Arun Kolatkar is a contemporary Indian poet who straddled multiple worlds, writing in Marathi and in English - His poetry is marked by irreverence and a clear sense of badassery that is not afraid to question the status quo, and mix the profound with the profane. Kolatkar was a poet intimately familiar with the urban sprawl of Bombay, he worked in Advertising as a visualiser and also translated Bhakti Poetry into English, he used swear words in his Marathi Poetry and wrote in an unaffected, immediately recognizable style in English that marked him out as different from his predecessors and truly experimental in his approach.

In this episode I read a few short poems from Jejuri, a cluster of 31 short poems that chronicle Kolatkar's acidic observations aboard a ST bus to a piligrim town, Jejuri. I talk about the milieu in which voices like Kolatkar flourished, how his work was counter culture, egalitarian, marked by a bold new experimental form as exemplified by the Beat Poets from an American tradition, and analyse what spaces remain for us as modern Indians seeking to chronicle our times and lives.

Listen to this episode to learn from the life lessons of a multi-disciplinary artist, who made music, painted, and wrote poetry that was meant to shock and shake up its middle class readers out of complacency and poke at them, using humour and observational style that comes from belonging to here and there, as Kolatkar was, an intenerent flaneur poet, commenting on everything he encountered in the jumble that was India in the 60s and 70s.

Gamak Ghar marks the debut of a self assured filmmaker in Achal Mishra, a young Indian filmmaker who is making his presence felt with two sensitive films back to back (Gamak Ghar and Dhuin — both rooted in a clear sense of place, in Darbhanga Bihar.) Beautifully shot by Anand Bansal, almost every frame is poetic and painstakingly put together. In this episode, I offer a feminist reading of this film that goes beyond mere nostalgia, to excavate how an Indian family changes, meeting and leaving the Village Home, or the Gamak Ghar, that has held generations of family members, traditions, and unspoken bonds together. What happens to the family home as the decades roll on from the late 90s to now, in 2019? And what does its erosion and decay say about our own changing notions of family and connection, ravaged by urbanisation, migration, and a newfound sense of materialism? Gamak Ghar invites us to explore poetic questions such as these in a gentle manner, never forcing its hand or its point. It does invoke the beauty of a bygone era but is change such a bad thing when seen from a woman's perspective? Tune into this spoiler-free episode that analyses the poetry and work that went behind Gamak Ghar, and check out theculturejasoos on Instagram for a visual essay that looks at Achal Mishra's influences, from Amit Chauduri the novelist, to Ozu and Taiwanese Filmmakers. Please consider rating the podcast so more people can find theculturejasoos.com thanks for listening! peace - Preeti

The Culture Jasoos is now going to extend its tentacles to wrap around more than just one film or book in one episode. Think of the podcast as an audio newsletter that in true octopus style is interested in many things at the same time! My roving eye lands on a sports documentary on Netflix (Lift Like a Girl) is a heartwarming Egyptian feature documentary focused on a teenager weightlifter and her relationship with her coach, Coach Ramadan. I talk about a Nigerian Boxing Reality Show (Also on Netflix: AKO, African Knockout) and then remix the present and the past, to recommend a delicious True Crime Series (A Crime to Remember) on Amazon Prime (Via Investigation Discovery.)

Breaking with the pressure to only recommend on-trend stuff (please spare me another review of Lust Stories 2 yawn) I talk about timeless, ageless cinema and artists, rewatching Satya (available on YouTube) on its 25th anniversary, and the little known origin story of one of French New Wave's greatest triumphs: Jules and Jim (By Francois Truffaut - Now playing on Mubi India.) I round out the episode with a mention of artists who inspire me and who share my bday, June babies both - Anthony Bourdain and Antoni Gaudi and why they are artistic badassery continues to live on in our midst. In a world full of easily consumable, easy to digest monuments to distraction I am thankful to find wells of replenishment that predate me and will outlive me.

This episode was edited by www.catikoproductions.com lovingly and patiently! You can find me Preeti on www.theculturejasoos.com to listen to ad-free episodes and follow me on The Culture Jasoos on Instagram for more film analysis, recommendations and more.