Welcome to the Southasia Review of Books Podcast, where we speak to celebrated authors and emerging literary voices from across Southasia. In this episode, Shwetha Srikanthan speaks to the renowned poet, writer, editor and translator Jerry Pinto about his new collection of essays, Thinking Aloud (Seagull Books, March 2025).
In Thinking Aloud, Jerry Pinto makes a strong case for why inclusive storytelling matters – especially when it comes to understanding the world around us. He critically unpacks Bollywood and the nation-state, arguing that Hindi cinemas’ reductive moral binaries have left a deep mark on how people understand India’s past.
With insights into his landmark translations, including Sachin Kundalkar’s Cobalt Blue and Daya Pawaar’s Baluta, Pinto shows how biographies can deepen our engagement with history and challenge dominant narratives. He also makes a compelling case for the role of translation in bridging divides, helping stories that might otherwise remain unheard to travel further.
And finally, Pinto reflects on his journey as an educator – from a reluctant start to amplifying marginalised voices in the classroom and beyond. At its core, Thinking Aloud offers a meditation on what it means to teach, to tell stories, and to keep listening.
This episode in now available on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts
Let’s keep the conversation going – please share your thoughts on the episode. If something resonated with you – or even challenged you – leave us a comment on Youtube or write to us at editorial@himalmag.com.
Episode notes:
Thinking Aloud by Jerry Pinto (Seagull Books, March 2025)
Baluta by Daya Pawar, translated by Jerry Pinto ( Speaking Tiger, June 2015,)
Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto (Aleph Book Company, April 2012)
Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar, translated by Jerry Pinto (Penguin, April 2013)
A Book of Light: When a Loved One Has a Different Mind edited by Jerry Pinto (Speaking Tiger, July 2016)
The roots of Banu Mushtaq’s literary rebellion - Meghna Rao (May 2025, Himal Southasian)
The ‘note’ economy: A brief history of English-literature exams in contemporary India - Sumana Roy (August 2020, Himal Southasian)
Indo-Anglian Writing - Nandi Bhatia (August 1999, Himal Southasian)
Bollywood and the middle-class nation - Mahmood Farooqui (July 2006, Himal Southasian)
Hindi cinema, Indian cinema: Will Bollywood's globalising success smother Indian cinema as a whole? Utpal Borpujari (March 2006, Himal Southasian)
Bollywood’s caricatures - Syed Ali Mujtaba (February 2004, Himal Southasian)
What are we in for when Bombay’s production houses start feeding lightweight Indian nationalism to this mass? Jaganath Guha (March 2001, Himal Southasian)