Nothing is Indian! Everything is Indian! | Episode 12 | Everything is Everything

[@zeejamadar9]

Hey Amit and Ajay! I have followed a bunch of episodes of Everything is Everything! Thank you so much for this amazing series. I'm sure this series will be in the top charts in the time to come soon. You two have been seeking feedback and as an avid KZbin watcher (yeah there are such people :P), I believe I can add value to your extremely nice video podcast series. So here's my feedback - First the good part: 1. The topics are extremely interesting and the way they are discussed make them easier to be retained in the long run. 2. The chapters added in each episode are great. It reminds the viewers what is the wider topic as there are times you digress (or down a rabbit hole). 3. The puns that you two share are amazing. I smile and laugh unexpectedly. 4. The show notes - I see this that you have taken the same approach from Seen and the Unseen. Very helpful again. Now, some points of improvements and I think these are just minor points - 1. Please add a dp to your KZbin channel. It makes a huge difference for those who don't know you and also from what you keep will be able to show that there's some extra creativity. that you have. 2. With the style in which Ajay speaks, there's some extra emphasis on words ending with a 'T ' (e.g - about sounds like ABOUTTUH) and that thing goes too deep into ears that I almost sometimes jump in my seating position. It's more relevant to people who usually use earphones. So maybe, Ajay can time down a bit of this. These are for now. I have been just procrastinating giving you guys feedback and finally got a chance to do it. Also, a quick question: Are you planning on inviting guests to the show or is it always going to be you two? Thanks for the series again :)

[@amitvarma]

Thanks for the kind words, and for the useful feedback. Ajay and I will process and discuss it! 🙂

[@sudhirsarnobat]

Great episode, loved it…and thanks for those silent, unseen book recommendations, lying around in background , on tables & book shelves..🙂

[@Rohwit]

It would be a clickbait and maybe a pedestrian thing to do I know but but it would have been truly great to see both these beautiful gentlemen read out 50 things that are assumed to be of a certain place/culture, but they aren’t. Would be good for ‘reels and shorts’ also. Much gratitude to both of you, hamesha and beyond.

[@RajeevKumar-wl6ei]

Awesome, thought provoking conversation. Keep it going guys! Love your content! We need more of this for India and for the world!

[@logical.Indian]

Hello Amit, I've been a loyal listener of your podcast for the past three to four years. Seeing you on KZbin after only hearing your voice was an unexpected delight. There's something unique about forming an image of someone based solely on their voice. Seeing you on video was a shift from that mental image. It's not a disappointment, just different. You articulate your thoughts well, but there's a distinct contrast between immersing in your podcast during a shower or drive and watching you speak on screen. I must admit, it's an intriguing experience. Regardless, I'm committed-I'll listen to your entire three-hour podcast, even if it's in segments

[@bansikaka]

Commenting for the Amit-Shah duo to get greater engagement.

[@renji2008.5]

Culture is an aftermath of incidents and adaptability. Amit i was looking at the wall hanging of Great wave off Kanagawa while you both discussed culture. The mighty waves are something migrate and the mighty Mt.Fuji stand strong. For me I understood cultural adaptations that way. Enjoyed this episode.deep thinking.

[@oflavia2910]

Loved and resonated with, all of us Indians are not from this place.. 🤗 and yet we are.. feels like living in a bubble where everything around seems to suggest otherwise.. ❤

[@manmeetsingh1712]

So this is where the Intellectual Minority of India hangs out/

[@shenoyn]

This is such a delightful episode! Tying in so many threads, opening so many worlds! Absolutely loved it.

[@bhargavizaveri5286]

Great episode. Strongly recommend 'Culture: a new world history' by Martin Puchner (2023). It asks the same question, "Can anyone own a culture?" Beautifully illustrates that the history of humanity is the history of cross-cultural mingling and influence. Incidentally, Puchner's book also has a chapter on the original 'The Great Wave', the picture in the background of your video. Hokusai, the painter 'printed' this as one of the 36 views of Mount Fuji. Note that since printing had then picked up in China, Hokusai, a Japanese painter, 'printed' the Great Wave as an act of rebellion against the then prevalent Japanese style of stand alone scroll painting. So ya, the background was 'picture perfect' for your conversation.

[@amitvarma]

Thanks, will pick that book up!

[@hgabliddilbagh]

Thanks for the recommendation. Really enjoying this book so far. So many TIL moments.

[@rushabhsagara8766]

Since I love this channel since it came out and has watched (& waited) for each and every episode each Friday, I will strongly recommend you guys to add subtitles to the videos; that will surely attract a bit more people if not much. And it will be helpful too! Other than that, great work guys! Keep this coming!!

[@ajayshah5705]

How to do this? It seems like a lot of work to make a transcript with time stamps.

[@chithrabhanup]

The story of potatoes growing in the royal garden is interesting. I have heard the same with Tapioca in Kerala.

[@anirudhacharya4844]

Regarding Chapter 1 of this episode, people usually talk of sushi when talking about Japanese food, but I think the best Japanese food is Onigiri( it is a sort of rice ball with different stuffings). If you watched Pokemon as a kid you would remember that Ash Ketchum and his gang usually had these rice balls for food on the go.

[@mayoorshetty87]

Please share this as a podcast too. It makes it easier to listen without video being on.

[@abhisheknair3343]

This is my new fav podcast now! Amazing work Amit and Ajay! You both have become a staple in my youtube diet! :D

[@pvijay55]

Wow! Entertaining and Illuminating!

[@aditimascarenhas5608]

Yaar, how have y’all gotten so good at this already? The lighting, the set, editing. Loving it ❤

[@ajayshah5705]

Amit Varma thought deeply about the show for two years. It is his creative vision. And Vartika Singh brings the aesthetic sense layered upon the bounty of modern technology.

[@ritz1119]

Ah! This is a breath of fresh air. Thank you for creating this wonderful show.

[@ravitejakodimala]

Wow! Amazing insights into various cultures of our nation.

[@galaxy999in]

Wonderful conversation. Watched the whole thing in one go.

[@amitvarma]

Thank you!

[@logical.Indian]

After diving deep into your podcasts, there's something I've picked up on. There are a handful of guests who've truly left a mark on you. That Haryanvi guy, the one who kickstarted “Stage” in his own dialect, he's definitely one of them. And then there's Vikram Doctor. Man, I have a soft spot for him; he's just brilliant. I've yet to come across a food critic who even comes close. Pushpesh Pant? He's right up there, almost neck and neck with Vikram. Oh, and I can't forget Chandra Bhan Prasad. The way you keep referencing his take on diabetes, suggesting there's ample food and no scarcity in the village, it's clear he's made a lasting impression on you.

[@amitvarma]

Thanks for being so observant. Actually many, many, many of my Seen/Unseen guests have left a mark on me. I've been privileged!

[@ajayshah5705]

Amit is up against the limits of human capacity. Imagine 400 x 4 = 1600 hours of conversation on air. In person, 400 days spent with various people. It's hard for anyone to store it all.

[@mamunurushankar3358]

The arguments given in this talk are valid for all countries and cultures. None of the customs, cuisine, and norms have remained true to their original form though each country may have had something original contingent to its conditions. The story of culture is the story of migration, interaction, exchange, and assimilation. They assimilated, modified, transmitted, and metamorphosed in the process. Trade and commerce have helped enormously in this process. That is how diversity is life and homogeneity is stagnation . Nice talk as always.

[@twenty-twenty]

gents you are hitting it out of the park with each ep

[@twenty-twenty]

and on that note, please introduce Ajay to the beauty of rap lyrics

[@aditimascarenhas5608]

LOVE THE THUMBNAIL ILLUSTRATION

[@anirudhacharya4844]

This book called Indian Food: A Historical Companion by K.T. Achaya is relevant to this episode.

[@deepanshu4866]

He is right, many of my oriya friends feel offended by rosgolla being begali..

[@Communistslayer]

Hey Amit and Ajay, Great work!! Love from Nepal…

[@seemapai3427]

Love this episode! Such a great conversation

[@muralineel]

There are many Indian societies where the bride changes her given name on marriage. If you believe that one’s name is significant to one’s identity, even of how sees oneself, patriarchy finds way of scrubbing away even that little bit of women’s individuality and autonomy.

[@amitvarma]

Great point. And yeah, depressing!

[@BarunChandaHere]

This is meant for Ajay Shah, please take moments from your book reading time in the day to listen to: 1. Billy Woods (hip hop rabindranath) "aethiopes" 2. Aesop Rock (hip hop shakespeare) "skelethon" 3. Milo aka R.A.P. Ferreira (hip hop arthur schopenhauer) "who told you to think" This is also meant for my half bengali cousin Amit, I know you will enjoy these artists. Cheers folks!

[@ajayshah5705]

Thanks. Will try.

[@oneIndia4776]

Sour dough bread is eaten in Northen villages of Himachal and uttarakhand

[@ajayshah5705]

Please do tell us more. What's it called? What's the recipe?

[@rushabhsagara8766]

Although I love how Ajay recommends something other than a book, but still I feel that it should be mandatory for him to recommend at least one book 'coz we know that he's such a well read guy!!

[@amitvarma]

This is a good point. We have shot till episode 16, but from ep 17, this new rule will be introduced for him!

[@mamunurushankar3358]

I second this comment.

[@hgabliddilbagh]

I truly enjoy listening to you guys. I was wondering if you have thought about making the flow more conversational. Perhaps, I have become too familiar with Amit's TSATU pivot points which makes EIE less engaging for me.

[@Burner__]

The best quote describing India according to me is " Everything you say about India the opposite is also true".

[@ajayshah5705]

I think this was by Joan Robinson

[@RanjeetAdkar]

You guys make TGIF come true! ❤

[@a_mancorporation4214]

I guess the true indian dish is 'khichdi' :D

[@amitvarma]

In a metaphorical sense, every Indian dish is khichdi. ;)

[@amantyagi251]

Portuguese words misunderstood as Hindi: Pagaar - वेतन Bottle - बोतल Chaavi - चाबी Janela - जंगला Paraat - परात Anaanaas - अन्नानास Igreja - गिरजा Aaya - आया Istri - इस्त्री Cintra - संतरा Fita - फीता Faaltu - फ़ालतू Mesa - मेज़ Duvida - दुविधा Almira - अलमारी Camisa - कमीज़

[@glenmascarenhas7885]

Excellent

[@oflavia2910]

What is bangalore temp suited to ferment?

[@ajayshah5705]

Sourdough and Kefir : 20 C. Which you get a lot in Bangalore but not elsewhere. Dosa and Dahi: 36 C.

[@aurvicky]

On a lighter note, I miss Ajay's bare legs 😂... cannot stop saying "make Ajay's legs great again" 😅

[@ajayshah5705]

If I was a digital native I would run a poll, bare vs pajamas.

[@BadAss_691]

Don’t create borders. Always open your mind for all things new.

[@ANUJKUMAR-on4yg]

Intellectual ecstasy

[@manmeetsingh1712]

Thank God for this.

[@amantyagi251]

One thing i agree with these speakers on languages is that heterogenity of languages is getting lost to Hindi and Devnagari. Following languages lost their scripts to Devnagari. I have shared the languages and their original lipi as follows: Kashmiri - Sharda Dogri/Pahadi - Takri Maethli - Tirhuta Bhojpuri - Kaethi Nepali/Gadhwali/Kumaoni - Ranjana Marwadi/Mewadi - Mahajani Sindhi - Vanika Maratthi - Modi

[@myselfady]

Even Indians were not fond of Tea initially. Lot of advertisements by the Tea Board of India and campaigns by the British led to Tea drinking a daily ritual among Indians!

[@ajayshah5705]

Yes great example. Today we think tea drinking is Indian. It wasn't always this. The culture evolved, it took in this Chinese/British influence. And that's great.

[@DurgaPrasadTamirisa]

Isn't there a Spotify version of this ?

[@rushabhsagara8766]

When will the 13th episode be out?? Eagerly waiting for it!

[@ajayshah5705]

On its way!!

[@amitvarma]

Apologies for the delay. Here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4OZm4OKgsZ5Y9U

[@anirudhacharya4844]

Please enable subtitles on all your videos.

[@gurjotsingh3726]

Thanks sir 🤌

[@kakaderaunak]

1:34 😂😂😂😂😂

[@AlapMundayoor]

CAT!

[@Sanjhi_Mitti]

India is a thali where every item in the thali is unique and relevant, melting pot concept is more suitable for American culture.

[@ajayshah5705]

You say "unique and relevant" as opposed to "melting pot". Do the pieces in the Indian thali not constantly change through local and global influences? Do lSouth Indian children accept orange marmalade with their dosa? This continuous evolution, which is very much at work in India, is the notion of the melting pot.

[@Sanjhi_Mitti]

@@ajayshah5705 melting pot means forced assimilation it means doesn’t matter where you are from in the American melting pot u have an ‘American’ identity, which means u wear similar clothes, have similar pop culture, celebrate common festivals, food is the most difficult barrier to break but in US breakfast was Americanised in order to create that American identity. When I said we are more like a thali I never implied that this thali has a fixed composition. This is not even my idea it was William Dalrymple who in one of his writings gave the concept of how Indian identity was more like a salad where every component is separate and it goes well together but if you blend everything it would be distasteful. I just replaced salad with thali as I felt it was more appropriate. So you are welcomed to have your south Indian ever evolving thali but if you would put all the elements of thali in a melting pot and cook it together I am sure even u wid not like the mess it would be🙂

[@ajayshah5705]

Only disagree with you on one thing. There is no compulsion to assimilate in the US. People choose to assimilate for various reasons. Think of the person from Bihar who relocates to Bombay. The next generation looks like Bombay folk and not Bihar folk. This is the melting pot.

[@Sanjhi_Mitti]

Assimilation as an option and privilege works hand in hand, ask a college going kid who is the only brown kid in class whether he/she has an option to assimilate or not.

[@ajayshah5705]

We are discussing conditions in India. :-) An interesting new book is out - The Indians, edited by Devy, Joseph and Korisettar.