‘Baat Sarhad Paar: Conversations across the border’ brings together eminent personalities from India and Pakistan

The special podcast series ‘Baat Sarhad Paar: Conversations across border’, jointly produced by BBC News Hindi and BBC News Urdu, brings together eminent personalities from the worlds of art, music and literature, from two countries celebrating their seventy-fifth year of independence this year.  It is a unique initiative to celebrate the spirit of dialogue and deep-rooted ties between India and Pakistan based on the countries’ shared social and cultural memories as well as heritage.

This podcast series will launch this Friday (15th July). A new episode will be released every Friday on the BBC News Hindi and BBC News Urdu websites and respective YouTube channels, and on all major podcast platforms including Gaana, JioSaavn, and Spotify.

This podcast explores the special connection and admiration that is commonly found between people across the border, especially when it comes to cinema, music, and literature.

In each episode, high profile figures will share their anecdotes and experiences of changes they have seen in India and Pakistan, and how they derive inspiration from their counterparts from across the border.  The tone of the podcast series is light-hearted, humorous, at times emotionally moving and thought-provoking.

The title song ‘Baat Sarhad Paar’ composed by Chintan Kalra and BBC’s Ajit Sarathi, is a classic amalgamation of Indian and Pakistani folk instruments infused with digital production, evoking past times. The  heart-warming lyrics have been written by Anish Ahluwalia and sung by Jagtinder on Sharat Chandra Srivastava’s violin.

Rupa Jha, Head of  India, BBC News says:  “What better way to mark the 75th year of India and Pakistan’s independence and partition than bringing together people across the border to trace the shared cultural past and also celebrate each other’s individual journeys. Telling these fascinating stories as a podcast is an insightful and intimate experience for our audiences and we can’t wait to share them.”

Asif Farooqui, Pakistan Editor, BBC News Urdu adds: “Working on this series has been a fascinating experience for me and my colleague at BBC Urdu Nazish Zafar who has been instrumental in curating the episodes around the themes and involving the people who could connect the 75 years of history with the future, so that younger generations on both sides of the divide feel connected with their past and hope for a future of peace and togetherness.”

Summary and highlights of each episode:

Episode 1: Music across the border: Renowned singers Sunidhi Chauhan from India and Zeb Bangash from Pakistan talk about their fans’ love that continues to inspire them, and how music has become an integral part of their memories. Their heartening conversation shows enormous admiration for each other’s work, with Zeb describing the chat as a big fan moment and recalling the times she heard Sunidhi’s song from the movie ‘Highway’.  She says Sunidhi’s songs have given her strength and support during dark phases in her life. Both singers recall being inspired by the musicians they grew up listening to from across the border and also their experiences working with music composers from each other’s country. Sunidhi and Zeb sing their own songs too, as well as covering classic songs by Indian and Pakistani singers.

Episode 2: Satire and cinematic entertainment: Accomplished Indian writer, lyricist, and stand-up comedian Varun Grover engages in a sharp-witted conversation with famous Pakistani director, producer, and actor Sarmad Khoosat, who has directed several iconic television drama series.  His film ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ made Pakistan’s official entry into the foreign film category in Oscars in 2021 but the release was delayed by over a year due to political controversy. Varun and Sarmad talk about the similar sense of humour shared both countries. They also make poignant observations about the challenges and resistance satirists can face if the comedy isn’t taken in the right spirit.

Episode 3: Poetry and evolution of feminist ideas: Features acclaimed feminist poets, Anamika from India and Kishwar Naheed from Pakistan. Both have been honoured with prestigious literary awards of their country. Anamika is the first female poet to receive India’s Sahitya Academy Award.  Kishwar received Pakistan’s Sitar-e-Imtiaz for her contribution towards Urdu literature. Both literary personalities take audiences down memory lane, reminiscing on the rich literary heritage shared by the countries. They also recite their renowned poems.

Episode 4: Partition of India and Pakistan: Indian historian, researcher, and writer Aanchal Malhotra is in conversation with the Pakistani fashion journalist, social commentator, and television personality Mohsin Sayeed. The guests narrate moving accounts of their parents and grandparents’ migration caused by partition, which displaced and separated millions of people on both sides.  They discuss not just loss but also the determination of people that helped their family cope and rebuild their life with renewed faith.

Episode 5: Cross border marriages: Focuses on love and its triumph against the odds. Three young people, Arman Dehlvi from India who married Maliha Khan a Pakistani and Desiree Francis a Pakistani who married an Indian, reveal the social and bureaucratic difficulties faced by people when they decide to marry across the border.  In a candid conversation, they recount dramatic anecdotes and share personal experiences.