Books and Beyond with Bound

One powerful secret. Two stolen paintings. And a man who will decide the fate of the world. 

Join Michelle as she sits down with Tarun Mehrishi, author of ‘The Portrait of a Secret’ - a novel inspired by true events. In an epic combination of art heist, historical fiction and spy thriller, Tarun’s book explores the aftermath of the theft of two priceless paintings and a secret that has the RAW, ISI and the CIA scrambling to gain control.

Tarun talks about how the book was inspired by India’s actual history of stolen art, how he acquired the inside scoop on spy work, and how his book is being adapted for the screen! 

Tune in!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

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Clear and Present Danger - Tom Clancy 
The Hunt for Red October - Tom Clancy
Calling Sehmat - Harinder Singh Sikka

Movies mentioned in this episode:

Raazi - Meghna Gulzar (Director)

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Find out what centuries-old epics have to offer in the modern era!

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Amit Majmudar and Shantanu Gupta to discuss all things mythology. Amit talks about his book, 'The Book of Vows', which is a retelling of the Mahabharata through all the vows that took place in the epic, sprinkled with his own insights on ethics and values. Shantanu's 'Teachings from the Ramayana' is a handy book of 25 case studies for families to navigate daily life challenges through crosswords and reflective exercises.  

In this exclusive series in partnership with Penguin Random House India, we will shine a spotlight on two compelling contemporary voices each month, individuals who are reshaping the landscape of Indian literature. 

Amit and Shantanu discuss the need for contemporary retellings, the treasure-trove of invaluable lessons they contain, and lesser-known versions that will change the way you view the epics!

Tune in!

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

"One fine morning, he's told, 'Your father is dead, your brother's been exiled, so now you have to go and become king"’.

In this episode, Tara and Michelle talk to Shatrujeet Nath, author of the series 'Warlord of Ayodhya'. The series focuses on Bharat - Ram's brother - who was never given a voice in the Ramayana. It tells the story of an untrained, unwilling hero who is thrown into the spotlight and has to face troubles far beyond his imagination. Will he succeed or will he bring doom to his kingdom?

In this exciting partnership series with Jaico Publishing House, we are featuring fascinating new authors every month, writers that captivate the audience and bring forth a revolutionary perspective to Indian literature.

Shatrujeet also talks about how Bharat caught his attention, how he wrote adrenaline-filled battle scenes and how he's excited to conclude his series in an epic revelation from the Ramayana that is sure to stun the reader!

Tune in!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table - Roger Lancelyn Green
The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
Paolo Bacigalupi
J.R.R. Tolkein
China Miéville

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Three sisters, none of whom wanted to fall in love, and yet they did.
Are you ready for some dramatic, relatable, and light-hearted desi romance? 

In this episode, Michelle and Tara speak to Andaleeb Wajid about her most popular romance series- 'Jasmine Villa'. The series comprises three books, each following one of the three sisters of Jasmine Villa as they navigate Indian family dynamics, sisterhood, and find unexpected romance in a tangle of complex, interconnected relationships. 

Andaleeb talks about writing romance in spite of being a cynic, adding drama in her stories for fun, and why we keep returning to rom-coms despite their unrealistic standards!  

Join us as we watch this romance take off (literally)!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson
Normal People - Sally Rooney
Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros
Someone Like Her - Awais Khan
The Partition Trilogy - Manreet Sodhi Someshwar
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

How did one disastrous field trip turn a history teacher's life upside down?

In this episode, Michelle speaks with Anjum Hasan, author of 'History's Angel'- a riveting novel that explores life as a religious minority in modern India. When an easygoing history teacher is provoked by a student into losing his temper, he finds his life thrown into chaos as he battles with what it means to be a Muslim in present times. 

Anjum recalls stories from her childhood and growing up Muslim, and talks about why Delhi is the perfect setting for her story, with a rich past that is unraveled through her protagonist’s eyes.

Tune in for an unforgettable revisit into history!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

The Discovery of India - Jawaharlal Nehru
An Intimate Portrait of a Great Mughal - Parvati Sharma
Akbar of Hindustan - Parvati Sharma

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‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Imagine a crowded railway station where an attractive stranger catches your eye. A train passes by and– they’re gone!

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Damyanti Biswas to discuss her book ‘The Blue Bar’, as it unpacks the disappearance of a woman dressed in a blue sequined saree from a crowded Mumbai railway station and how, 13 years later, a trail of murders begin with nothing to show for it- except blue sequins. They discuss how Damyanti sat in railway stations watching trains as part of her research, how she obsessively read about bar dancers, and why The Blue Bar is a Mumbai novel, through and through. 

In this exciting partnership series with Jaico Publishing House, we are featuring fascinating new authors every month, writers that captivate the audience and bring forth a revolutionary perspective to Indian literature.

What secrets and terrible crimes lie behind the glamor of Bollywood, dance bars, and mangroves in Mumbai? 

Tune in to find out!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay’s Dance Bars - Sonia Faleiro
The Last Courtesan - Manish Gaekwad
Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found - Suketu Mehta
Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
Sacred Games - Vikram Chandra
The Secret of More - Tejaswini Apte-Rahm
Manjhi’s Mayhem - Tanuj Solanki

Movies mentioned in this episode:

Chandni Bar - Madhur Bhandarkar (Director)

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Picture this: Kerala, a family that suffers a strange hereditary affliction- and everywhere they look is the very thing that could kill them.

In this episode Tara talks to Abraham Verghese about his bestselling book 'The Covenant of Water'. The book is set in the Malabar Coast of Kerala and follows three generations of a family where, in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning. 

Abraham talks about how his book was loosely inspired by his mother's 120-paged, illustrated depiction of her childhood, his experience in medicine, and how he always carries a pocketful of knowledge about rare diseases!

Join us as we find out why this was Oprah's book club pick and why she simply did not want the book to end!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:
God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
The Better Man - Anita Nair
The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois - Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Master and Commander - Patrick O’Brian

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Why do some peoples’ life stories fascinate us?

Back with a bang for a brand new season, Tara and Michelle share their love for stories about real people. They discuss tales of extraordinary courage, struggles, perseverance, successes, and failures. What draws us to these stories? Are only some stories deserving of a platform? Whose stories do we not hear enough of? 

Tune in to find out!

Books and authors mentioned in this episode:

Meow Meow: The Incredible True Story of Baby Patankar - Srinath Rao

Nowhere Man: The Story of Captain Kamal Bakshi, Missing Since the 1971 Indo-Pak War - Shivalik Bakshi

Unbroken - Indrani Mukerjea

Women in the Wild: Stories of India’s Most Brilliant Women Wildlife Biologists - Anita Mani

The Taliban and I - Sushmita Bandyopadhyay

Madam Commissioner: The Extraordinary Life of an Indian Police Chief - Meeran Chadha Borwankar

Remnants of a Separation - Aanchal Malhotra

R.A.W Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima - Hussain Zaidi

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing - Matthew Perry

Sridevi: The South Years - Amborish Roy Choudhury

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike - Phil Knight

Fire on the Ganges: Life Among the Dead in Banaras - Radhika Iyengar

His Majesty’s Headhunters: The Siege of Kohima that Shaped World History -  Mmhonlümo Kikon

We Come From the Mist: Writings from Meghalaya

Truck de India!: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Hindustan - Rajat Ubhaykar

What’s Left of the Jungle: A Conservation Story - Nitin Sekar

Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine - Kavitha Rao

Aruna’s Story: The True Account of a Rape and its Aftermath - Pinki Virani

Movies and TV shows mentioned:

Beckham - Fisher Stevens

Taali - Ravi Jadhav


Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Are you ready to go down the path of success? 

In this episode, Tara and Michelle talk to the ISKCON monk Gopinath Das, author of “The Power of Karma Yoga: Decoding Ancient Wisdom for Lasting Success”. An IIT graduate turned monk, Gopinath Das is on a mission to educate modern society by combining science and profound life advice found in ancient texts. 

In an exciting partnership series with Jaico Publishing House, we are featuring fascinating new authors every month, writers that captivate the audience and bring forth a revolutionary perspective to Indian literature.

What secrets of life do the ancient books hold? 

Tune in to find out! 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

• Rafa: My Story- Rafael Nadal, John Carlin
• Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked- Adam Alter
• The Obstacle is the Way- Ryan Holiday
• Ego is the Enemy- Ryan Holiday

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

• The Adivasi Will Not Dance: Stories- Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
• Leila- Prayaag Akbar
• The Lottery- Shirley Jackson
• What’s Left of the Jungle: A Conservation Story- Nitin Sekar

• Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya- Rajat Mukherjee
• The List- Yomi Adegoke

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

What is it like burning bodies amidst raging fires every day? Who are the corpse-burners and the owners of the “sacred fire”?

In this episode, Tara speaks to Radhika Iyengar, author of “Fire On The Ganges: Life Among The Dead In Banaras”, as she provides us insight into the Doms’ lives- the community tasked with handling the last rites of the dead. Researched and compiled from her interactions and interviews with the community, Radhika’s book explores the individual stories of struggles and success within the Dom community.

Join us in conversation with Tara and Radhika as they talk about the everyday lives of the Doms, how their work affects them, and how some of them are defying all odds to build a life for themselves. 

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

In this exclusive series in partnership with Penguin Random House India, we will shine a spotlight on two compelling contemporary voices each month, individuals who are reshaping the landscape of Indian literature. 

In this special episode of Books & Beyond, Tara and Michelle converse with Aditi Kumar and Shivalik Bakshi as they take us on a tour of the Indian Army and give us an insider’s view of defence families.

Exploring the heartbreaking story of the forgotten men of the 1971 Indo-Pak war and the relentless search to get them back home, Shivalik Bakshi brings us the story of his own uncle, Capt Kamal Bakshi who was declared ‘Missing-Believed Killed’ after the Battle of Chamb, in his book “Nowhere Man”. 

Aditi Kumar’s novel “Operation Payback” is the story of a Veer Nari who decides to join the Indian Army to honour her husband’s legacy, and delivers an audacious plan of action to deliver much-deserved payback not just for herself but for the entire nation. 

Tune in to hear heartfelt and never-before-heard stories about individuals who serve in the armed forces!


Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Does history give you goosebumps? Specifically, history that explores the minds of kings and uncovers hidden stories of little-known queens?

In this episode, Tara and Michelle venture into the ancient palaces of South India as they converse with Anirudh Kanisetti, author of “Lords of the Deccan: Southern Indian from the Chalukyas to the Cholas”. They discuss how a majority of Deccan history got left out and why it mattered enough to make him dive into translations of literature and inscriptions from 600-1100 CE, how he made friends through memes, and why making history accessible was important to him. 

Tune in to hear Anirudh Kanisetti talk about his fascination for Deccan history, and examine the politics of the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Cholas up close! 

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

How do you create a family drama embroiled in suspense?  

In this episode, Tara and Michelle uncover the nuances of writing a thriller with Vivek Shanbhag. We delve into how he navigates the minefield of family life as well as the intricate realm between truth and perception amidst India's evolving social and political landscape.  

Tune in to hear them unpack Vivek Shanbhag’s writing process, his books, Kannada literature, translations into English, the politics of translations, and how pop culture helped him learn a language.

Authors mentioned:

• Asghar Farhadi
• Damodar Mauzo
• Arunava Sinha
• Italo Calvino

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

What ugly truths lie behind the carefully curated social circles in Dhaka’s high society? 

In this episode, Tara and Michelle converse with Nadeem Zaman, author of “The Inheritors”, as he talks about privilege, parties, and politics in Dhaka. In a delightful mix of satire and social commentary, his book explores Nisar’s eye-opening journey back to his hometown as he uncovers secrets and revisits his childhood “home”. 

Tune in to hear Nadeem Zaman talk about what it’s like to party with the elite in modern-day Dhaka, the class disparity he witnessed growing up, why his book has not been published in the US, and his upcoming work of fiction.

Authors mentioned in this episode:
Mira Sethi
Jhumpa Lahiri
Taslima Nasreen
Sharbari Zohra Ahmed

Books mentioned in this episode:
Citizen By Descent- Kritika Arya
The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Independence- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Destination Wedding- Diksha Basu
Equations- Shivani Sibal
Crazy Rich Asians- Kevin Kwan
Pineapple Street- Jenny Jackson
Truth or Dare: And Other Stories- Nadia Kabir Barb

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar
Sound edit by Kshitij Jadhav

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

What does it take for a national hero to be deemed a deadly criminal?

Join your host Michelle, as she dives into conversation with Hussain Zaidi, author of “R.A.W. Hitman: The Real Story of Agent Lima”, as he talks about covering the story of Lucky Bisht, who was convicted for the alleged murder of two notorious criminals. In his book, he uncovers how a 16-year-old ended up being “a fantabulous killing machine”.
 
In this episode, you’ll hear how Hussain Zaidi accidentally hurtled headfirst into crime journalism and how he escaped getting shot in Iraq by bonding over Bollywood and Amitabh Bachchan.
Tune in to hear more stories about his growth as a crime journalist, how he convinced Lucky Bisht to tell his story, and the trouble he faced getting it published.

Authors  mentioned in this episode:
Vikram Chandra
Neeraj Kumar

Books and series mentioned in this episode:
Dongri to Dubai- Hussain Zaidi
The Lincoln Lawyer (Series)
Bambai Meri Jaan- Dir. Shujaat Saudagar

Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar
Sound edit by Kshitij Jadhav

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Is our worth as women determined by our ability to make rotis? In this episode, we delve into the nuances of writing mainstream feminist poetry in India!

Join Tara and Michelle as they talk to Mehak Goyal about her book “Failure to Make Round Rotis: Poems on Rebellion, Resilience and Relationships”, about her inspiration, her writing process, and her publishing journey. How did she go from a start-up founder to a published poet? How did she decide what to write? How did she translate her personal experience into poems? And more importantly, how did a mainstream publishing house pick up a poetry book?

Tune in to find out!

Authors and Poets mentioned:
John Keats
Jeet Thayil
Ranjit Hoskote
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Fatimah Asghar
Arundhathi Subramaniam
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Books mentioned:
Infidel by Ayaan Ali


Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar
Sound edit by Kshitij Jadhav

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

What would you do if you discovered your favourite sport, which is almost a religion in this country, is rife with corruption? 

Join your hosts Tara and Michelle as they unravel the shocking story of corruption in cricket with one of India's most well-respected police officers and a former BCCI anti-corruption chief.

In this episode, you'll hear from Neeraj Kumar as he tells us how he uncovered the alarming truth behind the administration that runs various cricket tournaments, including the IPL, and the impact it has on our country’s sportsmen. 

This is a podcast episode you don't want to miss. It will inspire you, anger you, and make you think. Tune in now and find out why "A Cop in Cricket" is a book you have to read, especially if you love cricket.

Books and authors mentioned in this episode: 

Byculla to Bangkok - S. Hussain Zaidi

Nine Lives - William Dalrymple

Memoirs of A Maverick: The First Fifty Years (1941–1991) - Mani Shankar Aiyar 

Vengeance - George Jonas

Confessions of a Thug - Philip Meadows Taylor
P. G. Wodehouse

Produced by Aishwarya Jawalgekar

Sound edit by Kshitij Jadhav

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.

Imagine discovering surprisingly progressive stories from the 19th century, all written by your grandmother!

In this episode, we'll introduce you to Ranjana Kaul and her passionate endeavour to do justice to her grandmother's legacy — a trailblazing woman, who not only wrote but also fervently fought for women's rights. 

Join your host, Michelle, as she delves deep into the captivating accounts of how Ranjana serendipitously unearthed the stories and accounts of her grandmother. Laxmibai Abhyankar wrote short stories in Marathi, and Kaul, her granddaughter, painstakingly translated and moulded her work into an English collection called "Stepmother and Other Stories".

The collection highlights archaic customs and regressive beliefs, such as the mistreatment of widows and the denial of education to women.


Produced by Aishwarya Jawalgekar
Sound Edit by Kshitij Jadhav

‘Books and Beyond with Bound’ is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D’costa uncover how their books reflect the realities of our lives and society today. Find out what drives India’s finest authors: from personal experiences to jugaad research methods, insecurities to publishing journeys. Created by Bound, a storytelling company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social media platforms.