhammad Ali, Steve Jobs, or Virat Kohli - They were already that thing in their minds before they became it in reality. Identity precedes achievement.

24. We often do not do things because we are scared to fail. Imagine what magic would happen if you and the universe decide to take this decision together.

25. Allow yourself to be nothing and to be everything.

26. Everybody has a different process to find their muse. Some run, some need dim lights. As you grow, you figure out what your muse is.

27. What you think in a language, it is very easy to express in that language. The ring of a language cannot be explained in another language.

28. What you cannot express in words, you show visually. What you cannot express visually, you say in words. Where one stops, the other takes it forward.

29. You aspire to be inspired daily. The day you do not feel like doing your work, force yourself to do five minutes more. That is when you understand your strength and passion.

30. If you cannot explain it simply, you have not understood it enough.

Mohammad Muneem Nazir (Alif) ends by saying, I’m learning from wrongs. What I have to say may not work for you. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

Do tune into the full conversation:

What do you think of today’s SamaChar? Please let me know in the comments if these takeaway are helpful and please share in your network.

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Welcome to SamaChar - A newsletter from The Gyaan Project podcast that brings you char (4) insightful Q&A from the past episodes. This week we revisit our episode 201 with Architect A Srivathsan released in Nov 2020 - Designing temples.

Dr. A. Srivathsan is an architectural scholar with more than twenty-five years of experience. Before joining his role as the Executive Director of CAU, Srivathsan served as the Academic Director of CEPT University for five years. He holds a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology along with a Master’s degree in Urban Design, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

We spoke about Ram Mandir’s architecture in Ayodhya. There are 2 main issues with it’s architecture. First, it’s more of a political project than a religious project. Thats why we see South Indian, Eastern and Northern styles fused together in the architecture. This is to appeal to larger national group of Hindus - so there is nothing new or inspiring in the design. Second, it’s built on a problematic site where you can not erase the history of demolition and fights. Even if you ignore the politics and look at it purely as design, much better could have to done.

Following are 4 Q&A from my conversation with him around design of contemporary sacred spaces, mainly the Hindu temples. This is a must read for architects and anybody interested in design.

1️⃣ If temples are public spaces, why exclude certain people?

Short answer:
Open doors, closed minds.

Long answer:
Theoretically, all temples are public spaces and open to everyone. That is the common perception. But the reality on the ground is very different. The Travancore temple was among the first to open temples for various castes, and that was only in 1936. In Vaikom (Kerala), it was a struggle to get even the streets around the temple open for people. Gandhi accepted to inaugurate the Lakshmi Narayan temple in Delhi in 1939 on a condition that it will be open to everyone, including Dalits. But the architecture itself didn’t have physical blocks. These prohibitions are social prohibitions, which are far more powerful. The upper castes having complete control on lower castes, men having control on women, that is the most effective restriction. Architecturally speaking, there were no devices. The walls were inside people’s heads. And that struggle continues even today.

Is it good to ban non-Hindus from entering temples? Let me know what do you think in the comments section.

2️⃣ Why are temples so ornamental?

Short answer:
To tell stories.

Long answer:
Ornament is not to be viewed as we now view it, as some extra thing, some excess that is embellished after building and can be removed if you don’t need it. Ornament traditionally is very much part of completion. Without the ornament, a building will not be complete. It plays multiple roles. At a simple level, it helps you tell a story. It is part of the narrative. But at another level, these are not only symbols of prosperity, they are that itself. Even in a traditional residence, at the entrance you would find elements which to an ignorant eye will look like ornamentation. But those are the ones which produce a sense of wellbeing into that house. They are not superfluous. So in traditional temples, ornaments are not decoration. They complete the building. Remove the ornament and the temple is incomplete.

Out of 7,50,000 registered temples in India, which is your favourite?

3️⃣ Which is the most sacred material to build temples?

Short answer:
Stone was for the dead.

Long answer:
There is a very interesting history here. The most preferred material according to traditional texts is not stone as we now think of it as the best and most expensive material. The most preferred material is wood. Then followed by stucco, brick and stucco. Stone comes later. In fact, some archaeologists think stone was actually a taboo. At least in South India (which I am more familiar with), stone was associated with funeral rites. For a long time it was not used. Much later, post sixth or seventh century, stone became a preferred material. Same goes with the deity’s idol as well. So materials have changed over time. This pattern was certainly prevalent in South India, but since some of the original texts trace their origin to Kashmir and the north, it would have had a wider prevalence. Currently, for various reasons, concrete is the most common material in temple construction.

Praveen Mohan’s Youtube Channel is great in decoding ancient religious architecture.

4️⃣ How are contemporary architects innovating in temple design?

Short answer:
Perforated walls, radical temples.

Long answer:
I have looked at eight to nine temples built in recent times and each architect has adopted different strategies. For instance, Sameep Padora (from SPA) designed a Shiva temple where the Shikara and sanctum are fused into one monolithic structure without any ornamentation. Unlike a traditional temple where the top is closed, he opens it out for sunlight. It sits beautifully in the landscape and local citizens have embraced it. Then there is a temple near Hyderabad designed by a young architect S. Krishna. He used long bricks turned around to create a very abstract Shikara. But his most important move is that he perforated the boundary wall. Normally that wall separates sacred space from the outside. You never perforate that. But he did. You can see the temple inside and the village tree outside where people gather. He is redefining the temple as an extended social space.

An amazing talk and list of modern temples from an architecture’s lens at Studio Matter’s Frame 2019

If you wish to listen to more details, here are links to the full 50 minutes conversation with Dr. A. Srivathsan

TGP has been labour of love since 2016 and I would highly appreciate if you can share this to as many people in your network. The subscriber count isn’t increasing and I need your help.

I’ve published a form where design and art students or early career professionals can ask any question they have around career, design philosophy, tools, skills, or anything that’s a creative roadblock in their way. This link will always be open for ongoing questions. I will be answering a few of these in long form episodes in our Off Grid episodes - so please do subscribe to the The Gyaan Project Youtube Channel.

In the first episode, we discussed a question from Bangalore posted on 8th December 2025.

The actual question was,

“We often describe ourselves as “multidisciplinary designers,” but why don’t we see more people actually living multidisciplinary careers? For instance: a product designer who works in tech during the week, and also takes paid furniture commissions or runs a ceramics studio on the side professionally, not as a hobby.”

Umesh and I tried to unpack it and came up with different ways of looking at this. We don’t have much context for the question but still tried to address it to the best of our abilities.

Context switching is tough

When you work deeply on a product, you’re thinking about it even when you’re not at your computer. Walking, taking a shower, everywhere. Only execution happens at the desk, but everything else is in your head constantly. Switching between two serious practices is genuinely hard. It’s not about time but about mental bandwidth.

We don’t see many people living truly multidisciplinary careers because serious work demands deep focus, not just time.

What is being multidisciplinary?

Most people can realistically manage only two or three major buckets in life. Work, family, and one personal pursuit maybe. Doing a job and being a mother, in my opinion, is still being multidisciplinary. We in India still have a lot of responsibilities. Physically we might have moved to become nuclear families, but emotionally we are bound by the society around us.

These days, the third bucket is often consumed by social media or recovery time. Adding a fourth bucket like furniture commissions means something else must be sacrificed. What do you think one should let go? (Let me know in the comments)

Indian economic reality

Money changes the equation. A gig worker juggles three jobs out of necessity, not passion. Artists and poets diversify because one medium rarely pays enough. But a Senior Product Designer in tech is making good money. They don’t have to do screen printing or print wedding cards on weekend.

The financial friction of starting a second professional practice isn’t worth it when one stream is already comfortable. Multidisciplinary drive usually comes from either curiosity (refusing to be boxed in) or necessity (needing multiple income streams to survive).

We see many international artists who work with glass and textile, or UI and LED lamps. That’s because if they fail, their government is not going to let them die of hunger or go without shelter. The ecosystem is designed to support art and design.

They exist. You’re just looking in the wrong places.

It’s not as bad in India as it sounds. There are people actually doing multidisciplinary work. They just aren’t loud or openly talking about it on social media platforms. Because they’re too busy actually doing the work.

Lafa Labs in Goa does material science and stationery. Rock Paper Scissors experiments with materials alongside client work. Ink & Gradient in Koramangala are architects now doing letterpress professionally. There’s a designer from Uber India who runs sold out pop up dining clubs. A guy in Singapore ran a letterpress studio while doing graphic design as his main job.

Once you get into these smaller communities, you will know how deep the rabbit hole goes. Lot of people are doing multidisciplinary work in their own ways.

To summarise

A long LinkedIn bio? Being busy in real action? Taking care of old parents? Helping kids with school assignments? Posting on social media? All are different jobs and according to me all are being multidisciplinary. There are no right answers to what one should prioritise over another or what gives them more joy. It’s best if we define what multidisciplinary means to us and become one. Hope this helps. Please let me know in the comments sections what do you think?

1. Thumbnail → Click Through Rate

Your thumbnail is the billboard. It needs to be impressive, relatable, and click-worthy. YouTube watches whether people click when your video shows up. No clicks, no distribution.

2. Title → Search Discovery

Your title should work like a search engine answer. When someone types something into YouTube’s search box, your title should feel like exactly what they were looking for. Be useful before being clever.

3. First 1–3 Minutes → Retention

YouTube tracks whether people stay after clicking. Did the video deliver on the promise the thumbnail and title made? If yes, it gets pushed to more people. If not, it gets buried. Those opening minutes are your audition, for every single video.

Everything on YouTube is designed to be helpful. We just need to understand the mechanics well enough to make sure our content lands correctly.

Making intros that hold attention

1. Option 1 — Show episode highlights. Pull the best moments from the episode and stack them upfront. Examples: Sunita Williams On 286 Days in Space, NASA Missions & Astronaut Mindset | FO461 Raj Shamani, OR Naravane, Parliament Chaos to Moral Potatoes & Trump’s Monkey to Trade Deals | Teen Taal S2 Ep 142.

2. Option 2 — Host-driven teaser. The host walks through what’s coming, with lots of B-roll. Example: Ep. 313 - The Philosophy of Order in Design with Prof. Kirti Trivedi.

No right answer. Keep experimenting till you hit a sweet spot, then keep inventing as consumption behaviour changes.

The more, the better

Each episode can be sliced into multiple short-form clips that drive traffic back to the main video. Alex Hormozi says, 1 post a day is not enough. 450 posts a month minimum.

Great references

Following videos / channels are master class on understanding Youtube

1. Paddy Galloway

2. Think Media

3. TubeBuddy

4. Alex Hormozi

5. Ali Abdaal

6. How Mr. Beast Get Over 100,000,000 Views Per Video

7. MrBeast Shares His Best YouTube Advice

8. GaryVee is one guy to follow

Where to find B-rolls & audio

1. Pexels Videos

2. Pixabay Videos

3. Paid B-roll: Storyblocks ($21/m, unlimited downloads)

4. Motion Array ($16/m)

5. Personal hack - Screen grabs from YouTube videos work too — just keep any single clip under 6-8 seconds to avoid copyright issues.

6. Royalty-free audio: YouTube’s built-in library + NoCopyrightMusic channel

7. AI-generated stock footage & music:

   1. Suno (music)

   2. Sora (video)

   3. Kling (video)

Where and how to record interview

1. Recording & editing: Riverside — record, edit, and repurpose in one place. Cuts post-production time by 50%.

2. Repurposing: Opus Pro — AI-powered clipping of best moments. Great tutorials on site. You can also try Cast Magic.

3. Descript - AI-editing for every kind of video

There are many good alternatives. These are which I have used and worked fine.

How to distribute

1. Buffer — post to X, IG, YT, LinkedIn with one click.

2. Hootsuite — pricier, but deeper analytics.

Hope this helps. Please let me know in the comments section if you got questions or more things to be added to the cheat sheet.

Dhawal Ashar is a Head of Sustainable Cities & Transport program at WRI, India. His work integrates transport engineering and urban design to improve safety and sustainability in cities. The following SamaChar has 4 interesting questions and answers from the main episode. Know how Mumbai moves, how transport planning process happens, why do we have traffic jams and hopeful future of Mumbai’s transport design.

It’s an essential read for designers, planners, students, and citizens who care about cities. Listen to the full episode and share it with friends, family, and design and art communities.

1️⃣ How does Mumbai travel?

In short

51% on foot.

In detail

First let me explain what a trip is. Assume you are going from your house to office on a train - thats one trip. (your return journey is another trip). This trip has 3 legs. First leg, from your house to station, then your train journey and third is from station to office. You can walk, get an auto, ride a bike - That doesn’t matter.

We are looking at over 15 million trips that the city of Mumbai makes each day. I am quoting this from a study that BMC did in 2014 called the Comprehensive Mobility Plan. About 70%+ commutes by the train. Then you have the BEST, followed by IPTs - taxis, auto rickshaws and now the Ubers and Olas, followed by motorcycle, followed by car. All of this is just the motorised trips. The study estimated that about 51% of all trips in Mumbai happen on foot. Personal automobiles are 5-7% of all trips that happen in Mumbai. So largely this is how Mumbai travels.

2️⃣ How does transport planning process happen?

In short

Surveys, mapping and projections.

In detail

Transport planning is a four step process. Trip generation, trip distribution, mode split and trip assignment. We do surveys, go to households and ask people about their daily trips. This is what we call a trip diary. That becomes our base model of what is happening right now. It tells us how many trips are being made and why they are being made.

Based on that, we do projections based on many scenarios. We then assign trips to every link (road). We know the capacity of that road and we also know the volume on that road. When the volume is more than the capacity, then that is a jam. That is how problems get identified.

For smaller projects, we do a traffic impact assessment. For city level studies, we divide the city into zones. This entire process helps us understand where pressure exists and where interventions are required.

3️⃣ Why is there so much traffic on Indian streets?

In short

We are loosening the belt than becoming healthier.

In detail

First, we put traffic signals. When jams go past the previous signal, we make the road one way. Many roads in Pune and Bangalore became one ways for this reason. When one way gets saturated, we build a flyover. When the flyover gets saturated, we build another flyover on top. But thats not solving the problem. We are worsening it. We are loosening our belt as we keep growing inches. We are not figuring out ways to become healthier. At some point, we need modal shifts.

We have to figure out ways to get people out of their cars, and make them use some form of public transport. Decision making, should be driven by whether we care about moving cars or we care about moving people.

4️⃣ What gives you hope for Mumbai’s transport future?

In short

Walking population.

In detail

One thing that makes me very hopeful is that majority of Mumbaikar’s walk. We will have to transform at some point soon. Every city in Europe has gone through these phases at some point in the fifties and the seventies. It is not like they were pedestrian friendly cities always. Everyone had an automobile peak at some point. But then through well documented strategies and changes, they have become more walking friendly now - the best destinations for travel. It is not uncommon to go to Paris and walk 10KMs a day.

What gives me hope for Mumbai is that we know what the problem is. We have enough experience to provide solutions are fairly low cost. We are seeing a lot of focus on public transport and metro construction. Hopefully, in a decade from now, we should be in a much better place.

If you wish to listen to more details, here are links to the full 60 minutes fun conversation - Youtube | TGP Website | Spotify | Apple Podcast

Let me know what stood out to you the most in the comments section. TGP has been labour of love since 2016 and I would highly appreciate if you can share this to as many people in your network. The subscriber count isn’t increasing and I need your help.

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Stay tuned for more SamaChar and episodes from The Gyaan Project!

Mahendra Patel is a retired senior faculty member of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. Presently, he is a mentor professor at Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune and mentor consultant at Leaf Design, Mumbai.

Mahendra Bhai (as many call him) has taught at NID, Ahmedabad for a long 39 years and conducted numerous workshops across various institutes across India, USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Pakistan. In 2010 he was awarded the Gutenberg Prize of the International Gutenberg Society and the City of Mainz for his contribution to typography.

Today’s Samachar has got some practical answers for Designers and non-designers alike. Regarding Font designers called Authors? Well, it’s mainly about respect and pride. More at the end of this SamaChar.

1️⃣ Is Comic Sans really a bad font?

Short answer: If misused.

Long answer: A font has nothing to do with being good or bad. It is we who make it so. If you use Comic Sans appropriately, for example, for children or handwriting or doodle expressions, it works. I always say a font should be decided by its use, technology, subject, and users. That is what typography is about. The right balance between readability and legibility. Serif or classic fonts are more suitable for day-to-day or heavy reading in print. But on computers or screens, the thick and thin strokes of a serif font can get lost because of pixelation, so a mono-line or sans serif font works better. If you enlarge and manage the weight properly, even a serif can work. I can make any font look good with good typography.

How we made the typeface Comic Sans with Vincent Connare, typographer

2️⃣ Do fonts have emotion?

Short answer: Feeling comes with treatment.

Long answer: A font on its own is seen as black and white. When we talk about emotion or expression, it is not only black and white. There is color, size, alignment, use of capitals or lower case, spacing between letters, and spacing between lines. All these things work together to create the intended impact or expression of a typeface. For example, if you use a sans serif in pink, it feels feminine or soft. If you use the same sans serif in bold steel blue, it becomes industrial. Even among sans serifs, some are more human because they follow handwriting flow and readability, while others are geometric and constructed. So, the feeling comes from both design and treatment.

Know more about The Psychology of Fonts.

3️⃣ Helvetica vs Frutiger vs Futura — how do you choose?

Short answer: Depends on the context.

Long answer: Helvetica and similar newer faces were drawn on vertical and horizontal axes. They are more constructed, less written. Frutiger and Verdana bring in humanistic considerations, so they support reading comfort along with clarity. Futura and other early geometric faces focus on graphic construction. So my choices follow use. For an architect’s building, Futura or a geometric form may fit the visual idea. For a short sign, Helvetica is fine because there are only a few words. For a research paper or a whole city’s signage system, I would go to Frutiger, because it supports many kinds of readers every day. Context, comfort, and intended duration matter. Anything used appropriately can be good, but purpose leads the selection.

Typewolf has been my go to place for Typography. What’s yours? let me know in the comments below.

4️⃣ How do you build hierarchy and pair serif with sans?

Short answer: With trained eyes.

Long answer: It depends on how much differentiation or hierarchy you want to give. If you want a subtle, sophisticated difference, then typographically make it bold, larger, or change the color but keep the same font. If you want further distinction, then go for capitalisation or small caps. When that is still not enough, you can contrast Serif with Sans Serif, or Sans Serif with Serif. There is also something called text gray—when you look at a text column, you feel a certain texture or luster. Some letters, because of their contrast or treatment, look harsh, while some feel smooth. It depends on what texture is pleasing to the eye or suits your text. That can be controlled by using color or tone instead of just black. Typography is different from type design. Letterforms are only raw material; rhythm, balance, and contrast come from typographic decisions

Fontpair is an amazing resource for all Designers.

I hope these questions and answers are interesting and helpful. If you wish to listen to more details, here are links to the full 38 minutes conversation and it’s transcript. Youtube | TGP Website | Spotify | Apple Podcast

The question I began this SamaChar was, Why are font designer called Authors?

Before computers came, it was only hot metal. To design a type and make the master matrices and cast them in particular sizes would take two to three years. It required a lot of precision, mechanical and hand skill, and even metallurgy because it involved casting and cutting. It was a very skilful job, more than just design. The ownership was very high and people like Baskerville, Garamond, Bodoni were proud to have their own fonts, printers, or foundries. These couldn’t be copied easily. Then, with phototypesetting, things became easier; you drew instead of cutting, but it still needed optical understanding and correction. Computers changed everything. With Fontographer and FontLab, drawing became very precise and accessible. People revise old fonts and name them with legends out of respect. Authorship is different today, but the idea of designing a voice remains.

If you are interested in Typography, Calligraphy, Type design, I have created a playlist. Do check it out.

Rajat Kapoor is a celebrated Indian actor-filmmaker and playwright, known for his work since the 1990s. Raghu Romeo, Aankhon Dekhi, RK/RKay and more are all time great watch. We spoke deeply about art, challenges of independent cinema and his films. If you’re a young Indian filmmaker, art-student, designer or creative curious about cinema beyond the mainstream, today’s SamaChar will give you a sneak peak into our long conversation (which I highly recommend listening). But for now, here are 4 Q&A from our talk.

1️⃣ What is independent cinema to you?

Short answer: Honesty and authorship.

Long answer: Independent cinema is independent in thought. It is not defined by money, stars, or distribution but by the filmmaker’s vision. That’s the real mark. You can recognize a Van Gogh painting instantly because it carries his signature. Similarly, when you watch a Coen Brothers film or something by Nolan or Woody Allen, you know it’s theirs. Even if they work within a studio, their authorship remains. That’s independence. If a film feels like anybody could have made it, it has no identity. Independence means the director’s vision shapes every frame, even within constraints. It’s not about scale or glamour but about honesty and authorship. The film should bear the unmistakable stamp of its maker.

2️⃣ Why do we need independent cinema?

Short answer: Rice and Rose.

Long answer: Why does art exist? You can get by without it, but life would be dry. It’s like rice and a rose. Rice keeps you alive, and the rose tells you how to live. You don’t need art for sustenance, but you need it for everything beyond the body and the mind. Why do you look at a tree or the sea for hours? Because beauty enriches you in ways that are not tangible. Art fulfils that spiritual need. If cinema changes people in a short run, it’s propaganda. Good cinema puts you in an universe and enriches your soul in long run giving joy and meaning. Without it, life would be empty.

3️⃣ What has been the biggest challenge for indie cinema in India?

Short answer: Money.

Long answer: Funding has always been the hardest part. In the seventies, NFDC gave independent filmmakers a start to people like Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani, Govind Nihalani. But when NFDC stopped producing in the mid-eighties, that entire ecosystem collapsed. When liberalisation happened in nineties the state withdrew from supporting art, which was a huge blow. Later, multiplexes revived hope for a few years. Films like Mixed Doubles, Khosla Ka Ghosla, and Bheja Fry found their audience again. But by 2008, mainstream cinema took over even that space. So yes, money is still the biggest challenge. A small, committed audience exists who are exposed to world cinema but reaching them is difficult. Without proper funding, many good stories never get told.

4️⃣ Why is your company called Mithya Talkies?

Short answer: What you see is not what you get.

Long answer: The name came from my film Mithya. It means “what you see is not what you get.” It’s a lie, but a true one. Dreams feel real while you dream them. When you wake up, you realize it was a dream. That is what life is too. It’s real as you live it, but it’s also an illusion. We call it Maya in Indian philosophy. Cinema holds the same paradox. Godard said cinema is truth at 24 frames per second, but he also called it be the biggest fraud. Both are true. That’s the beauty of it.

Should films be planned from a commercial standpoint first? How did multiplexes and OTT change your audience? Can art really change the world? Where do you see the future of indie cinema in India? There are many more questions and even more thought provoking answers in the entire episode. Please do give it a listen on your favourite podcasting apps.

You can find the episode on Youtube, Spotify, TGP Website, and Apple Podcast.

The Gyaan Project has been documenting creative wisdom since 2016. I hope these conversations and their SamaChars’ are helpful. The only way I can know is by you sharing and commenting on these posts. Let me know what do you think.

Leave a comment

If you enjoyed this, there are few more TGP episodes that might interest you.

• Ep. 312 - From Satya to Safar Mein Sheher: Mazhar Kamran on Cinema, Craft, and Culture

• Ep. 311 - Why everyone is both student and teacher with Arunaraje Patil

• Ep. 285 - Censorship in films with Ajit Rai (Hindi)

• Ep. 275 - Documentary making with Jan Schmidt Garre (Part 1)

• Ep. 262 - Production design with Meenal Agarwal

• Ep. 246 - rk/rkay & film making with Rajat Kapoor

• Ep. 222 - A Film Artist with Ashish Avikunthak

• Ep. 208 - Cognitive Gym with Anand Gandhi (4th Anniversary episode)

• Ep. 196 - MUBI - Case study with Svetlana Naudiyal

• Ep. 189 - Satyajit Ray; The Graphic Designer with Pinaki De

• Ep. 187 - What is Posterphilia? with Jahan Singh Bakshi

• Ep. 55 - Exploring Filmosophy with Amrit Gangar

• Ep. 25 - Efforts behind effortless acting with Dilip Prabhavalkar

• Ep. 13 - Last temptations of an actor with Atul Kulkarni

• Ep. 9 - Creative challenges with Varun Grover

This SamaChar is in his memory and wishing him belated happy birthday. Hanif, thanks for inspiring us all designers and artists.

1️⃣ How do you define graffiti and street art? How different are they?

Short Answer: Cousins, not twins.

Long Answer: Graffiti and street art often get confused, but they come from very different places. Graffiti in the West started with writing and tagging. Young people would invent a name or a tag and repeat it on trains, in subways, across the city. It was about rebellion, about being seen. On the other hand, street art grew out of a different culture. It is more visual, more about making something the public can engage with. In India, we always had a culture of painting on walls. From villages where huts are decorated, to public art that people could live with.

Know more as Hanif talks about reclaiming Streets, One Wall at a Time at TEDxIITHyderabad

2️⃣ How do you pick a subject for a mural?

Short Answer: Barber shop philosophy.

Long Answer: Indian streets are full of life. Barbers, shoe polishers, food vendors, families, everything. When picking a subject, the artist spends time around the wall, learns about the people and the local life. We give them freedom but make sure nothing religious or political comes up. The goal is art embedded in the city, not something offensive. Each mural is built from the surrounding context and intended for those living nearby. For eg: Sassoon Dock, Mumbai reflects the fishing community.

Read the back story of 150 ft mural of Mahatma Gandhi at the Police Headquarters in New Delhi

3️⃣ What are the pros and cons when street art reshape places?

Short Answer: Visibility versus gentrification.

Long Answer: A major pro is that people in the localities remember the painted areas. For example, in Shahpur Jat, people started giving directions based on the paintings, like “take a left from the cat”. A con is that if something becomes too popular, it can lead to gentrification, where an area becomes “cool,” prices go up, and low-income groups are forced to move. We are careful and work with government spaces to try and prevent this.

Hanif Kureshi was a saint and bandit of urban Indian street art. Know more at Stirworld. All photos are from https://www.stirworld.com

4️⃣ What’s your message to young artists listening today?

Short Answer: Walls are calling

Long Answer: You don’t have to wait for someone’s permission to start. When I began, nobody invited me or gave me a platform. I just picked up paint and went out on the street. The walls are free and they are always calling. If you feel that urge, pick up a brush or a spray can and go do it. You will learn more by painting one wall than by waiting for the perfect opportunity. The process itself will teach you. That is how street art lives and breathes, by being out there, in the open, for everyone to see.

A One-Man Revolution: The Artistic Legacy Of The Late Hanif Kureshi. Know more on Re-thinkingthefuture.com

Hanif Kureshi’s murals and ideas gives us perspective to see our streets in a different light. His birthday was on 12 October and today he would have tuned 43. This SamaChar is a small tribute to celebrate his vision that continues to inspire us all.

Comment what resonated with you the most. This project is ad-free and labour of love since 2016, so sharing, liking, commenting can make a huge difference.

If you wish to listen to the entire episode, please find all links here: Spotify | YouTube | Website | Apple Podcasts.

Similar episodes you might like

If you enjoyed this post, here are few more on murals, street art that might interest you.

Nand Kishore Chaudhary founded Jaipur Rugs in 1978, working beside nine artisans on two looms. He started his business on the principles of dignity. Today, he is the entrepreneur behind one of the largest manufacturers of hand-knotted rugs and is often referred to as the ‘Gandhi of the Carpet Industry’.

Along with NK Chaudhary we were joined by her daughter Kavita Chaudhary. She is Design Director at Jaipur Rugs & Jaipur Living, where she leads innovation through artisan-led creativity. Trained in the US, she bridges global design thinking with India’s grassroots craftsmanship.

1️⃣ What is the foundation principle of Jaipur Rugs?

Short Answer: Love for weavers and weaving.

Long Answer: When I (said Nand Kishore) started Jaipur Rugs, everyone warned me against working with “untouchable” weavers. But I ignored the caste lines. I shared food with them. I sat beside them as they worked. That love and dignity laid the foundation for Jaipur Rugs. For sustainability to be achieved, it must begin with strong relationships. You cannot treat people like labourers and expect to connect with their craft.

What other handicraft items do you know of? Let us know in the comments 👇

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2️⃣ How does Jaipur Rugs maintain artisan innocence and creativity?

Short Answer: No interference, full freedom.

Long Answer: I (said Nand Kishore) believe that creativity stems from authenticity and innocence. Take the example of our "Manchaha project" artisans. Normally, carpet designs come from a studio and the weavers are told to follow instructions. In the “Manchaha Project” we gave weavers a blank canvas and asked them to design on their own. After some initial hesitation, this led to carpet designs that gained global attention.

Are we taking enough care of our artisans?

3️⃣ What is "Jugaad" in the context of rural artisans?

Short Answer: Spontaneous & innovative solutions.

Long Answer: "Jugaad" is a term often used for hack-like solutions. I (said Kavita) could see it in the spontaneity of rural artisans. Their creativity shows up in both everyday problem-solving and artistic expression. For example, one girl had embroidered her best friend’s name on her dupatta. It wasn’t planned. It was emotional and instinctive. While jugaad typically refers to finding solutions with limited resources, I view it as a form of innovation grounded in real-life experiences.

An interesting read: Jugaad Innovation: A Frugal And Flexible

4️⃣ What makes handmade survive in a tech world?

Short Answer: Present over perfect.

Long Answer : (Kavita said) Rural people live in the present. They don’t think five or ten years ahead. They just do what’s in front of them with full attention. So everything in their life involves the hand. That’s why handwork still exists. It’s not replaced by machines because it was never about speed and was always about presence. That’s why they don’t take easily to cutting-edge tools. It breaks their rhythm.

Is handicraft the new premium?

We believe that love, dignity, and freedom are key to scaling a business rooted in indigenous craft. Jaipur Rugs is living proof of that. What do you think? Let us know in the comments👇

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Link to the full episode - Spotify || Youtube || Substack || Apple Podcast

Tarun Deep Girdher serves as a Principal Faculty in Graphic Design at NID Ahmedabad. He is recognized for designing influential government logos, including the RTI ( Right to Information ) logo and NOTA ( None of the Above ) symbol, and for his extensive contributions to design education.

1️⃣ What's the main difference between designing for a government agency and a commercial company?

Short Answer: Survival.

Long Answer : I have observed that government agencies operate very differently from commercial companies. For a commercial company, a logo is a tool for survival. It needs to remain in the customer’s sight to create brand recall and associate with a product or service. For a government department, a logo is more like a face or an identifier. Whether people recognize a logo or not, doesn't necessarily influence the work of that ministry. Commercial logos work to sell and stay memorable, while government logos serve mainly to identify and represent authority.

What is your favorite GOI logo? Let us know in the comments 👇

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2️⃣ What's the biggest challenge you faced with the RTI logo design?

Short Answer: Avoiding bad interpretations.

Long Answer: The color had to be consistent (Sobre blue, #6A89A7), even when painted by thousands of local sign painters across rural India, so I chose a commonly available blue. The typeface needed clarity and distinctiveness. Bell Gothic gave the capital “I” a serif, improving recognition across scripts. The design had to reproduce well in different formats and contexts, from stickers to walls, without losing meaning. It also had to avoid an authoritative look, staying approachable yet credible, as per the brief. Finally, we conducted field research and public testing to ensure interpretations matched the intent, avoiding undesirable associations and ensuring the logo connected with citizens everywhere.

Do check Project Pratima - I with few other designers designed an icon library for all financial institutions in India (PCI and RBI initiative)

3️⃣ How was it like to design NOTA symbol for ballot paper/EVM?

Short Answer: Paradoxical.

Long Answer: The NOTA option presents a paradox. People take the trouble of voting, but choose "None of the Above." The symbol had to show rejection without disrespecting candidates. We needed to avoid religious or cultural cues and ensure it was instantly understandable for first-time voters. The design would only be seen inside polling booths ( as no one campaigns for NOTA ). So recognition had to happen immediately. To find the final symbol, my team and I explored Indian gestures for "no", studied different cross marks and tested recall from people of various age groups.

Check nuances of Indian symbols - Trinetra by IDC

4️⃣ Apart from designing what is the most important job of a designer?

Short Answer: D2P ( Designer to People )

Long Answer: Most of the designers work with large corporations or government agencies. The symbol they design get used by these firms to approach(or sometimes poach) users. My advice to upcoming designers is to test their design directly with people. Explain your work to your parents, neighbours, or fellow train commuters. Big collaborations start with awareness at the smallest level.

To find out more about Tarun Deep’s work follow his blogs tarunonlife.wordpress.

If you are a designer, here are a few questions to ponder this 🇮🇳 Independence Day:

1. Have you designed anything (process, space, artefact) outside your job that has made life better for you and those around you?

2. Have you taken time to explain to non-designers (family, friends, relatives, co-commuters) what design is and what exactly you do?

3. Have you adapted your work to make it accessible to people from very different backgrounds or with different abilities? How?

4. What is your personal contribution—no matter how small—to shaping the design landscape of independent India?

5. Have you done any design work for social impact in India?

If, yes, please share in the comments and I will post it on TGP social handles as case studies / stories by you.

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If this Samachar intrigued your design thought consider listening to the complete conversation. Link to the full episode - Spotify || Youtube || TGP Website

Sujata Keshavan is the co-founder of Ray+Keshavan and the creative mind behind Varana. She has built some of India’s most iconic visual identities and continues to shape design thinking across industries.

1️⃣ What was it like to introduce design to Indian business in the 90s?

Short Answer: Build a common vocabulary

Long Answer: When I started Ray+Keshavan in 1989, most Indian companies didn’t understand design at all. They thought it was about decoration. I had to explain what design really meant, often to rooms full of engineers and accountants. Sometimes, they even asked their wives to give feedback! It was a different time. But those moments laid the foundation for serious design thinking in Indian business.

Brief History of Design by David Kelly.

2️⃣ How do you separate design from art?

Short Answer: Design solves. Art expresses.

Long Answer: For me, art is fundamentally about self expression but design is not. Design must come from the content. It must solve a problem. When designers impose their own style on everything, it becomes self-indulgent. Good design is functional. It must respond to the brief, to the user, to the world it’s trying to improve.

3️⃣ How undervalued was design when you started out?

Short Answer: I was told to charge per square centimetre.

Long Answer: In advertising, design was priced at 2 rupees 65 paise per square centimetre. That was absurd. A small piece could require just as much thinking as a big one. I decided to charge for the idea, not the size. People saw design as print support but I saw it as Intellectual Property. That was the shift that I wanted to see in industry.

What do you think? Has the industry caught up with the mindset Sujata fought for? Share your take!

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4️⃣ What’s the biggest gap in Indian design today?

Short Answer: We need more designers.

Long Answer : India needs millions of designers. But we simply don’t have enough schools. The ones that exist are mostly urban, expensive, and out of reach for many. And there aren’t enough educators either. Most designers prefer working in the industry. I believe design education should be part of engineering too. We need to embed design thinking across disciplines.

Economic Times had also published an article on the dearth of Designers that India faces.

Do a little wardrobe audit today. How much of your finest clothing is truly made in India? If the answer is very little, it’s time to ask why. Brands like Varana are changing that by blending heritage craft with global design. Next time you buy luxury, consider supporting stories woven at home.

Link to the full episode - Spotify || Youtube || Substack || Apple Podcast

Late Guru Bhanumati ( 1923-2022 ) is one of the most respected names in Bharatnatyam (one form of Classical Indian Dance). With over 2000 solo performances in India and abroad, she had won many accolades. To know more about her, read the description of our episode with her.

1️⃣ Who is a Guru?

Short Answer: One who nurtures you completely not just in parts.

Long Answer: A Guru, for me, is much more than a teacher. The Guru is someone who opens your mind and gives direction to your life. School teachers change every year. In contrast, a Guru stays with you for a long time, almost like a parent. In the classical dance world, a Guru is not just an instructor but also a spiritual guide. The Guru understands each student’s strengths, weaknesses and unique purpose; whether it’s teaching, performing, or choreography. Guru helps you express emotions clearly. Guru nurtures both the artistic and human side of a Shishya.

The Beautiful Tree is perhaps the most comprehensive study of this institution in 18th Century.

2️⃣ Is complete surrender of student(Shishya) a pre-requisite in Guru Shishya Parampara?

Short Answer: You can have doubt in the subject, not in the Guru.

Long Answer: In my experience, surrender to the Guru is essential in the Guru-Shishya parampara. I’ve seen that when a student truly surrenders, learning becomes deeper and more meaningful. I’ve noticed that if a student doubts the Guru, progress stops. You can question the subject, ask for clarifications, and be curious about the art. But if you start doubting the Guru’s intent or wisdom, you lose the real benefit of this tradition.

Dilip Menon advocated for a different type of education system.

3️⃣ Is it possible to become better than your Guru?

Short Answer: It is neither easy nor impossible.

Long Answer: Yes, and as a Guru, I feel proud when that happens. My own student, Sheela, has excelled in all areas of dance. I feel genuine pride. It’s like a mother’s pride in her child’s success. My role as a Guru is to nurture and celebrate my student’s growth, even if they go beyond my own achievements. That’s the real spirit of the tradition. I’ve experienced this joy firsthand, and it’s the most fulfilling part of being a Guru.

Whom do you consider your Guru (like Dronacharya) in the current time? Drop your comments.

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4️⃣ What is your take on the generalist vs specialist debate?

Short Answer: The future of “Jack of all” is frustration.

Long Answer : My advice to today’s generation is to be sincere. Being a “Jack of all” will take you nowhere. When you are young, you can do everything and thus you do a lot of things together. Ultimately, this leads to frustration as you start questioning your own self. A better approach is to find your interest and pursue it in depth with utmost sincerity.

Do you feel the same in the world of AI? Let me know in the comments.

The full moon of Guru Poornima is an apt representation of a Guru. The darkness around the moon symbolises the ocean of ignorance a disciple is in before meeting the Guru. Moon (Guru) is the only recourse to light (knowledge) in this pitch-black night (ignorance).

Fun Fact: After having written 15+ SamaChar, Guru Bhanumati stands as the first advocate of Specialisation, in this specialisation vs generalist debate.

Link to the full episode - Spotify || Youtube || Substack || Apple Podcast

Below are some of the other conversations which touched the subject of Guru Shishya Parampara. Happy Guru Poornima!

Navneet Nair is a product design leader with over two decades of experience at Google, Yahoo, and as former Head of Design at PhonePe (which is what he was while recording the podcast). He is a big advocate of value-centered design and now serves as Director of UX at Target.

1️⃣ How should startup founders think about team building?

Short Answer: Think like football and not basketball.

Long Answer: Startups are like football. Success depends on all players. One weak link can cost the goal. Studies have shown that improving your weakest player by 5% gives a 30% lift in efficiency. On the contrary improving your best player by 5% gives only 3% lift. Basketball, by contrast, allows a single great player to carry the team, like Michael Jordan. In startups, founders should identify and improve the weakest function—be it design, tech, or marketing—to build a balanced, high-performing team.

Which is the “weakest link” in your startup right now—and what’s stopping you from fixing it?👇 Drop your comments.

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2️⃣ How can startups compete with established players?

Short Answer: Find the gap.

Long Answer: India had only 2.5 lakh ATMs for 1.3 billion people (0.0002 ATM per person). Most are in urban areas. I was in a village in Karnataka, where the ATM was inside the bank building. On Sunday, the bank was closed so I couldn't use the ATM. Most people use to stand in bank lines to withdraw money. This is the gap that we found and asked ourselves what if our PhonePe merchants become an ATM? You scan a QR code, get money from the merchant. Within a short period, we had 10 lakh merchants signed up for this. We became India's largest ATM network.

There are some cool stats around PhonePe UPI transactions - Link

3️⃣ What's the danger of focusing only on profits?

Short Answer: Boeing syndrome.

Long Answer: Boeing 737 Max had wrong center of gravity. They introduced software to adjust the tilt but didn't tell pilots. When planes started adjusting lift opposite to what pilots were doing, it caused crashes.

Ford Pinto was built under $2000 in 25 months to compete with Japanese cars. Even Steve Jobs drove this car because it looked good. But in rear-end collisions, the car caught fire. About 200 people lost their lives over 5-10 years. These cases show what happens when you only keep profit in mind without considering broader impact.

K.K. Create in her recent short asked some difficult questions regarding the role of Boeing in recent AI171 air crash in Ahmedabad.

4️⃣ What happens when startups chase user engagement blindly?

Short Answer: Digital addiction trap.

Long Answer : When I was designing for social media, I made sites so easy to use that people became addicted. I didn't think about addiction then. I just wanted users to return. Now we have “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix talking about these problems. User-centered design can make products so engaging that they become harmful. That's why apart from profit and costumers, startups must look at value proposition from an early stage. You need to ask why you're building this product in the first place.

Jonathan Haidt in his book “The Anxious Generation” delves into this question from an academic perspective.

Throughout the conversation Navneet stressed on the importance of behavioural economics, data driven decisions and value centered design. I would strongly recommend listening to the entire episode (Youtube | Spotify | Substack | ApplePodcast) for more amazing takeaways. Let me know what do you think about this in the comments.

Daniel Burka is Director of Product and Design at Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), leading the ‘Simple’ platform for millions of patients in India, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. He founded the Open Source Health Icons project and sits on the board of Laboratoria. Daniel’s background spans Google Ventures and multiple startups. He’s known for blending design and product management to solve real-world problems. Joined in this conversation is Shreays Satish, founder of Ownpath.com.

This episode is part of a 10-part special series called Designer’s Digest, done in association with Godrej Design Lab. It explores design as a profession—its daily grind, career growth, industry realities, and the skills required to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.

1️⃣ Is the 'tension' between product, design, and engineering teams beneficial?

Short Answer: ‘Tension’ is a necessary evil.

Long Answer: Tension among product managers, engineers, and designers is crucial for building exceptional products. Product managers often prioritize short-term business metrics, which, if unchecked, can compromise long-term success. Engineers focus on technical performance. While designers champion the user experience, often with a more qualitative and long-term view. This inherent tension forces a balanced perspective, preventing any single focus from dominating and leading to suboptimal outcomes. It ensures decisions are robust, considering performance, business goals, and customer satisfaction holistically. This safeguards the product's future viability and UX.

2️⃣ What is your take on Specialist vs Generalist debate?

Short Answer: A Jack of all trades is better.

Long Answer: I honestly think that specialization is a dangerous trend in design. Even at big companies, I advocate for fairly generalist designers who can do copywriting, do at least some basic user research, design icons when needed, or work with illustration teams. Designers keep throwing around the word unicorn dismissively when hiring, but I think it's extremely valuable for designers to have a fairly broad toolkit. Specialists pigeonhole themselves into a very minor part of the design process. For larger influence and true effectiveness, you need broader knowledge.

The other side of the debate - Jordan Peterson

3️⃣ What is the key to efficient design in public healthcare?

Short Answer: 14-second interactions.

Long Answer: While interacting with public healthcare workers in India, 9 out of 10 suggested, “Don’t make my life harder.” To put that into perspective, healthcare workers in India get an average of 3-4 minutes per patient as they attend 150-200 patients daily. So our KPI while designing ‘Simple’ was to reduce the data entry time to 14 seconds per interaction. Scanning, entering blood pressure, updating medicines, and scheduling follow-up, all of it in 14 sec. This helped us scale. The system now manages 4.5 million+ hypertension/diabetes patients across India, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia by eliminating unnecessary complexity.

Peek into Design thought behind ‘Simple’ platform. Is it design, engineering, or the Product Manager’s thought? Let me know in the comments. 👇

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4️⃣ Who owns the user experience in an organization?

Short Answer: Everyone should.

Long Answer : It's not about who owns the user experience. I think that's a really poor way of looking at it. It's really about how do we get everyone in our organization to care about user experience. Take Netflix's buffering spinner. Designers didn't decide to put that logo over the screen when internet is unstable. An engineer decided that, and it's fundamentally user experience. Engineers probably just added an if statement for when to show buffering without designer input. But it's a really important part of Netflix user experience. If designers want to be successful at crafting user experience, we need to get everyone caring about it, not fighting over ownership.

Daniel Burka’s insights remind us that the best products emerge from collaboration, not silos. The interplay ‘tension’ between design, engineering, and product management leads to more thoughtful and resilient solutions. Daniel’s work in public health technology shows how listening to users, prioritizing simplicity, and embracing generalist skills can drive impact at scale.

If you are interested in the full conversation 👉 Youtube | Spotify | Substack | ApplePodcast

Let us begin with introduction. Ganesh Devy is a critic, thinker, editor, educator, and a cultural activist. He is the founder of the People’s Linguistic Survey of India, which documented over 700 Indian languages. He has worked for decades to protect dying languages and tribal knowledge. Devy has received the Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Award (which he returned) for his contribution to literature and language studies.

1️⃣ How do you define language?

Short Answer: Consciousness connector.

Long Answer: There are multiple ways to define language depending on your perspective. Some study it as a material system of signs, while others see it as a human invention for communication (connecting one consciousness to another). Grammarians define language as that which has grammar, structural linguists view it as arbitrarily created signs, and philosophers see it as carriers of meaning.

If you wish to explore various facets of Indian Languages, do check out India in Pixels

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2️⃣ How are standard languages and dialects determined?

Short Answer: Power and not grammar

Long Answer: There's no scientific basis for "standard" language, it's a sociological construct based on identity and power. When people migrate to new areas, settled communities, mark newcomers as "others" (partly through language differences). These outsiders are labeled as dialect users rather than standard language speakers. This identification isn't linguistic but reflects sociological bias. Every language is equally standard because all serve the same communication purpose. Words are like conveyor belts carrying meaning, and no version is inherently superior to another.

3️⃣ Does sound carry meaning?

Short Answer: Boom or bloom?

Long Answer: Indian philosophers debated this over a thousand years ago. Bhartṛhari(5th century) said meaning is a sphoṭa (boom), a sudden burst that happens when thought meets language, like a reflection in a river. He believed meaning is a momentary illusion. A few centuries later Anandavardhana (7th century) disagreed. He said meaning already exists in our mind before we speak. Sound just makes it visible (bloom). One saw meaning as a flash. The other saw it as a seed waiting to grow.

Indian Knowledge Tradition and System (IKS on Language and Grammar)

4️⃣ Is Hindi really a single language?

Short Answer: It’s more of a patchwork.

Long Answer : Hindi is more of an arrangement than a pure language. It was formalised in the early 1800s when the British needed language primers for their officers. John Gilchrist compiled one such primers and called it “Hindi”. Before that, no one used that word for their speech. People spoke Awadhi, Braj, Bhojpuri, and others. Even today, the Indian census lumps 65 different languages under the Hindi label (including Bundeli, Angika, and even Pawari). That’s why Hindi’s population keeps going up in census reports. So, Hindi survives because it accommodates. It’s a beautiful, humanitarian patchwork. But we must recognise it for what it is, an inclusive political and social arrangement, not a single linguistic system.

Do you know who is known as father of Modern Hindi Literature? Bhartendu-Harishchandra

Towards the end of the conversation Ganesh Devy pointed out that, though the number of speakers of language are increasing, vocabulary is shrinking. This narrowing of expression limits our creativity and understanding. To help avert this, let’s make a conscious effort to learn new words, explore regional dialects, and use language in richer, more imaginative ways. The more words we know and use, the more connected, creative, and empathetic we become.

One of TGP’s humble effort in this direction has been “Bharat ki Bhashayen.” Do check it out. 👇 Please do comment if you have more episodes on language which I can add to the playlist.

If you are interested in listening to the full conversation with Ganesh Devy, here are the links 👉 Youtube | Substack | Spotify | ApplePodcast

Anjali Menon is a designer and co-founder of Gudgudee (when we recorded this conversation), a studio known for creating inclusive play spaces. Her work has been featured by Forbes India and showcased at the United Nations in Vienna. She continues to shape conversations around design, childhood, and public space in India.

1️⃣ Where did the idea for building better playgrounds come from?

Short Answer: It started at a blind school.

Long Answer: Our journey began around 2011 when Aditi (Agarwal) and I visited the Blind People's Association in Ahmedabad. We noticed these children never played outside. They were overly protected and confined indoors. Initial instincts were to just add safety features, but we soon realized play is more than climbing or swinging. It is about sensory experiences, cognitive development, communication, risk-taking, and conflict resolution. We combined this understanding with observations of occupational therapy sessions to create our first prototype. When these prototypes broke after a week of intense use, we knew we were onto something meaningful! It evolved from a four-week course into a six-month passion project, eventually becoming Gudgudee.

76% of elementary school in India have playground facilities according to DISE 2022

2️⃣ Why focus on children with special needs when all kids use the playground?

Short Answer: 80-20 Rule Paradox

Long Answer: I truly believe that when we design for the 20% (children with special needs) we actually make playgrounds better for everyone. For example, when we add sensory elements like textures, sounds, and colors for visually impaired kids, all children find the playground more engaging. It’s like cricket: when you build a team with diverse skills, everyone benefits. Inclusive design isn’t a compromise, it is an upgrade. Every child, regardless of ability, gets a richer, more stimulating play experience. That’s the magic of designing for diversity, it lifts everyone up.

What does inclusive play mean?

3️⃣ What is the toughest part of selling a playground?

Short Answer: Design isn’t everything.

Long Answer: In the beginning, we believed good design would be enough to convince people. But clients wanted more. They asked if the playground would last, if it was affordable, and if it was better than what already exists. So, we had to shift our thinking. We started focusing on quality, safety, and cost. We picked better materials. We made sure our designs were not just creative but also strong and reliable. We didn’t want people to choose us only because we had good ideas. We wanted them to trust the full package. That’s when we truly grew. I learned that being a designer also means being practical, like a builder and a business owner.

4️⃣ Who do you work with on these projects?

Short Answer: Parents & Dreamers.

Long Answer : We work with schools, NGOs, real estate developers, and sometimes the government. But many of our best projects begin with parents who want better play spaces for their kids. They often become our strongest supporters. With NGOs, we talk to infrastructure teams and teachers. In government projects, we follow public space guidelines. Most of our collaborators are not designers, but they understand how important play is. That shared belief makes all the difference.

What do you think BCCI should do with ₹20,000+ crore of tax-free revenue to improve design of play spaces? Let us know 👇

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As the IPL lights up our screens and Virat Kohli steps away from Test cricket, it’s a good moment to ask, where will the next Kohli come from? Every icon starts small, on dusty grounds and makeshift pitches. If we want more legends, we need more playgrounds. Safe, inclusive, and well-designed play spaces aren’t a luxury rather they’re a necessity.

If you are interested in the full conversation 👉 Youtube | Substack | ApplePodcast

Ramu Ramanathan is a Mumbai-based playwright and director known for his incisive, socially engaged theatre. His acclaimed works, including Mahadevbhai, Cotton 56 Polyester 84 and Comrade Kumbhakarna, explore India's political and cultural landscapes. Beyond the stage, he is also the editor of PrintWeek and WhatPackaging? magazines, contributing to the print industry for over 30 years.

1️⃣ Why do heroes need flaws?

Short Answer: Perfection is an illusion.

Long Answer: What makes characters unforgettable are their flaws, contradictions and doubts. When I read plays like Urubhanga or Ghashiram Kotwal, I see people torn between pride and pain, loyalty and betrayal. If you're admiring a character, look beyond their speeches. Look at their wounds. The real theatre is often inside the broken places.

Do share some movies or plays where you came across an interesting grey character? 👇

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2️⃣ Does art influence society or does society influence art?

Short Answer: Chicken or Egg?

Long Answer: When we look at Western theatre — from Shakespeare to Ibsen, from Chekhov to Beckett — it’s clear that art and society shape each other. Shakespeare wrote about kings and queens because they ruled the world then. As the middle class rose, Ibsen and Chekhov shifted the stage into living rooms and drawing rooms, capturing quieter but equally fierce battles. Beckett came later and abandoned the old structures altogether, showing the confusion and absurdity that followed two devastating World Wars. Art reflects life, and life reflects art. They keep pushing and pulling each other, like a river carving its banks even as the banks guide its flow.

Listen to Varun Grover’s take on this question: Link

3️⃣ What's the secret weapon of powerful political theater?

Short Answer: Hidden subtext.

Long Answer: In colonial India, the British passed the Dramatic Performances Act to control theatre. Playwrights like Khadilkar found clever ways to fight back. In his play, Kichak Vadh, Khadilkar used mythological stories to hide political messages. On the surface, British officers saw just songs and dances. But Indian audiences understood the allegory of Kichak being the Lord Curzon, Draupadi being Mother India and Bengal, while the Pandavas were the Congress party with the moderates and extremists. Similarly, Karnad’s Tughlaq used history to show modern political failures. Great plays don't shout. They make not so apparent truth to establishment, evident to the audience.

Kissa Kursi Ka was a political satire which achieved this quite beautifully

4️⃣ What’s the most important thing to carry from a play?

Short Answer: Questions. Who pushed Humpty Dumpty?

Long Answer: Questions are both source and ultimate message of a good play. When PD James first heard the nursery rhyme “Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall” her first question was “who did it?” And this question became the bedrock of all the crime thrillers that she wrote. Similarly, When I walk out of a theatre or close a script, I don’t look for easy endings. I ask: What stayed with me? What still itches, nags, burns? As admirers of theatre, our greatest gift is to keep carrying these questions forward — into conversations, into classrooms, into our own lives.

Follow Ramu Ramanathan on X/Twitter

This Labour Day, let’s salute the unseen hands behind every story: writers, actors, stagehands and designers. Their daily work brings theatre to life. Ramu Ramanathan shows us that great plays don’t happen overnight. They grow through questions, conflicts and hidden truths. Here’s to every craftsman—on stage and off—whose effort keeps us thinking, feeling and moving forward.

If you are interested in the full conversation 👉 Spotify | Youtube | Substack | ApplePodcast

This week’s TGP Samachar (#9) dives deep into the dark, ironic, and visually explosive world of comics with Appupen—a.k.a George Mathen (formerly ▶️Audiogyan Ep.165). From redefining art to blowing up superhero narratives, Appupen uses comics not as escapism, but as confrontation. His characters don’t just live in fantasy—they speak truth to power, whisper rebellion, and reflect the rot we sometimes ignore.

1️⃣ Are comics still relevant in this scroll-fast world?

Short Answer: More than ever.

Long Answer: We live in a visual world now. My dad had never noticed app icons before. But now, he spots even tiny color changes in updates. Comics are a visual language—like emojis, but with more depth. They’re not just for kids anymore. Today, comics are tools. They bring clarity, spark rebellion, and speak protest. In a world full of media noise battles, comics are bite-sized grenades of truth.

Do you like comic books? Share the name of your favourite comics below 👇

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2️⃣ Do you think free speech still exists in India?

Short Answer: Only with an asterisk.

Long Answer: Free speech in India comes with conditions. The Constitution says we have it, but the mob often decides otherwise. Say something they don’t like, and you’re suddenly called anti-national. That’s why I turn to comics. They help me speak without shouting. They use symbols, whispers, and irony. You laugh, but you also think. I once created a character called Propagandhi. He started as someone who questioned the system. But later, he joined the “right” side and became a hero. That’s how fast things flip. Comics let me tell that story. No loud placards. Just quiet resistance. That is how I make sense of this performative nationalism.

Check out Rashtrayana II: Divide and Fool which featured Propagandhi

3️⃣ Is satire enough in the face of rising fascism?

Short Answer: It stings. Still.

Long Answer: I don’t think art can save the world. But I believe it can shake things a bit. Satire works like that. It doesn’t attack directly. It shows power slipping on its own ego. When I see fake news or blind belief spreading, I don’t argue—I draw. In Aspyrus, I asked a simple question: who puts that dream in your head? The story came from my own time in advertising. We sell dreams people didn’t even want. In Halahala, I create worlds where power looks different. Sometimes the hero fails. Sometimes love turns strange. These stories don’t shout, they whisper. If someone pauses to think after a laugh, the comic has done its job.

Can comics help us escape an Orwellian state? Check out this TedEd video

4️⃣ What's your issue with superhero narratives?

Short Answer: Dangerous worship.

Long Answer: I used to take Batman seriously. He had that dark edge I liked. But then I started thinking about Wayne Enterprises, which was involved in arms deals. These heroes make dangerous things look okay. Kids treat them like gods. That’s the problem. We stop questioning. That’s why I created Rashtraman. He’s loud, proud, and full of himself. But people still cheer for him. Through him, I show how easy it is to turn a hero into a tool. I make fun of heroes to show them their place.

Check Appupen’s work (appupen.wordpress.com) and follow him on Instagram.

In today’s climate, where satire is under scrutiny and comedians face courtrooms for punchlines, comics like Appupen do the quiet work of rebellion. They don’t shout, but they cut deep. His panels mix sarcasm, surrealism, and subtext to show the fears we’re not supposed to talk about. When headlines are curated and outrage is manufactured, art becomes one of the last free spaces. And it’s artists like Appupen who remind us that even in silence, resistance speaks.

If you are interested in the full conversation 👉 Spotify | Youtube | Substack | ApplePodcast

Many of you might recall the story of the squirrel who contributed tiny grains of sand during the bridge's construction to Lanka. Despite its small size, its sincere efforts earned Lord Ram’s affectionate appreciation. This story beautifully illustrates the profound impact even small contributions can make.

Similarly, The Gyaan Project (formerly Audiogyan) has always been about contributing our bit to the vast ocean of knowledge and wisdom. Over 300+ episodes, I've had the privilege of documenting conversations with over 30 architects. Despite not having a background in architecture, I've endeavored to humbly archive their thoughts, ideas, and philosophies—hoping these small contributions find meaning and spark reflection.

My all-time favorite remains the 100th episode with the legendary late B.V. Doshi, yet one particularly memorable interaction was Episode 204 with Professor and Architect Neelkanth Chhaya, where we explored the nuanced theme of standardization.

Now, the exciting news:

At the beginning of 2025, Akarmaa, a multi-disciplinary collective dedicated to heritage, environment, and education, published two beautiful books celebrating Prof. Neelkanth Chhaya’s life and teachings:

• Volume 1: In Gratitude, On Education

• Volume 2: Listening to Stillness, On Architecture

My conversation with Prof. Chhaya has been honored as the opening chapter of "In Gratitude, On Education." This recognition deeply humbles and encourages me. It is a reminder that each small effort, made with sincerity, has its place in a much larger story.

In the words of Prof. Chhaya, "Knowledge should be explosive so that it cannot be managed." Inspired by his wisdom, we have initiated a book donation drive, aiming to deliver wisdom and inspiration to remote villages, and curious minds everywhere, regardless of their background.

Below are links to purchase the books, participate in our donation drive, and explore curated playlists of architects featured on The Gyaan Project.

Thank you for your support. Let’s keep learning and building together.

Warmly,

Kedar Nimkar

Links

• Buy the books and learn more

• Sample: In Gratitude

• Sample: Listening to Stillness

• Donate books (Exempted under 80G)

• Spotify Architecture Playlist

• YouTube Architecture Playlist

• The Gyaan Project Episodes on Architecture