In this episode of Rekhta Guftgu, Syed Mohammad Irfan sits down with Jaideep Ahlawat for an honest, deeply reflective conversation on rejection, patience, and the long road to recognition.

Jaideep looks back on his childhood in Kharkada near Rohtak, growing up in a family of teachers, dreaming first of the Indian Army, and facing repeated setbacks after clearing written exams but failing the SSB.

What followed was not a straight path, but a slow, meaningful journey toward acting.

He speaks about theatre becoming an emotional outlet, discovering literature through Premchand, training at FTII, and learning to trust the process instead of chasing every audition.

He also reflects on the turning point of Gangs of Wasseypur, the inner life of a character, and the method behind performances like Hathi Ram in Paatal Lok.

In this episode of Rekhta Guftgu, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali opens up about the failures, doubts, and turning points that shaped his journey long before Bollywood success found him.

In a deeply honest conversation with Irfan, he reflects on failing ninth grade, discovering theatre at Hindu College, finding creative grounding with Act One, and arriving in Mumbai without a fixed plan.

He talks about learning filmmaking on the job through television, the uncertainty of early rejection, and the long road to finding his voice as a director.

The conversation also moves into the heart of storytelling, how stories choose us, what changes when stars and budgets enter the picture, and why a filmmaker must protect their inner truth even under pressure.

This is about identity, language, belonging, ambition, and the courage to go deeper in life and art.

In this episode of Rekhta Guftgu, Prof. Gopichand Narang, one of the most influential Urdu critics, scholars and linguists of our time, reflects on a life shaped by memory, migration and literature.

He speaks about his childhood in Balochistan and Punjab, the experience of Partition, his early relationship with books, and the journey that drew him toward Urdu.

The conversation moves through Mir, Ghalib, Faiz, Jaun Elia, Parveen Shakir, Dagh, Kabir and more, as Prof. Narang shares readings, recitations and remarkable insights on poetry, interpretation, freedom and modern life.

Honoured by both India and Pakistan, this is a rare and absorbing conversation for listeners who care about Urdu, culture and the inner life of poetry.

In this episode, Raj Babbar and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub join Ambreen Khan for a warm, deeply personal conversation on Urdu, Hindustani identity, cinema, theatre, and the shared cultural memory of India.

Raj Babbar looks back at the home he grew up in, where the Urdu newspaper Milaap arrived regularly and even the Gita was read in Urdu script.

From childhood memories linked to Ghalib and Nazeer Akbarabadi to his early theatre training, he speaks about pronunciation, discipline, pauses, and why language shapes performance.

Zeeshan Ayyub reflects on upbringing, social responsibility, NSD, mentors, and the need to protect a shared Hindustani spirit that cannot be reduced to religion or labels.

The episode also moves into acting craft, the emotional truth behind performance, choosing roles, creative restlessness, and why AI may imitate technique but cannot replace lived human experience in art.

There is humour too, with rapid-fire moments on Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, romance in Urdu, and anger in Punjabi.

In this warm and thoughtful Jashn-e-Rekhta conversation, Dia Mirza joins Atika Farooqui for a deeply personal exchange on memory, language, identity, and purpose.

From growing up in Hyderabad in a home shaped by Urdu poetry and literature, to finding her own voice in public life, Dia reflects on the experiences that formed her inner world.

The episode also opens into her commitment to the environment and sustainability, revealing how empathy, culture, and conscience came together in her journey.

A graceful conversation that blends Urdu, upbringing, cinema, and awareness in a way that stays with you.

In this Guftgu episode, Manoj Bajpayee speaks with unusual honesty about cinema, craft, and the kind of inner life that keeps an actor growing.

He reflects on how the pandemic changed theatres, streaming, and the way people now live with stories, fear, and habit.

He believes cinema will return, but not in the old way, and makes a strong case for theatres and OTT existing side by side.

The conversation then moves into acting in a way listeners rarely get to hear. Manoj breaks down his preparation for Aligarh, from Marathi literature and music choices to gait, backstory, and the tiny behavioral details that make a performance feel lived rather than performed.

He also speaks about Barry John, realism, simple living, and why craft matters more than image.

The episode closes on poetry, with powerful readings from Dinkar and Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug, revealing how literature, rhythm, and voice shape the actor behind the screen.

Ali Fazal at Jashn-e-Rekhta is a warm, candid conversation on cinema, craft, Urdu, and the life experiences that shape an artist.

From opening with a nazm to reflecting on Lucknow’s tehzeeb, family influences, theatre, failure, ambition, and the long road from Bollywood to Hollywood, Ali speaks with honesty and ease.

He shares how books, poetry, language, and lived memory continue to inform his work, and why Urdu still matters deeply to performance and storytelling.

The session also moves through his acting journey, producing choices, research-driven roles, and his thoughts on the state of cinema today.

Personal, thoughtful, and full of recall value, this Jashn-e-Rekhta episode brings together literature, films, and the kind of conversation that stays with you long after it ends.

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In this episode of Guftugu, Adarsh Gourav opens up about the road from My Name Is Khan to The White Tiger, the performance that brought him global attention and award nominations.

He talks about growing up with music in Jamshedpur, moving to Mumbai, discovering acting later than expected, and building his craft through theatre, training, auditions, and relentless observation.

Adarsh shares behind-the-scenes stories from his early career, his preparation for playing Balram Halwai, and the mindset that shaped his work across Hostel Daze, Guns & Gulaabs, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan.

Along the way, he speaks about music, acting teachers, inspiring filmmakers, and why learning never really stops for a performer.