RD Recommends: 25 Podcasts You Won't Want to Pause

Friend of the Court by Anil Divan Foundation

One of the most well-researched Indian podcasts you’ll ever come across, Friend of the Court is all about our judicial and constitutional histories. Massively influential court cases are analyzed with a special view towards their socio-political impact. The recently released second season follows one of the most important cases in Indian history: Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala—which established the ‘basic structure doctrine’ of our constitution. Meticulously put together, this is a story that every Indian citizen should educate themselves with.

Springleaf by James Acaster

Springleaf is the latest podcast by British comedian James Acaster, one of the rising superstars of the comedy circuits (he did his first India tour in the summer of 2023). Acaster plays the titular con-man-turned-undercover-cop, a man beleaguered by problems on all fronts—his wife wants a divorce, the gang he is secretly investigating is beginning to smell a rat and there’s a blackmail threat looming on the horizon. In a surreal twist, Acaster also plays a fictionalized version of himself, one whose comedy career began with a string of crimes. An affectionate tribute to and parody of the true crime genre, Springleaf will keep you both thoroughly amused and on tenterhooks.

The Rest is Entertainment

A pop culture podcast lives and dies on the strength of its presenters—if you’re not invested in their conversational style, no number of good scripts will make you tune in. The Rest is Entertainment is absurdly blessed in this context, for here you’ll get a roundup of recent books, movies, TV shows and so on by Marina Hyde and Richard Osman. Hyde’s column at The Guardian is widely appreciated for its clear-eyed insights on culture and politics. Beloved crime-fiction author, Osman, meanwhile, is the veteran presenter of a string of popular game shows in the UK (including BBC’s Pointless, perhaps the single greatest trivia show of all time).

The Pirate of Prague

Host Joe Nocera and investigative journalist Peter Elkind tell the remarkable story of Viktor Kožený, a conman and former financial whiz kid from late ’90s Czechoslovakia, who convinced some of his wealthiest compatriots that they should invest in an oil company. Of course, the oil company was fake but thanks to Kožený’s charm and his seemingly endless talent for making things up on the spot, the richest Czech men in the world kept investing in a Ponzi scheme for years. A highly entertaining story, told in a fast-paced format across nine episodes. Think Catch Me If You Can, set in ’90s Central Europe.

Her Kajal Won’t Smudge

Hosted by Shana, (a Pakistani-American lawyer with a PhD in economics) Her Kajal Won’t Smudge is an interview podcast, featuring an array of South Asian women (mostly Indian or Pakistani) who talk about their lived experiences with the patriarchy. Guests on the show cover several realms—there’s the comedian Radhika Vaz, illustrator Priyanka Paul, Bharatnatyam dancer Sheema Kermani (from the music video for Coke Studio’s ‘Pasoori’) and so on. Each of these women brings something distinctive and thought-provoking to light and it’s fascinating to see the diverse narratives converge upon classic second-wave feminist themes, such as gender roles and workplace equality.

The Seen and the Unseen

One of India’s oldest and best-known podcasts, The Seen and the Unseen is where veteran journalist Amit Varma conducts his detailed, long-form interviews with guests from art, academia, literature, culture and beyond. The last six months alone saw fascinating personalities like actor Danish Husain, foreign correspondent Seema Sirohi, poet, translator and curator Ranjit Hoskote, technology/telecom law expert Rahul Matthan, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buteren et al on the show. Varma relies on traditional journalistic strengths in his interviews—thorough preparation, a good counter, and addressing the public’s commonly-held misconceptions about a subject.

Into the Tardis

Big Finish Productions has been producing audio adventures set in the universe of Doctor Who since the late ’90s. These thrilling audio stories starred David Tennant as the Doctor and Catherine Tate as his companion Donna Noble—possibly the most popular main cast members in the modern era of Doctor Who. And now, Big Finish is launching Into the Tardis on all major podcasting platforms starting 16 March. This will be a curation of the best Big Finish audio-stories, like the first episode Death and the Queen, originally recorded in 2016 with Tennant and Tate’s voices, with the script by James Goss.

A Muslim and a Jew Go There

One of the most interesting new podcasts on the circuit, A Muslim and a Jew Go There features Baroness Sayeeda Warsi alongside writer–comedian David Baddiel. Warsi was the co-chairwoman of the Conservative Party between 2010-12, breaking ranks with her party in 2014 over its hawkish stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Baddiel wrote a book about progressive Hollywood’s “racist blind spot” re: Jews and Jewishness. He also wrote a 2010 film called The Infidel, in which a British Muslim man discovers he was adopted and his birth parents were, in fact, Jewish. As such, it’s difficult to find two people more qualified to debate questions of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. What sets this podcast apart is the scrupulously parliamentary way the duo expresses their disagreements—a rarity in today’s severely polarized times. Fittingly, the podcast is produced by British journalist Jemima Goldsmith’s Instinct Productions: Her father hails from a Jewish family and she was previously married to Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Ae Dil Hai Complicated

In Arré Studio’s Audible Original podcast Ae Dil Hai Complicated, actor Neena Gupta dons her Oprah hat in a series of thoughtful, confessional romance-centric stories from a wide-ranging list of guests: writer Manish Gaekwad, actor Lisa Ray and so on. The topics covered are similarly eclectic: finding romance past the age of 40, polyamory, discovering unpleasant truths about your parents’ romantic lives. In the first episode, ‘I Am a Tawaif’s Son’, for example, Gaekwad speaks eloquently about his courtesan mother, also the topic of his 2023 book The Last Courtesan: Writing My Mother’s Memoir (HarperCollins India).

Power User With Taylor Lorenz

Taylor Lorenz’s journalistic career is built upon demystifying social media platforms, especially for older readers. Vox Media’s new podcast Power User With Taylor Lorenz continues that process by tackling the important questions in this context: Why is America determined to ban TikTok? How will AI change your X (Twitter) experience? Listen to Power User to find out.

Simply Harsha

Harsha Bhogle, the veteran commentator often called the ‘voice of cricket’, finally has his own YouTube channel and it’s everything die-hard cricket fans would have hoped for. Amidst the shriek-a-minute commentary emanating from your typical IPL game, Bhogle’s reasoned, polished, compassionate commentary is a veritable oasis. It is also one of the best new podcast venues if you are looking for serious cricketing analysis.

The Bachelor of Buckingham Palace

In 2013, a dozen American women were whisked off to a gorgeous estate in the Berkshire countryside. Reality show producers told these women that they would be competing for the affections of none other than Prince Harry himself, during a show called I Wanna Marry Harry. In truth, however, the ‘Prince’ was an impersonator (a very good one, it has to be said) called Matthew Hicks. The Bachelor of Buckingham Palace retraces this crazy sequence of events, interviewing three of the women conned by the producers. Crucially, it also interviews Hicks himself, as he looks back upon his part in this fraud. Technically, this is a true-crime documentary but the sheer insanity of the premise makes it very different from its counterparts within the genre.

Three Million

Kavita Puri has previously produced Partition-related programming for BBC and this podcast focusses on a somewhat neglected chapter of World-War-II history—the Bengal Famine, which took place while Indian resources were being redirected to fund the British war effort. The three million in the title actually refers to a conservative estimate of the death toll for the Famine. Puri’s narration imbues these episodes with the dignity that they deserve. Every episode centres on one specific aspect of this tragedy—supply-chain bottlenecks, the role played by local administrators, Bengal’s agricultural past and so on. History buffs will also enjoy the big-picture conclusions drawn from the Famine and its aftermath in both India and Britain.

Fur and Loathing

A strange and beautiful cross of the ‘Internet-culture podcast’ and the ‘true-crime podcast’. British investigative journalist Nicky Woolf brings, believe it or not, a story about the biggest chemical attack on US soil since World War II. In 2014, in Illinois, a convention of ‘furries’ i.e. people who like to dress up in animal costumes, sadly, was attacked with chlorine gas, sending 19 people to the hospital. And yet, as the podcast shows, federal investigators have not managed to charge anybody yet. Part of their laxness, as Woolf suggests, is because the victims are part of a fringe subculture and have very little by way of collective bargaining power. A fascinating look into a true crime that becomes a commentary on American exceptionalism by the end.

Primer

This one is highly recommended for music nerds in particular but it’s a superb entry point for general listeners as well. Primer, produced by Maximum Fun, is an informative and engaging podcast about musical history, specifically the history of different musical genres. Host Christian Duenas takes listeners down memory lane with impeccably researched and snappily told stories about synth-pop, rock n’ roll, Europop, Japanese ‘City Pop’ and so on. A particularly appreciable thing about this podcast is that it takes a three-dimensional view of its subject matter. Songs and genres are deemed important not only on their own raw musical merits, but also what they mean in terms of overall cultural influence and a lasting legacy.

Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)

A podcast highly recommended for the terminally online, Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) by Jamie Loftus has a novel and super-fun concept at its heart: Loftus interviews people who for one reason or another have found themselves—however briefly—as the Internet’s ‘main character’. Influencers, people who were featured in viral ‘candid camera’ moments and so on. For example, she interviews the person who designed 2015’s most infamous dress. You know the one: you probably thought it was either black and blue, or gold and white. What’s impressive is everything Loftus extrapolates from these moments, broad-ranging points about the rapidly-changing nature of the Internet. This is a funny, bittersweet historical document about online fame.

Inconceivable Truth, By Matt Katz

What happens when an investigative journalist turns his focus on his own past? Inconceivable Truth features journalist Matt Katz has he deploys his own investigative skills into tracing his biological father, who he hasn’t seen since he was a small child. The trigger was Katz taking a DNA test which threw up more questions rather than answers. From the politics of infertility treatment in 1970s America, the questionable legal ethics of a beloved family doctor, lies Katz’s family told him throughout his childhood, this is a podcast that lies at the intersection of several heartbreaking issues and a masterful convergence of the personal and the political.

Ologies, By Alie Ward

The value of approachability and humour in scientific education is immense—lose a child’s attention early in the argument and you have glazed-over eyes for the rest of the lesson. Ologies, a podcast by science reporter and humorist Alie Ward, understands this reality. This is a delightful series of scientific conversations about everything from butterflies and hurricanes, to outer space and the mysteries of the inner ear. The latest episode features paleoclimatologist and explorer Dr Gina Moseley, who shares what it’s like to spend a week in a cave, how climate change research impacts daily life in surprising ways, and the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. An engaging and super-fun journey for science enthusiasts and lay listeners alike.

Sounds Like a Cult with Amanda Montell and Isa Medina

Can Elon Musk fans be considered a cult? How about fitness enthusiasts who swear by CrossFit? Or ‘Swifties’ (fans of Taylor Swift)? This unconventional podcast unpacks new-age behaviours that resemble cults. In the latest episode, for example, the narrative follows people who love to shop at Costco. Another much-talked-about episode discusses the idea of ‘friendship breakups’ and their most common causes. Sounds Like a Cult knows that its greatest strength is quirkiness and never strays too far from that brief, marrying rapid-fire interviews with more relaxed stretches of research-led commentary.

The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos

Everybody has their own ideas about happiness. But if you look at the ideas of a mass of people, these usually correspond closely to a set of interlocked preferences around emotional well-being, leisure, stability and financial health. The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos has a simple mandate—to challenge preconceived notions of what ‘makes us happy’. Santos, who has studied the science of happiness and teaches at Yale, makes the case that a lot of us are unwittingly working against our own happiness. Dr Santos argues that these interventions, though not strictly tied to self-interest, make their authors significantly happier than they would have been otherwise.

Shell Game Created and narrated by Evan Ratliff

Created and narrated by journalist Evan Ratliff, this intriguing new podcast has a unique premise. Ratliff attaches a voice-bot to the latest version of ChatGPT to form an AI-doppelganger of himself, which he then puts to work performing increasingly complicated tasks. Initially, these tasks are relatively straightforward, like taking minutes of a meeting. But soon, Ratliff ratchets up the stakes and we see the AI-Ratliff interacting with his wife, negotiating better contracts for Ratliff—and during a particularly delightful episode, frustrating a fellow voice-based AI that’s trying to scam Ratliff out of money. Listen to Shell Game to see the unsettling AI-based future that seems to be in store for all of us.

Bhoot Kaal, narrated by Neelesh Misra

Journalist, lyricist, writer—Neelesh Misra wears many hats. He also happens to have one of the most radio-friendly voices in the country and the podcast Bhoot Kaal utilizes his baritone perfectly. Created by Misra himself, this is a series of horror stories from around the country, especially our smaller towns and villages. Spooky mansions, vengeful spirits and demonic possessions take centerstage as Misra’s malleable voice, playful, yet deadly serious, takes the listeners through an emotional rollercoaster. The stories have been written by his frequent collaborator Anulata Raj Nair, who was part of Misra’s storytelling collective ‘Storywallah’ as well. This is the perfect episodic podcast for fans of sinister, supernatural thrillers.

We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

Since his exit from MSNBC, star anchor and journalist Mehdi Hasan has gone on to found Zeteo, an all-new media startup focussing on both news and analysis. Hasan, who has written a well-received book about public debating, has always been a strong interviewer and a great listener, allowing his guests to have their say unimpeded. These strengths are on display with We’re Not Kidding, Zeteo’s new podcast where “funny people talk about serious things”. To that end the latest episode saw perhaps the purest demonstration of this brief—Hasan talks to comedian Hasan Minhaj, about the realities and the dark humour of the post-Trump landscape, as the President-elect is set to commence a shock second term.

Embedded from NPR

For all its flaws and shortcomings, some of which have come under the spotlight in recent years, NPR makes some of the best hardcore journalistic podcasts ever. And its crown jewel is Embedded, where listeners undertake a deep dive into twist-filled, copiously-reported stories from across America and, occasionally, around the world. Recent highlights include episodes on Sergeant Joshua Abate, by all accounts a ‘great soldier’ who chose to betray his country by participating in the 6 January riots on Capitol Hill. There’s also the highly sensitive story of South African Olympian Caster Semenya, an intersex athlete who was ‘gender-tested’ under controversial circumstances, whose case ended up changing international medico-legal regulations in this context.

Anurag Minus Verma Podcast

Interview podcasts live and die not just on the strengths of the interviewer but also the range of participating guests. In that context, the Anurag Minus Verma Podcast has been a consistently reliable listen. In the last few weeks alone, Verma has hosted some very engaging and meaningful conversations—on India’s polluted metros with journalist Nitin Sethi, on the Indian hip-hop scene with rapper Prabh Deep, on Dalit women with Prof. Shailaja Paik, who recently won a Macarthur “Genius” Grant for her work on caste-based discrimination. Moreover, these aren’t stuffy academic monologues. Verma goes out of his way to break down these topics for a generalist audience and his sense of intellectual curiosity shines through.

Want more recommendations? Check out the films, books and series that got our attention in 2024.