Madhushala: exploring the soul of Bachchan's timeless poetry
Episodes
46. Bachchan's Madhushala: Sacrifice of Wine to save Amitabh | मधुशाला के कवि की प्रतिज्ञा
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ep 46 of Madhushala podcast: When Bachchan pledge to leave alcohol to save his son Amitabh | मदिरा का त्याग In the previous ep...
45. Madhushala: Bachchan meets Teji Suri in Bareily – Love at first sight? / बच्चन और तेजी का मिलन
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out YouTube for some unseen pictures!In the previous episode of Madhushala, we visited Amritsar and Lahore, where Bachchan’s poem resonated in...
44. Madhushala: Love returns to Bachchan, from Lahore to Bareilly / लाहौर से बरेली तक
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Madhushala Podcast on YouTube - Now with some unseen and rare pictures of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan! Episode 44: Madhushala: Love returns to Bachchan,...
43. Bachchan thought Madhushala was Morbid - a suicide in Bareilly | मधुशाला के प्रेमी की आत्महत्या
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Madhushala Podcast on YouTube - Now with some unseen and rare pictures of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan!Last few episodes, we have discussed women in Bach...
42. Women in Bachchan's life - 'Iris' / बच्चन की मृगतृष्णा "आइरिस" (Madhushala)
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are discussing women in Bachchan’s life in these episodes. We spoke about Bachchan’s first wife “Shyama” in the previous episode and how sh...
41. Women in Bachchan's life - 'Shyama' / मधुशाला में कहानी 'श्यामा' की (Madhushala)
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we started a discussion on women in the life of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan and how they influenced his life and poetry. We sta...
40. Women in Bachchan's life - 'Champa' / मधुशाला में कहानी 'चम्पा' की (Madhushala)
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about “Shanti path” in Madhushala, shared a beautiful piece from Rahi Masoom Raza's book Topi Shukla, some t...
39. Bachchan’s Madhushala: Keats, Shelley - living on own terms / मधुशाला का शान्ति पाठ
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about stages of life after youth, especially the final mile. There was one story about the death of Dr Bachchan’s ...
38. Bachchan's Madhushala: Poetry in death and life / राम नाम नहीं, कहना सच्ची मधुशाला
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Madhushala Podcast (मधुशाला मंथन), based on Harivansh Rai Bachchan's epic poetry. In this, we explore the sou...
37. Bachchan's Madhushala: Abhi to Main Jawaan Hun / मधुशाला में यौवन की बातें
13 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Madhushala Podcast (मधुशाला मंथन), based on Harivansh Rai Bachchan's epic poetry. In this, we explore the sou...
36. Bachchan's Madhushala: When the poem rescued her poet / मधुशाला ने अपने कवि को बचाया
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we had talked about the importance of dissatisfaction in life and told why Bachchan had to leave his well-organized life and ...
35. Bachchan's Madhushala: Fascination of what’s difficult / अंतिम साकी, अंतिम मधुशाला
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we had talked about the fragility of life, a small discussion on the ornaments of poetry called “Alankar”, an...
34. Bachchan's Madhushala: Fragility of life / काल प्रबल है पीनेवाला, संसृति है मधुशाला
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about the comic side of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan and some of the lighter shades in the poet’s life, especia...
33. Bachchan's Madhushala: Poet's comic introduction / मैं हूँ बच्चन जी मस्ताना, गाता मस्ती का गाना
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about Bachchan’s meeting with Sarojini Naidu and introduction with Nehru – Indira family. There was also a poeti...
28. Shakespeare’s Character is Destiny in Madhushala | मिलने का आनंद न देती मिलकर के भी मधुशाला
09 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about poet’s unquenched thirst and about his work as a special officer of Hindi at t...
32. Bachchan’s poetic introduction with Sarojini and Nehru-Indira / सरोजिनी नायडू, इंदिरा नेहरू से बच्चन का कविताई परिचय (Madhushala)
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about the insults that Bachchan has to endure during his Pioneer Press days and how later in his life, he took...
31. After Life’s hard knocks, I found Madhushala / दुनिया भर की ठोकर खाकर पाई मैंने मधुशाला
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke the games fate or ‘Niyati’ plays, and a story about Bachchan’s first independent and important decision in lif...
30. Bachchan’s first important decision and destiny / भाग्य प्रबल, मानव निर्बल का पाठ पढ़ाती मधुशाला
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about a story from Bachchan’s childhood and what his father’s family G...
29. Madhushala on Luck, Destiny, Hitler / सब ठाठ पड़ा रह जाएगा, जब लाद चलेगा बंजारा
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about why people worry much about life and destiny. We also discussed Shakespear...
27. Madhushala: To quench poet’s oceanic thirst | प्यास बुझाने को बुलवाकर प्यास बढ़ाती मधुशाला
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about the mannerism and the beauty of language in Lucknow and why ‘Saaki’ got bored of t...
26. Madhushala: Lucknow and her poetic mannerism | बंद लगी होने खुलते ही मेरी जीवन-मधुशाला
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about what Bachchan used to say about the men-women relationship and discussed a controversy often...
Bonus Episode - Work from Himalayas - Poetic Travels in the Hills (पहाड़ों की कविता यात्रा)
13 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
WFH could well be Work from Himalayas, or Working remotely from Hills! That’s what we did before COVID wave surged again. In this episode, we travel...
25. Madhushala: Men-Women relations and Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas | ढोल, गँवार, शूद्र, पशु, नारी, सकल ताड़ना के अधिकारी
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we told a story from the Cambridge University days and how Bachchan was often mistaken for being youn...
24. Madhushala: Youth of Cambridge University | खुले प्रणय की मधुशाला
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about the extreme criticism faced by Madhushala and how Bachchan was threatened to be shot in Patna once...
23. Madhushala: Benipuri’s Yogi and Sumitranandan Pant | उल्लास-चपल, उन्माद-तरल, प्रति पल पागल – मेरा परिचय
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about the social boycott of Bachchan family for attending a wedding, alongside a poem from Madhushala on the topic. ...
22. Madhushala: Social boycott of Bachchan family | ठुकराते मंदिर मस्जिद, पलक बिछाती मधुशाला
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we shared a story from the life of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s father, that how he alone stood up to a mob to stop a commun...
21. Madhushala: is a great equalizer | एक तरह से सबका स्वागत करती मधुशाला
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about hesitation and moving beyond that, and if a someone is capable enough, there is nothing she/he can’t achieve...
20. Madhushala: Hole in the Bucket and Introverts | मधुशाला में संकोच, स्वाभिमान, साकी से छेड़छाड़
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about ‘Rambha’, one of the apsaras (nymph, fairy) from Indralok (heavens), and Apsaras in the life of Dr Bachcha...
19. Madhushala: Apsara Rambha, Yagya, Dron-Kalash | मधुशाला में अप्सरा रंभा, यज्ञ, द्रोण कलश
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of the episode here. In the previous episode, we spoke about nostalgia and augmented reality, how we see some old f...
Bonus Episode - Women in Bachchan's Life - Champa and Iris | मधुशाला - आइरिस, चंपा, मृग तृष्णा
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mrig Trishna or Mirage - this is the story of two women in Mr Bachchan’s life and the reflection of these experiences on his poetry. Circa 1925, Cha...
18. Madhushala: Nostalgia and Emerald Island "Ireland" | मधुशाला में मरकत द्वीप की कविता
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we spoke about the deep and strange relationship between the arid sandy deserts of Sahara and the dense green rainforests of ...
17. Madhushala: Yin-Yang, Butterfly Effect | मधुशाला में वर्षा ऋतु, पर्यावरण, बचपन
01 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we time-travelled to Mahabharat era where Guru Drona was testing his students and then we spoke about Koyal’s penance, how ...
16. Madhushala: Karn Arjun, Koyal's penance | मधुशाला में कर्ण अर्जुन और कोयल की तपस्या
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on Madhushala Blog here. In the previous episode, we talked about the the Bachchan's struggles for publis...
Bonus Episode - अभी तो मैं जवान हूँ | Bachchan's Comic Introduction / Robert Browning Rabbi Ben Ezra (Madhushala)
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1954, when Bachchan ji landed in Mumbai after sailing for 18 days on his return journey from London, there was a Kavi Goshthi organized in his hono...
Bonus Episode - Madhushala aur Baat Bareilly Ki | बात बरेली की और मधुशाला
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bareilly has played a very important and dramatic role in Bachchan’s life. Circa 1938, it’s just been about a year since the death of Shyama, the ...
Bonus Episode - OSHO Rajneesh and Bachchan's Madhushala | ओशो रजनीश और बच्चन की मधुशाला
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Circa 1950s to 1970s – That there was a bond between Acharya Rajneesh aka OSHO and Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan is not a common knowledge. There were s...
15. How Madhushala became a book | मधुशाला का पहली बार किताब रूप में आना
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on Madhushala Blog here. In the previous episode, we discussed the idea of “Life is a long weekend” i...
14. Madhushala - Life is a long weekend | दिन को होली रात दिवाली रोज़ मनाती मधुशाला
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on Madhushala Blog here. In the previous episode, we shared a ‘shayarana’ banter between Ghalib, Iqba...
13. Ghalib, Iqbal, Faraz in Madhushala | मधुशाला में ग़ालिब, इक़बाल, फराज़
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on Madhushala Blog here. In the previous episode, we shared the story of ‘Chamma’ (Lachhminiya aka Ch...
12. Madhushala and Chamarin Amma | बच्चन और चमारिन अम्मा (मधुशाला)
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on Madhushala Blog here. In the previous episode, we discussed the story behind the name “Harivan...
11. Madhushala - Story of name "Harivansh Rai" | कहानी हरिवंश राय नाम की, मधुशाला
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on Madhushala Blog here. We can also connect on Instagram In the previous episode, we discussed wha...
10. Muharram, Marsiya, Holika, Madhushala | मुहर्रम का तम, होलिका की ज्वाला, मधुशाला
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on my blog here. We can also connect on Instagram :-) In the previous episode, we talked about the reacti...
9. Gandhi Mandir Masjid Madhushala | मधुशाला की गाँधी से शिकायत
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on my blog here. We can also connect on Instagram :-) In the previous episode, we discussed Shiv Ki Prati...
8. Bachchan gets nostalgic about Madhushala | मैं शिव की प्रतिमा, मंदिर हो मधुशाला
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script of this episode on my blog here. We can also connect on Instagram :-) In the previous episode, we discussed what's common...
7. Midnight in Paris, Madhushala and Nostalgia | पीड़ा में आनंद जिसे, आए मेरी मधुशाला
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script on my blog by clicking here. We do a live session of Madhushala every Sunday on Mentza, please follow on Instagram to che...
6. Agnipath, Madhushala, Alankar | कलकल, छलछल़, अग्निपथ, मधुशाला
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script on my blog by clicking here. We do a live session of Madhushala every Sunday on Mentza, please follow on Instagram to che...
5. Crossroads and Writers' Block in Madhushala | किंकर्तव्यविमूढ़ मुझे कर दूर खड़ी है मधुशाला
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script on my blog by clicking here. We do a live session of Madhushala every Sunday on Mentza, please follow on Instagram to che...
4. Alice in Wonderland, Philosophy of Compensations in Madhushala | राह पकड़ तू एक चला चल, पा जाएगा मधुशाला
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script on my blog by clicking here. We do a live session of Madhushala every Sunday on Mentza, please follow on Instagramto chec...
3. Madhushala - Lord Shiva like penance? मधुशाला जैसे शिव का नृत्य
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script on my blog by clicking here. What did Dr Bachchan call #Madhushala a penance? From the grapes of experiences and imaginat...
2. What is Madhushala? मधुशाला क्या है?
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script on my blog by clicking here. What is Madhushala really? What inspired Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan to write Madhushala? Why ...
1. Madhushala's First Public Appearance | मधुशाला पहली बार, शिवाजी हाल
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can read the full script on my blog by clicking here. December 1933 - the very first public recitation of Madhushala, at Shivaji Hall – Kashi Un...