TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

Abhay chats with award-winning documentary filmmaker Nisha Pahuja about everything from the impact of her Academy Award and Peabody Award nominated film To Kill a Tiger, to processing past experiences and trauma, to holistic filmmaking without judgment.
(0:00 - 3:09) Introduction
(3:09) Part 1 - after the Oscars, instincts, building trust with Ranjit's family
(15:13) Part 2 - seeking out the gray, leading a team, ...

SPOTLIGHT episodes of TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING feature brief chats about a unique topic or cause.

Neha Assar has been adorning brides across the nation with bespoke ornate mehndi and body art since 1994 and is now opening doors to many opportunities that are leading to creative collaborations and ground breaking projects. 

The concepts used are original and the designs are expertly applied freehand, through inspired im...

Abhay chats with bureaucrat, educator, and ex-Member of the Legislative Assembly(MLA) in Japan, Yogendra Puranik.
Known also as "Yogi-San", the native of Maharashtra was the first Indian born elected official in Japan and now serves as the first-ever foreign-origin principal of a public (government) school, and the first-ever Indian-origin Civil/Gazetted officer in Japan.

(0:00 - 2:44) Introduction
(2:44) Part 1 - adj...

Abhay is joined by comedian Nimesh Patel to chat about his latest tour, the journey of his comedy life and everything in between.
(0:00 - 2:42) Introduction
(2:42) Part 1 - watching comedy, latest tour, structure to his shows
(12:53) Part 2 - pre-show routines, when Indians are in the audience, mirrors and windows
(26:29) Part 3 - anatomy of a good joke, being irreverent, success and lasting impressions
(35:...

Abhay is joined by "Master Pastelist", artist Sangita Phadke for a conversation about her journey in art, her work with still life and realism, and the storytelling from both sides of her paintings.
(0:00 - 2:26) Introduction
(2:26) Part 1 - first memory of artistic expressions, being self-taught, the "eye" for art
(16:52) Part 2 - realism, being a "Master Pastelist", still life and motion, background and calling<...

Abhay is joined by the founder, chairman, and managing director of Persistent Systems, Anand Deshpande, for a conversation about everything from learning new skills to creating jobs to the transition away from being a CEO to legacy.
(0:00 - 3:10) Introduction
(3:10) Part 1 - learning new skills, helping build a biotech ecosystem
(18:01) Part 2 - Anand's US journey, lessons from transitions away from being CEO
(...

Abhay chats with singer and songwriter Raveena Mehta about everything from dreams of music to her artistic journey and collaborating to her own playlist.
(0:00 - 2:18) Introduction
(2:18) Part 1 - dreaming and feeling at "home"
(14:18) Part 2 - spirituality of music, versatility, collaborating
(23:44) Part 3 - listening and playlists, aesthetics and disposability, how her listeners feel
(35:54) Conclusion

Virginia State Senator and congressional candidate, Suhas Subramanyam, joins Abhay to talk about governing and running a campaign, finding common ground, taking on tough fights, and how he stays energized.  
(0:00 - 238) Introduction
(2:38) Part 1 - energy after a long day, district is a proxy, track record and taking on hard fights
(15:22) Part 2 - staying consistent and getting to the middle, Indian Americans in...

Abhay is joined by Dr. Swati Mohan,  aerospace engineer and scientist at NASA/JPL, for a conversation about everything from her inspirations and ongoing journey, to the everyday relatability of her work, to embracing and exploring the unknown.  Of note - Space Camp and Star Trek: The Next Generation were both discussed!
(0:00 - 2:59) Introduction
(2:59) Part 1 - early inspirations, first day at NASA
(12:44) Part 2...

Abhay is joined by Krish Ashok, the author of Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking for a wide ranging conversation about everything from food identities in India, to how his time in the US informed him, to irritating misconceptions, to AI and fact checking. 
(0:00 - 2:51) Introduction
(2:51) Part 1 - thinking about questions when he's eating, food identities, the US experience
(17:19) Part 2 - fact finding or...

Abhay is joined by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal for a conversation about her service as the only Indian American woman in the United States Congress.  They chatted about everything from progressive politics to the filibuster to her identity and love for both the country of her birth and the country she serves. 
(0:00 - 2:33) Introduction
(2:33) Part 1 - Super Bowl enjoyment and largesse, being a progressive
(12:...

Abhay is joined by Anjali Chandrashekar, illustrator and cartoonist for the New Yorker.
The chatted about the anatomy of a cartoon and the creative process, observing the world around her, and storytelling through cartoons. 
(0:00 - 2:56) Introduction
(2:56) Part 1 - New Year's resolutions, observation and creativity
(13:17) Part 2 - the anatomy of a cartoon, inspiration as an Indian cartoonist
(27:52) Part ...

Abhay is joined by Anita Verma-Lallian, the CEO of both Arizona Land Consulting and Camelback Productions. 
They talked about everything from finding value and opportunity to land development in 2024 to launching a South Asian American media production company.  As she definitely should, Anita shared that she likes the word "mogul."
(0:00 - 2:56) Introduction
(2:56) Part 1 -  opportunity and surprises, balancing p...

Abhay is joined by Advait Shinde, the co-founder and CEO of the educational tech company GoGuardian.  They chatted about everything from the value of online learning to the guardrails of technology to the privacy and free speech.
(0:00 - 2:54 ) Introduction
(2:54) Part 1 - starting the journey, applying success to education
(10:43) Part 2 - metrics of learning, human connections, responsible use of technology tool...

Abhay is joined by Grammy nominated musician, business leader, and humanitarian Chandrika Tandon, as they chatted about her journey and motivations, about her newest album "Ammu's Treasures" weaving lessons from the corporate world into the arts, and repeating her mantra of "love, light, and laughter."
(0:00 - 3:09) Introduction
(3:09) Part 1 - structuring through music and art, finding herself through music
(17:4...

Abhay shares a conversation with Aditya Kakodkar AKA Marathi Kaka/Brewkenstein as they chatted about everything from observation skills to bad Marathi dad jokes to surprising reactions with those who appreciate his work.  The whole thing was quite "Phantaastic" and void of any creative constipation.
(0:00 - 2:26) Introduction
(2:26) Part 1 - quirky pronunciations and creating online
(14:33) Part 2 - crossover work...

Abhay is joined by bharatnatyam dance artist and choreographer, Rukmini Vijayakumar.  They chatted about everything from sharpening her observational skills to being a spiritual artist to the effect that her bharatnatyam vocabulary has on her.
Rukmini directs the Radha Kalpa Dance Company and the LshVa artistic space.
(0:00 - 2:55) Introduction
(2:55) Part 1 - observation, reverance, practicing Bharatnatyam throug...

Abhay is joined by actor Vidya Balan for a conversation about relatability, defining success, trusting herself and much more!
(0:00 - 2:14) Introduction
(2:14) Part 1 - First impressions, success as an actor, feeling liberated 
(14:12) Part 2 - disruption and women in Indian films, feeling content, re-invention
(25:50) Part 3 - privacy in the public space, framework of celebrity, turning 45 years old
(34:02)...