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.