The Halla Bol Podcast

By Sudhanva Deshpande

Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.


Category: Performing Arts

Open in Apple Podcasts


Open RSS feed


Open Website


Rate for this podcast

Subscribers: 0
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 21

Description

Artist and activist Safdar Hashmi's short and rich life is narrated by Sudhanva Deshpande from his book, Halla Bol: The Death and Life of Safdar Hashmi. The podcast features guest actors, archival interviews and rare recordings, of even Safdar's own voice.

It was a killing that shocked a nation. On January 1, 1989, the Delhi-based theatre group Jana Natya Manch (Janam) was attacked by political goons while performing its street play Halla Bol. Two people were killed in this attack — a young migrant worker from Nepal, Ram Bahadur, and Janam's charismatic leader, the playwright-actor-director-lyricist Safdar Hashmi. Less than 48 hours after Safdar's death, Janam returned to the scene of the killing and completed the interrupted play — led by Moloyashree, actor, theatre activist and Safdar's wife. In his death, Safdar became an icon — for freedom of expression, for standing up to oppression, for the right to dissent.

हल्ला बोल: सफ़दर हाश्मी की मौत और ज़िंदगी is a book about the luminous life of Safdar Hashmi, written by Sudhanva Deshpande, one of Safdar's closest collaborators. Actor Naseeruddin Shah says of the book: “I was by turns informed, amused, enraged, and deeply moved.”

The Halla Bol Podcast, produced by Ashish Paliwal, is more than a reading of the book. It contains archival interviews, revolutionary songs, plays, Safdar's writings for children, and rare recordings of Safdar's own voice. Safdar's life is narrated over 19 episodes by Sudhanva. Joining him are incredible actors like Naseeruddin Shah as the voice of Habib Tanvir, Ratna Pathak Shah as the voice of Moneeka Mishra Tanvir, and Amruta Subhash as the voice of Kalindi Deshpande. The announcement and credits are read by Sania Hashmi. In a bonus episode, Janam actors read out the script of the play 'Halla Bol'.

Primary language: Hindi | Total episodes: 19 + 1 | Fresh episodes every Tuesday and Friday from April 22 to June 29, 2021.

Credits: Halla Bol is published in English by LeftWord Books, and in Hindi (translation: Yogendra Dutt) by Vaam Prakashan. Production Assistant: Hymanshu Singh. Sound Editor: Dhruv Rai. Photographer: Tapesh Sharma. Graphic design: Sherna Dastur. Recording and mastering: Mohammad Hasan Siddiqui, Hertz Sound Studio, New Delhi. Signature tune: M.D. Pallavi. Audio interviews courtesy: Jana Natya Manch and Sudhanva Deshpande. Thanks to: Kajal Ghosh, Parcham, Jana Natya Manch, Barefoot, Vinutha Mallya, Sameera Iyengar, Hasan bhai's family, Amruta Subhash, Ratna Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin Shah. Directed by: Ashish Paliwal and Sudhanva Deshpande. Produced by: Ashish Paliwal.

Additional credits are mentioned at the end of each episode.

Episode Date
Halla Bol | Bonus Episode: Halla Bol, the Play
Jul 09, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 19: Safdar's Legacy
Jul 02, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 18: Dreams
Jun 28, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 17: Strike!
Jun 25, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 16: How the Other Half Lives
Jun 21, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 15: Consolidating the Gains
Jun 18, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 14: Learning from the Masters
Jun 14, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 13: Working with the Legends
Jun 07, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 12: Breaking the Impasse
Jun 01, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 11: A Workshop in Pakistan
May 28, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 10: Spreading Wings
May 25, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 9: Kitaben
May 21, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 8: Hit the Streets
May 18, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 7: Newspaper of the Poor
May 14, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 6: Love in the Time of Emergency
May 11, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 5: The Growing-Up Years
May 07, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 4: Joining Janam
May 04, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 3: Farewell, Comrade
Apr 30, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 2: Hide and Seek
Apr 27, 2021
Halla Bol | Episode 1: The Attack
Apr 22, 2021
Halla Bol | Preview
Apr 20, 2021