Behind the scenes of our 'Partitions of the Heart' podcast
Dear reader,
Hello from Nayantara and Ritika! We’re writing to you just as we wrap up Season 1 of our special podcast series ‘Partitions of the Heart’. We’re the team behind the scenes bringing these conversations to life – Nayantara as an editor, and Ritika as audio producer.
When the Indian writer and peace activist Harsh Mander first approached us in March this year with the idea of a podcast series delving into the deepening crisis of Muslims in India, we were thrilled by the chance to bring you essential conversations on one of the most urgent issues facing India and Southasia today. It’s been an education and an adventure for us to produce the series, and a pleasure to have you along.
With the rise and rise of hatred targeting Muslims in India, especially since the country elected a Hindutva government in 2014, Harsh has been at the forefront of the battle to save India from the ravages of communalism. As the host of ‘Partitions of the Heart’, in his conversations with some of the most perceptive Indian Muslim voices today, he draws out personal stories that go beyond cold academic jargon to show not just how the continued persecution of Muslims in India is unfolding, but also how it feels to be on the receiving end of such hatred.
In putting together the list of Harsh’s guests, we wanted to include a broad spectrum in terms of age, gender and life experience. We had the 94-year-old historian Irfan Habib, who was 19 at the time of Partition and recalls vividly the conversations that went into shaping India’s constitution and professed national identity as a secular democracy. The season also featured 27-year-old Afreen Fatima, who experienced first-hand India’s punitive policy of demolitions targeting Muslim homes and businesses.
Imaad ul Hasan, a filmmaker and writer who helped produce the podcast, noted that Season 1 of ‘Partitions of the Heart’ brings together Indian Muslims across the spectrum in terms of class, age and ideology to tell their own stories at a time when they are being invisibilised in society.
Imaad grappled with his share of technical challenges for the podcast, from having to record episodes with brand new microphones that hadn’t been tested to shooting four video episodes back-to-back in two days, trying to accommodate fluctuating lighting, dying camera batteries and shifting schedules. “This was also because we took the decision to try to shoot the episodes in people’s homes where possible, creating a sense of intimacy that added to the free-flowing conversations that followed,” Imaad said.
Despite the challenges, it has been immensely rewarding for us to produce these conversations, and to see the diversity of opinions among Muslims in India. And if you’ve been a regular listener, we hope you’ll support our work, so we can keep bringing you more.