EP 139 - India-U.S Ties, Khalistan Row, Pannun 'Plot' with Top U.S Official Richard R. Verma

02/21/24 • 29 min

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Richard R. Verma is the first American of Indian descent to serve as the US Ambassador to India from 2014 to 2017. He currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.

In the latest episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Richard R. Verma discusses the aim behind his visit to India and shares the cooperation between the two states for strengthening India-US ties. He also talks about his experience in India during his tenure as the US Ambassador to India.

Additionally, he discusses pro-Khalistani protests in the U.S. and how Washington D.C. is planning to deal with them. He also speaks on defence relations between India and the US, calling the relationship robust and as diverse as it is today. He also talks about the US defence relationship with Pakistan.

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EP 138 - India-China, The Russian Response, U.S Elections and Raisina 2024 Ft. Samir Saran

Samir Saran is the President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India’s premier think tank headquartered in New Delhi. Saran is a well-known figure in the field of diplomacy and serves as the curator of the Raisina Dialogue. He has authored four books, focusing his research on global governance, climate and energy policy, technology policy, and India’s foreign relations.

In the latest episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he discusses India's role in shaping a new world order and emphasises why India's success matters globally, not just to Indians. Saran also shares insights into Raisina Dialogues 2024, India’s annual flagship platform on geopolitics and geo-economics, and provides reasons behind its inception.

Samir extensively talks about India-U.S. relations and their implications for New Delhi, particularly in the event of Donald Trump returning to power. Without hesitation, he notes that there is a growing sense in the West that Prime Minister Modi will secure a third consecutive term.

He also delves into the topic of the Ram Mandir and its impact not only in India but around the world. Samir criticises Western media for harbouring preconceived notions about India and consistently portraying it in a negative light.

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Ep 140 - The 'BAD MAN' of Bollywood Feat. Prem Chopra

Prem Chopra was born into a Hindu Punjabi family in Lahore in 1935. Following the partition of India, his family relocated to Shimla, where he was raised. Despite his father's aspirations for him to become a doctor or an IAS officer, he embarked on a journey to become an actor. He was a trailblazer in introducing the concept of handsome villains, deviating from the stereotype of venom-spewing characters with expected dialogues.

After completing his graduation, he moved to Mumbai and initially worked in the circulation department of The Times of India. He made his debut film in the Punjabi movie 'Chaudhary Karnail Singh' which won the National Film Award for Best Punjabi Film in 1961.

Prem Chopra was a prominent villain in Hindi films, peaking from 1967 to 1994. During the '70s, he secured notable villainous roles, alongside actors like Sujith Kumar and Ranjeet.

In the recent ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Prem Chopra reflects on his experiences during the partition days and how he ventured into theatre after moving to Shimla. He shares insights into landing his first hit movie and discusses why he gravitated towards villain roles.

Being in the industry for six decades, Prem Chopra took on fewer villainous roles post-1999, transitioning to positive character roles and increasingly received such roles from 2005 onwards. However, his screen time in films was reduced after 2005. He recently appeared in Ranbir Kapoor's film 'Animal.'