A Century Of Tales, expertly curated to unveil each acquainted and hidden narratives of India, gives a charming perspective on India’s historical past, portrayed by quick, crisp movies, narrated by Kunal.
From the outstanding first steps of ISRO to the uncelebrated heroes of IPL, Kunal Vijayakar will delve into the behind-the-scenes moments which have profoundly formed trendy India, taking the viewers by 100 tales of India. Just a few episodes into the collection, Kunal spoke to ETimes about stepping out his consolation zone, his meals reminiscences and extra…
A Century Of Tales is in contrast to something you’ve accomplished earlier than…
Sure, and it excites me rather a lot as a result of it’s utterly out of my ordinary realm of issues (humour and meals). Nonetheless, there may be one other aspect to me, which likes data and as a curious thoughts, there are such a lot of issues that you will have realized at school and forgotten all about. Identical to the entire Nationwide Anthem episode that we did, most individuals who studied Civics at school will vaguely know the place our Nationwide Anthem got here from, however is not going to bear in mind the core particulars.
The podcast house is basically about holding the curiosity of the viewers. How did this specific podcast handle to do this?
Podcasts normally have two or three codecs. One is an extended format, which works nicely when there are two or three individuals discussing one thing and other people can devour the identical at leisure, so the dialog turns into fascinating. The opposite format is fast, one thing you devour on the go and does not get boring. Particularly, whether it is one individual (on this case me), loading you with numerous data, the shorter and extra fascinating it’s, the extra it is going to enchantment to the viewers. And naturally, we needed to maintain it mild as nicely (not funnier), in order to enchantment to a wider viewers, who’re at all times strapped for time.
Are you studying alongside the way in which your self?
Oh sure, completely! You realize, have a look at it from my standpoint. I come from a barely older technology, and simply associating with the youthful bunch is a feat, as I’m studying a lot alongside the way in which. For instance, UPI which we’re speaking about in one of many episodes, is a very new topic and we now have began utilizing it usually and a few of us (not all), don’t even know its full kind. So, issues like these are serving to me as nicely. To prime all of it, we now have a wonderful analysis staff that culls the content material, that’s then strapped with fascinating visuals and introduced to the viewer.
Shifting on to different avenues, you’ve sporadically picked up performing roles over the previous couple of years. Is it one thing that you’ve began to get pleasure from?
Truthfully, I tackle roles which can be supplied to me, slightly than choosing and selecting from a pool. Nonetheless, when I’m supplied a task, I have a look at it from a few features – one being if the director/crew I’m working for certain about their mission and are they’re a very good bunch of individuals. That is vital since filmmaking is an extended drawn out course of, the place you find yourself spending months with the identical set of individuals. The opposite factor I gauge is why the director needs me, is it one thing that I’ll actually be a very good match for? And on a aspect notice, the cash in films is actually good, so it’s a win-win (laughs)!
Coming to your meals sojourns, in relation to celebrities, the overall notion is that they’re extraordinarily choosy and hardly eat. Inform us just a little about some celebrities who shatter that notion
I do not find out about others, however the ones I’ve shot with, have by no means fussed over meals. Beginning with the older technology, stars like Dharmendra and Jeetendra are true blue punjabis, who love meals. Then, you’ve individuals like Huma Qureshi and Mahesh Manjrekar, who too, are extraordinarily fascinated about meals and eat to their coronary heart’s delight. Exterior Bollywood, we now have Sudha Murthy, who, lots of people would possibly suppose has extraordinarily austere consuming habits, however she loves every part. Rahul Gandhi, who’s in any other case so match, as soon as had two vada paos, kachori, golgappas and chole bhature with me earlier than heading to purani (previous) Delhi to get pleasure from a full on Mughlai meal, adopted by dessert! Truthfully, generally, I really feel that it’s me who talks to them a lot that it makes them hungry!
You latterly appeared on Bigg Boss OTT 2 to indicate solidarity in your buddy Cyrus Broacha, who confronted a whole lot of points whereas in the home and finally left as a result of a household emergency. Do you suppose we do not speak sufficient on psychological well being in such settings?
I do not need to go into whether or not the format of the present is poisonous or not, however Cyrus has been a warrior for psychological well being proper from the start. So, the way in which I see it’s that one, his psychological well being had been struggling for an extended whereas, and he himself mentioned in his podcast that he had been struggling when in there, hardly getting any sleep. The opposite facet was after all, simply merely being out of your consolation zone is tough and taxing, and had I been in his place, I would not have lasted this lengthy to begin off with.
You’ll be able to watch ‘A Century Of Tales’ on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@ACenturyOfStories
