Qisse Kahaniyaan

There is a special place in our memory for our first love. We cherish that sweetness of festivals when we were growing up. A song from the 90s invokes many a colourful memories. The smell of the first monsoon rain evokes the imagery of paper boats that we rowed in little streams. We keep some memories hidden in our chest forever. My name is Alif, and I am a cinematographer by profession and a storyteller by choice. I grew up in a set-up where many evenings were spent listening to folklore from the elderly. I'd get hooked to those stories and would often bring them to life in my imagination. Qisse Kahaniyaan is my attempt to bring you some such memories wrapped in words and dressed in sound. My promise is that each of these stories will be juiced with nostalgia and memories. Millions of listeners seek out Bingepods (Ideabrew Studios Network content) every day. Get in touch with us to advertise, join the network or click listen to enjoy content by some of India's top audio creators. studio@ideabrews.com Android | Apple

Episodes

From Outlaw to Icon: Phoolan Devi’s Story | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

April 16, 2025 • 18 mins

She was born into oppression. She rose in defiance. Phoolan Devi was not just a woman—she was a storm. Branded a criminal, hailed as a warrior, she walked the razor’s edge between vengeance and justice, fear and reverence. From a child bride to a feared dacoit, from a prison cell to the Indian Parliament—Phoolan’s life was a tale of survival, rebellion, and an unbreakable will. They called her the ‘Bandit Queen,’ but she was far m...

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Safdar Hashmi: Art, Activism, and a Lasting Legacy | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

April 9, 2025 • 19 mins

Some artists perform. Safdar Hashmi provoked. A playwright, poet, and activist, he didn’t just tell stories—he fought battles with them. As the founder of Jana Natya Manch (JANAM), he wielded theatre as a weapon, crafting bold, politically charged performances that laid bare corruption, inequality, and exploitation during Indira Gandhi's era. His art was defiant. And on January 1, 1989, he paid the ultimate price for it—murdered m...

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SHIV KUMAR BATALVI: The Poet Who Lived His Verses | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

April 2, 2025 • 29 mins

In this dramatised episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, Shiv Kumar Batalvi returns through the voice of an artist, narrating his own life. Blending poetic melancholy with an anchor’s narration, the episode takes you on a journey through his celebrated yet turbulent existence. A rebellious spirit, he defied societal norms, challenging conventions with his impassioned and often controversial themes. But behind his literary brilliance lay an ...

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M. F. HUSAIN: BEYOND THE CANVAS | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

March 26, 2025 • 26 mins

Few artists have shaped modern Indian art like Maqbool Fida Husain (M.F. Husain)—a painter whose bold strokes told stories of beauty, culture, and controversy. Known as the ‘Picasso of India’, Husain’s life was a canvas filled with triumphs and trials, adored by some and criticised by others. In this dramatised episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, we bring Husain’s voice to life through a skilled artist, letting him narrate his own journe...

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Saadat Hasan Manto: Between The Lines | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

March 19, 2025 • 18 mins

Step into the world of Saadat Hasan Manto, the literary genius whose stories stirred hearts and sparked debates. In this episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan, Manto, brought to life by a talented voice artist, narrates his own story—his rise to fame, the controversies that defined his life, and the legacy that endures. Alternating between Manto’s evocative voice and the anchor’s compelling narration, this dramatised podcast takes you on an...

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Aayinaa Part 3: A Time Capsule of Forgotten Stories

March 11, 2022 • 19 mins

This is the story of an antique mirror that has lived through historical times. Crafted by Ustaad Azhar Ali in Shahjahanabad, the mirror finds itself in royal possession when it's gifted by his creator to the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. But the glory of living in a Mughal court was short-lived. In 1857, as Bahadur Shah Zafar's forces clashed with the British Army, the mirror flinches as the horror that is unl...

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Aayinaa Part 2: A Slice of History Preserved in Memory

March 3, 2022 • 11 mins

Ustaad Azhar Ali, a talented craftsman of Shahjahanabad, wants to make a mirror – a masterpiece worthy enough to be presented before the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar during Shaan-e-Hindustan, an annual festival that is held in the city of Shahjahanabad. In this episode, the mirror that now lies in the dusty corner of an antique shop in modern Delhi, narrates the story of how it found its new owner and also what happened in ...

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Aayinaa Part 1: Reflections of The Time Bygone

February 24, 2022 • 11 mins

An old mirror lies in a dusty corner of an antique shop in New Delhi's Janpath Market. Over the years it has passed through many hands and although the mirror has lost its sheen now, it has seen a lot of history. In this episode, the mirror tells us the story of its maker Azhar Ali — a skilled but poor carpenter who used to reside in the city of Shahjahanabad. Tune in! About the Podcast Stories are at the core of our l...

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Candyman: Temptations and Curiosity of a School Boy

February 18, 2022 • 14 mins

Pappu, a 9-year-old boy, is intrigued by a man who he sees distributing candies to children outside his school. Even though he resists his temptations, his curiosity grows. While he is skeptical of approaching a stranger, he also wonders why this man is giving away free candies to all his friends? Will he make a move for it, or will he remember the 'stranger danger' rule? Tune in to this episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan Season...

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Librarian Part 2: When the Lines of Partition Cut Across Books

February 10, 2022 • 10 mins

As the subcontinent is set to be divided in two separate nations – Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, Amarjeet, a librarian in the small town of Amritsar gets a notice that his library will also be partitioned much like every other thing. The task of separating the books becomes an emotionally taxing situation for him personally, for he must choose which book will go to which country. How is Amarjeet going t...

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Librarian Part 1: Of Books, Freedom and Partition

February 3, 2022 • 10 mins

It is the year 1947. The prolonged colonial occupation has finally ended but the subcontinent will be divided in two separate nations — Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. In a small town of Amritsar, a library will be partitioned as well. Amarjeet, the librarian is caught between the whirlwind of emotions when he finds out that the library's books will also be divided between two nations. And he has to decided th...

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Panna Lal Panauti Part 2: Breaking The Jinx

January 28, 2022 • 8 mins

Misfortunes refuse to leave Panna Lal alone, they keep tailing him like a shadow. His rotten luck is such that it has earned him the nickname of 'Panauti'. Now, Panna Lal has fallen in love with Jhilmil, a girl in his college, but he has not dared to express his love to her. He doesn't want to lose her because of his 'panauti' (unlucky or bad omen). All he wants to do now is to prove to the world that he is not bad luck. What...

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Panna Lal Panauti Part 1: A Life Full of Misadventures

January 21, 2022 • 7 mins

They say life is full of ups and downs but for Panna Lal, it's a never-ending trail of misadventures. The poor chap's life is a tragicomedy where misfortune have been following him like a shadow since the very moment of his birth. Now Panna Lal wants to prove to the world that he is not a panauti and he is ready to do whatever it takes. Will he be able to get rid off his jinx and prove that he is not bad luck? Tune in to ...

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Baarishein Part 2 - Facing The Past to Cope With The Present

January 14, 2022 • 12 mins

Sahil, an ambitious man from a small town has made it big in Mumbai. He has managed to accomplish the dreams that he's been chasing after but not without paying a heavy price. He's been estranged from his family for the last seven years away and none of his achievements have been able to fill that void. In the second episode of Qisse Kahaniyaan 2, we find Sahil at a crossroads. His daughter Ahana's persistent questions about h...

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'Baarishein Part 1' — When Chasing Dreams Comes at a Cost

January 7, 2022 • 12 mins

Qisse Kahaniyaan by Alif is back and in the first episode of season 2, Alif narrates the story of Sahil, who pays the price of chasing his dreams with a personal loss. What should he do to leave behind the shadow of his past and move on with his life? It's a question he must answer before it's too late. Tune in to know what is it that can bring Sahil some closure and peace. Tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

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S2: Qisse Kahaniyaan is Coming Back This January, Submit Your Best Fiction Stories!

January 4, 2022 • 1 min

Stories are at the core of our living — we all love to hear stories but we also take refuge in the world of stories through the characters that we hear about, read and watch. We laugh when they laugh, feel their pain when they are sad and their first love...well, that reminds us of our own. My name is Alif and I am a storyteller. This new year, I promise to bring you new characters and new stories on love and nostalgia on Qi...

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'Gul aur Gulshan': A Love Story With No Ending

September 1, 2021 • 8 mins

All of us have read passionate stories about tragic lovers like Laila-Majnu, Heer-Ranja, or Soni-Mahiwal who stood with each other in the face of adversities. This episode of Qisse Kahaniya is based on one such story. It is the tale of Gul aur Gulshan from Gulistan — a small hamlet in Kashmir. These two lovers are madly in love with each other when the rivalry between their families is equally bitter. In year 2008, their story...

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'Mere Kuch Sawaal': In Search of Answers and Longing for Lost Love

August 25, 2021 • 11 mins

Life is filled with questions, many of them are answered but many others remain unanswered. The unease of not knowing why things happened to us when they happened to us gets deeper with the passage of time. Mere Kuch Sawaal is a story where a protagonist is struggling with his unanswered questions. Despite everything else in his life, he feels the void of his lost love spanned over 10 years. After 10 years of longing, he rec...

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'Meri Maa ki Shaadi' – Of Divorce, Remarriage, and All Things Fate (Part 2)

August 17, 2021 • 7 mins

In 'Meri Maa ki Shaadi', a daughter takes us on a journey of her mother's possible remarriage. Will the daughter be able to play cupid for her mother and bring two hearts closer to each other? In continuation of episode 8, we follow the story of Dr Tamanna, who is a divorcee and mother saves the life of 33 yr old Vaid. During the treatment, vaid falls for Dr Tamanna. What will happen next in their story? Will Dr Tamanna a...

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'Meri Maa ki Shaadi' – Of Divorce , Remarriage, and All Things Fate (Part 1)

August 11, 2021 • 8 mins

Our society still finds difficult to readily accept remarriage of a divorced person. It is shrouded in taboo and shame. And what's considered even more unacceptable and outrageous is remarrying someone much younger than you. What happens when a 33-year-old guy falls in love with a 40-year-old divorcee mother? Will she listen to her heart and go with her feelings? In 'Meri Maa ki Shaadi', a daughter takes us on a journey of her mo...

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Qisse Kahaniyaan

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}From Outlaw to Icon: Phoolan Devi’s Story | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Safdar Hashmi: Art, Activism, and a Lasting Legacy | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

SHIV KUMAR BATALVI: The Poet Who Lived His Verses | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

M. F. HUSAIN: BEYOND THE CANVAS | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

Saadat Hasan Manto: Between The Lines | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

Aayinaa Part 3: A Time Capsule of Forgotten Stories

Aayinaa Part 2: A Slice of History Preserved in Memory

Aayinaa Part 1: Reflections of The Time Bygone

Candyman: Temptations and Curiosity of a School Boy

Librarian Part 2: When the Lines of Partition Cut Across Books

Librarian Part 1: Of Books, Freedom and Partition

Panna Lal Panauti Part 2: Breaking The Jinx

Panna Lal Panauti Part 1: A Life Full of Misadventures

Baarishein Part 2 - Facing The Past to Cope With The Present

'Baarishein Part 1' — When Chasing Dreams Comes at a Cost

S2: Qisse Kahaniyaan is Coming Back This January, Submit Your Best Fiction Stories!

'Gul aur Gulshan': A Love Story With No Ending

'Mere Kuch Sawaal': In Search of Answers and Longing for Lost Love

'Meri Maa ki Shaadi' – Of Divorce, Remarriage, and All Things Fate (Part 2)

'Meri Maa ki Shaadi' – Of Divorce , Remarriage, and All Things Fate (Part 1)

Popular Podcasts

From Outlaw to Icon: Phoolan Devi’s Story | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast

Safdar Hashmi: Art, Activism, and a Lasting Legacy | Qisse Kahaniyaan Podcast