Raosaheb

Vineet, Bhupal and Dhruv end season 1 of this podcast with a discussion of Pu La’s Raosaheb, a Belgaum man who is passionate and critical, while being well-intentioned. The story also features one of the most poignant endings in Pu La’s Vyakti aani Valli collection, which resonates deeply with Vine…

Bigari te Matric

Perhaps one of Pu La’s most relatable stories, Bigari te Matric presents scenes and themes from classrooms spanning Kindergarten to tenth standard. In addition to discussing some of the more interesting parts of this story, and drawing upon their own experiences, Vineet, Bhupal and Dhruv examine Pu…

Punekar, Mumbaikar Ki Nagpurkar

What lies behind the making of each one of us? In this episode, Vineet, Bhupal and Dhruv – all unabashed Punekars themselves - discuss Pu La’s sketch of three cities in Maharashtra that have imprinted their unique environments on the personalities of the individuals living there. Genes make us, but…

Chitale Master

There are teachers we barely remember, and expect would in turn barely remember us. Then there are teachers we will never forget. And then there is Chitale Master - a teacher for whom teaching is more about building relationships with students than it is about imparting textbook knowledge alone. A …

Mi Aani Maza ShatruPaksha

All of us have a few people in our lives who seem to specialize in annoying us while also generally being good of heart. As a result we cannot push them away, since they mean us no harm, and yet wish they had found someone else with whom to pass their time. Pu La brings humour to his interactions w…

Peston Kaka

The purpose of travel is arguably to arrive at a destination. But every journey has within it the opportunity for much more. Trains in particular, with passengers sitting facing each other, offer a higher level of social connection than most other forms of transit. In this episode, Pu La faces a Pa…

Antu Barva

Pu La's Vyakti aani Valli sketch of Antu Barva is in many ways, a meeting of the urban and the rural. Ratnagiri's Antu Barva is quick to make his opinions known, and speaks from direct experience. Vineet, Bhupal and Dhruv unweave the ground truth of the politics of a newly independent India as seen…

Paliv Prani

Birds, cats, dogs. And humans. In Paaliv Praani, Pu La examines both the similarities in our natures, and our relationships with each other.  Is Paaliv Praani a social comment through the lens of our fellow urban companions? Is it a critique of the elites? Is it a satire of overzealous pet owners? …

Mhais

When a buffalo intercepts an ST bus on its way between Mumbai and Ratnagiri, a beautiful chaos ensues. In what must surely rank as one of Pu La’s most beloved stories, Mhais tells one story that houses within it many others, like buds on a tree.   To Dhruv, Mhais represents the best entry point f…

Narayan

Pu La's vivid sketch of Narayan from his 1966 book Vyakti aani Valli paints a picture of sights, sounds and smells while revealing a man who gives of himself without taking anything in return, at that most important of times in our adult lives: the wedding. All our weddings had a Narayan. Or many N…