FACT OF THE MATTER

By RATHINDRA BASU and JOY BHATTACHARJYA

Spies in the White House? Alcoholic rat armies? Conan Doyle as a sports reporter? In this series, Rathindra Basu and Joy Bhattacharjya, two senior media professionals and trivia enthusiasts from India, have fun with facts and news from the world of music, books, film, sports, history, science, language etc. Every other week, they will share interesting anecdotes, funny news items and decipher interesting word origins. Fans of trivia can also try contest questions and see Joy and Rathin try to fool each other as well! Reach out to Joy and Rathin at factofthematterindia@gmail.com.

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S2 E6 - The "Awards" Special - from bad sex in fiction, weird book titles and Knights of the Garter to the Ig-Nobel, Darwin and Turnip awards and their many illustrious winners!!

FACT OF THE MATTER Jan 07, 2023

00:00

29:53

S2 E6 - The "Awards" Special - from bad sex in fiction, weird book titles and Knights of the Garter to the Ig-Nobel, Darwin and Turnip awards and their many illustrious winners!!

In our sixth episode this season, FACT OF THE MATTER, rounds off the year by diving straight into the Awards Season - with a difference!! In Main Course, Joy and Rathin stay off the regular award season and focus on a few off-beat ones for a change - like the Ig-Nobel, the Darwin and the Turnip awards. Get to know more about bad sex in fiction, weird book titles, automobile inspired sex scenes and a garter or two as Joy skillfully unravels story after story!! So award yourself a quick break, grab a ringside seat and join us on yet another tour-de-farce into the world of awards!!

We love to hear from you!! Write to us at factofthematterindia@gmail.com. Rate us and berate us!! Follow us on Twitter - @joybhattacharj and @rathindrabasu. Find us on all leading podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music.

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Jan 07, 202329:53

S2 E5 - Joy and Rathin return after a break with a lot of words - literally! - words of the year, retronyms, backronyms, contronyms and Joy's quirky updates featuring sideburns and testicles!!!

In our fifth episode this season, FACT OF THE MATTER, decides to go back a step and find out the many wonderful facets of words and their meanings!! In Main Course, hear about words of the year like woman, goblin mode and homer and why they were searched and checked worldwide - and get a load of quirky trivia on the origin of words like sideburn, testament and salary among others. Kick off the Christmas holidays by doing nothing except putting on your earphones and block off every other noise - as you gently doze off to the smooth droning sound of Joy and Rathin making a mess of the English language!!

We love to hear from you!! So write to us at factofthematterindia@gmail.com. Rate us and berate us!! Follow us on Twitter - @joybhattacharj and @rathindrabasu. Find us on all leading podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music.

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Dec 25, 202233:03

S2 E4 - in which we investigate old and new crime fiction, noire detective movies and more - as we trip through Holmes, Poirot, Knives Out, Mountbatten, Sikander Singh and gumshoes from Pinkerton's!!

Jack Reacher ordered espresso, double, no peel, no cube, foam cup, no china, and before it arrived he saw a man’s life change forever.

Opening lines of The Hard Way – a book by Lee Child where the central character is Jack Reacher, a retired military investigator.

In our fourth episode this season, FACT OF THE MATTER, enters the shadowy world of murder, detection, macabre plots and pure crime!! In Main Course, learn about inspirations and connections - as Joy links in Lord Mountbatten and Roger Ackroyd and how an Indian may have been the reason for the Silver Blaze story by Conan Doyle. Rathin shares the virtues of having an I-Phone if you want to escape from being a murder suspect in movies and some interesting new Indian detectives who are winning hordes of new fans!! In Believe It or Not, we try and unearth some craziness around the Russia Ukraine crisis and temper it with some wholesome goodness as well!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! So get off that sofa, flex your knees and dig in as the game truly is afoot!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Apr 03, 202236:30

S2 E3 - in which we celebrate love stories - the first love song ever written and the first pop star, Sahir and Amrita, Layla and Patty Boyd, Ben Affleck and a toilet seat and much more!!

"You had me at hello." Renee Zellweger's iconic dialog in the movie Jerry Maguire.

In our third episode this season, FACT OF THE MATTER, gets onto the love bandwagon with great enthusiasm!! In Main Course, let Joy tell you how love for Patty Boyd helped create monster audio hits and get a bite of ancient history as Rathin shares details about the world's earliest known love song and a really ancient pop singer-songwriter !! In Believe It or Not, we have some crazy love stories from across the world - as we travel smoothly from Kenya to Japan!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! So bring out that old guitar, brush up on those college day love tunes and let the good times roll!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Feb 14, 202230:47

S2 E2 - All about thugs, villains and rascals - from screen to real life from Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee to Dushyasana- specially spiced up with a surprise Guest of the Week!!

"You've heard of the golden rule, haven't you? Whoever has the gold makes the rules." The evil Vizier, Jafar, in Aladdin.

In our second episode this season, FACT OF THE MATTER, makes a darting run into the dark side!!. In Main Course, get introduced to a tough baddie from the great Indian epic, Mahabharata and also find out interesting stories about legendary screen villains like Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee!! Listen to national award winning Indian writer, Balaji Vittal, share nuggets from his latest book - Pure Evil – The Bad Men of Bollywood - as he becomes FOTM's very first - Our Guest This Week - our brand new section! In Believe It or Not, learn about how unplanned entrances into weddings can lead to unplanned marriages!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! So bring out the anti-hero within you and enjoy a special round of villainy, treachery and complete tomfoolery as always!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Feb 02, 202240:23

S2 E1 - In which Joy and Rathin deep dive into sporting controversies like Cricket and Apartheid, Olympic Boycotts, COVID and NBA, Corruption charges in Baseball and much more!

When the seagulls follow the trawler, they think sardines will be thrown into the sea - Eric Cantona, France and Manchester United football legend, on his controversial rant at media trying to feed of his words to create sensational stories.

In this brand new season opener, FACT OF THE MATTER, stunned by the Novak Djokovic affair at the Australian Open, decides to console itself by focusing on key sporting controversies over the years!!. In Main Course, listen to Joy and Rathin do a freewheeling chat about how the cricketing world was shaken by apartheid in the 70s, how the NBA is seeing the effect of COVID vaccinations (or not!!), how India was once one step away from a Davis Cup triumph and much more!! In Believe It or Not, learn about how an Italian Michelin star restaurant received a stunning shakedown from a reviewer and anti-sex beds at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! So forget your New Year resolution, grab your favorite beverage and immerse yourself into a crazy world of stories, trivia and fun!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Jan 23, 202247:60

Episode 16 - A special focus on children in which Jackie Coogan, Shirley Temple, Amir Khan and Meena Kumari rub shoulders with Pakistani batting legend Inzamam Ul Haq and a few nursery rhymes!!

There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children - Nelson Mandela.

In this episode, FACT OF THE MATTER, celebrates the month of November by checking out stories around children who took their childhood by the scruff of the neck and left an indelible impression on the rest of us. In Main Course, listen to Joy and Rathin talk about child actors from Hollywood and Bollywood - Jackie Coogan, Shirley Temple and Meena Kumari and others - how they coped in both reel and real life as they navigated their way into adulthood!! In Believe It or Not, learn about Pakistani batting legend Inzamam Ul Haq and his relationship with sleep and runouts!! Enjoy Joy's special story about about a selfless lady from Cuttack, Orissa!!!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Sit back, grab a coffee, close and your eyes and try and remember a good childhood memory!! and if you ca

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Nov 20, 202135:12

Episode 15 - How key assassinations often changed the course of world political history - about Archduke Ferdinand, Reinhard Heydrich and Sir Stanley Jackson - some lucky to survive and some not!!

Demoralize the enemy from within by surprise, terror, sabotage, assassination. This is the war of the future. - Adolf Hitler.

In this episode, FACT OF THE MATTER, focuses on famous assassination plots in history - the rationale, the planning, the many operational goof-ups and the often violent repercussions. In Main Course, listen to Joy and Rathin talk about two key political figures from the previous century - the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and Reinhard Heydrich - and how their deaths altered the course of world wars!! Hear about an intrepid Indian freedom fighter who tried to bump off an Ashes winning English captain and about the usage of poison in devious ways as an assassination ploy!! In Believe It or Not, learn why certain Colombian hippos, recently, were legally recognized as humans and then enjoy Joy's special story about politicians and world leaders who do nod off now and then in public!!!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Celebrate Diwali in style but responsibly - stay away from fireworks and pollution - tune in to some hair raising stories instead!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Nov 04, 202138:07

Episode 14 - All about airlines and aviation and Rwandan bars - In which Air India and Salvador Dali find place alongside a Broadway musical about a small town called Gander and its incredible people!

In this episode, FACT OF THE MATTER, celebrates the festival season of Durga Puja and Dussehra by taking off in style!!. In Main Course, listen to Joy and Rathin talk about Air India and its connection with the surrealist genius, Salvador Dali, how airlines sometime lay out a special offer for casino lovers and a Broadway musical about a small town called Gander in Newfoundland and its special position in the 9-11 aftermath!! In Believe It or Not, learn why bars in Rwanda may surprise you with its "special" fare and then enjoy Joy's special story about a man who married a rice cooker!!!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Stories and anecdotes from the world of aviation and airlines will keep you flying high for sure!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Oct 16, 202137:00

FACT OF THE MATTER - Genesis - Trailer

A short clip where Joy and Rathin decide to explain why they started FACT OF THE MATTER - from their college day hunting for obscure facts to their love of trivia and how that ultimately led to the genesis of this pod!!

Oct 08, 202102:33

Episode 13 - About stunning football upsets from an unknown Moldovan team, KGB's influence in Russian football, sporting stars and their amazing political journeys and a guide to the well heeled set!!

In this episode, FACT OF THE MATTER, dives into the fascinating origins of a couple of Russian football clubs (one of whom is making headlines as we speak!!) as Sheriff Tiraspol rubs shoulders with Dynamo Moscow - albeit with some "secret service" involvement!!. In Main Course, listen to Joy as he digs deep into his cricketing archives and connects cricket and politics through carefully crafted snippets about Tiger Pataudi and Tejasvi Yadav!! In Believe It or Not, revel in the exploits of a country's VP who decided to play for his own club team in the CONCACAF Football Champions League with some bizarre consequences and find out Joy's amazing discovery about the world's smallest cow!!!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Stories and anecdotes whizz around faster than a speeding bullet - so channel your inner 007 and jump onto this thrill-a-minute ride!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Oct 03, 202139:59

Trailer - Episode 13

In this episode, the spotlight is on connections and intersections between sports, politics, history and current affairs as FACT OF THE MATTER, embarks on a wild journey traversing football clubs in Russia and Moldova, sporting superstars and their political ambitions and much more. Listen to Joy and Rathin as they move seamlessly from cricket and football to chess and pole vault without missing a beat!!

Get ready as the weekend is going to get better and better!!

Catch the trailer and get a sneak preview of the rich fare we have in store for you in the main episode!! Dropping shortly!!

Oct 02, 202101:15

Episode 12 - In which we discuss leaders from different walks of life - from Lord Krishna, Hannibal of Carthage, General Robert E Lee to Tiger Pataudi, Douglas Jardine and Angela Merkel!!

" A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese Philosopher

In this episode, it’s all about leaders - from humble to arrogant, from dictatorial to democratic and from the eccentric to home grown simple as FACT OF THE MATTER, lays out a feast of anecdotes about a few such incredible luminaries who stood above their fellow brethren and stood well!!. In Main Course, listen to Joy draw out a fine link between a Indian god and a US Confederate general and then swiftly changes gears to talk about iconic cricket captains like Tiger Pataudi !! Rathin talks of the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal and how Englishman and cricket captain Douglas Jardine almost created a diplomatic rift in Anglo-Australian relations between the two great wars in the 20th century !! In Believe It or Not, the cat is out of the bag as Joy and Rathin reveal some bizarre and eccentric traits of a few political giants!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! It may be difficult to convince everyone about your own leadership ability - but it is far easier to catch a few juicy anecdotes instead!! So fasten your seat belts and get on this crazy ride!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Sep 25, 202139:46

Trailer - Episode 12

In this episode, the spotlight is on leaders from different walks of life as FACT OF THE MATTER, focuses on tales from Indian mythology and the American Civil War to find out all about different leaders and what made people believe in them so blindly. Listen to Joy and Rathin as they move seamlessly from cricket's infamous Bodyline series to Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca's life long fight against the Romans and then reveal some strange quirks about key world political heavyweights.

All this and much more!!

Catch the trailer and get a sneak preview of the rich fare we have in store for you in the main episode!!

Sep 23, 202101:28

Episode 11 - All about Underdogs and Surprise Winners - through tennis, cricket, battles, Roman emperors, boxing, baseball and Hollywood we relate tales of fortitude, luck and loads of chutzpah!!

" Beware of barking at underdogs; don't fight with people who have nothing to lose." - Dory Previn - Lyricist, song writer and poet.

In this episode, it’s all about surprise winners and underdogs as FACT OF THE MATTER, focuses on tales of amazing victories, crushing upsets and stunning comebacks in the face of insurmountable odds. In Main Course, feast on stories from the world of tennis and cricket as Joy sings paeans about a few unlikely super stars who shot their way to stardom!! Rathin talks of medieval battles where the Swiss managed to beat a big Austrian army and also goes to Hollywood to chat about a few Oscar Night upsets!! In Believe It or Not, Joy opens up about his Claudius fixation (the Roman emperor no less!!) and Rathin focuses on boxers and basketball artists who reach for the stars and fall down hard as well!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Don't fret if life has been giving you a ton of lemons lately!! Breathe in the heady aroma of these amazing tales of pluck and luck - and maybe you will soon start making your very own lip-smacking lemonade!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Sep 18, 202138:26

Trailer - Episode 11

"When you're an underdog, you're forced to try things you would never otherwise have attempted." - Malcolm Gladwell - journalist, author and public speaker.

In this episode, it’s all about surprise winners and underdogs as FACT OF THE MATTER, focuses on tales of amazing victories, crushing upsets and stunning comebacks in the face of insurmountable odds. From tennis and cricket, hear about amazing tales of sporting super stars who came out of nowhere!! Rathin talks about medieval battles where the Swiss manage to beat a big Austrian army and how Iron Mike Tyson, the champion boxer got his comeuppance!! Joy opens up about his Claudius fixation (the Roman emperor no less!!) and Rathin goes to Hollywood to chat about a few Oscar night upsets!!

All this and much more!!

Catch the trailer and get a sneak preview of the rich fare we have in store for you in the main episode!!

Sep 18, 202101:35

Trailer - Episode 10

"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST." - Frank Zappa

In this SPECIAL episode, it’s all about the wide and wonderful world of Music as FACT OF THE MATTER, like ABBA, tries to embark on a comeback journey of sorts. Find out how dying is a great career option for certain musical gods and how a Bollywood music composer pretended to be a tailor to ensure his wedding! Learn about a few hit Hindi numbers from 1951 that are suddenly finding themselves in OTT web series in the 2020s. Let Joy explain in great detail why composer Anu Malik should probably not visit Israel and how maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan first became a sensation in India!!

All this and much more!!

Catch the trailer and get a sneak preview of the rich fare we have in store for you in the main episode!!

Sep 12, 202101:27

Episode 10 - THE MUSIC SPECIAL - where we talk about Elton John and the Beatles and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan hangs out with Anu Malik, Hassan Jahangir and a young singing sensation from Chhattisgarh!

"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST." - Frank Zappa

In this SPECIAL episode, it’s all about the wide and wonderful world of Music as FACT OF THE MATTER, like ABBA, tries to embark on a comeback journey of sorts. In Main Course, find out how dying is a great career option for certain musical gods and how a Bollywood music composer pretended to be a tailor to ensure his wedding! Rathin digs out a few hit Hindi numbers from 1951 that are suddenly finding themselves in OTT web series in the 2020s. In Musical Origins, let Joy explain in great detail why composer Anu Malik should probably not visit Israel and how maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan first became a sensation in India!! In Believe It Or Not, a young boy from Chhattisgarh gets the attention of super star singer Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia (a.k.a Badshah)!! Rathin and Joy also decide to open up about themselves by daringly sharing their current and all time music favs!! Plus all the regular sections like Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Stop the music! Hear these stories! See if they sing out to you for a change!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Sep 09, 202145:14

Episode 9 - Turning points in world history - Landmark achievements in the transport sector in 1869, accidental discoveries of life saving drugs and a rejected painter who decided to own the world!!

"...unless you made your life a turning point, there was no reason for existing." Saul Bellow

In this episode, it’s all about turning points - seemingly trivial events that changed the course of world history!! In Main Course, we discuss two massive breakthroughs in 1869 which forever changed the way of travel in two different continents. We learn about a Scottish scientist who discovered a game changer in medicine purely by accident. Joy starts off with a stray arrow that changed Mughal history and also unearths a stunning story about a wannabe painter who after being rejected decided to take on the world!! In Believe It Or Not, Joy highlights bar-room brawls that changed cinematic history and Rathin shares a story about The Greatest Boxer that walked the earth!! Plus all the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! Don't ponder too much about the point of all this!! Take a deep breath and go straight in!! Sometimes, the road less traveled can give you a ride of a lifetime!!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Sep 01, 202141:11

Episode 8 - Afghanistan and the magic around this land locked country - which comes alive through stories around wars, spies, literature, movies and even cricket!!

“Afghanistan—where empires go to die. ” ― Mike Malloy

In this episode, we turn our attention to the ruggedly beautiful land-locked nation of Afghanistan and its glorious history!! In Main Course, we talk about Kipling's Kim and the Great Game, chat about spies and the Koh-I-Noor Diamond and even draw out a cricket connection with the Anglo-Afghan Wars!! Joy tracks down some interesting nuggets from the world of Arthur Conan Doyle and discovers a Afghan lady who helped win a battle and became a legend!!! In Believe It Or Not, Joy and Rathin talk about mid-air child births and the country's biggest source of revenue!!. Plus the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! If you love a good story, jump onto this 70 mm audio blockbuster where spies and heroines rub shoulders on great battlefields where "empires truly come to die"!! You wont be disappointed!!

Aug 25, 202137:47

Trailer - Episode 8

"When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains, and the women come out to cut up what remains, jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains and go to your gawd like a soldier." - Rudyard Kipling.

In episode 8, FACT OF THE MATTER focuses on Afghanistan, a land locked country often referred to as a "roundabout" in the geopolitical maelstrom of Central Asia through the ages. Catch the trailer as it drops now!! Get a sneak preview of the rich fare we have in store for you in the main episode which will drop shortly!!

Aug 25, 202101:21

Trailer - Episode 7

A sneak preview to episode 7 as Joy and Rathin take a hard look at food - be it gourmet or grotesque!!

Aug 20, 202101:07

Episode 7 - All about food - In which sweet Songbirds and innocent Omelettes make their humble presence felt along with Chocolate Biryani and Fugu Sashimi!!

In this episode, we celebrate all things Food!! In Main Course (for once totally apt!!), we talk about the sinful and fully illegal way of eating a sweet song bird, discover how the humble omelette became a legend in a small restaurant in France and closer home find out how the Rajasthani specialty Dal Bati Choorma was actually battle food!!. Joy tracks down some intriguing recipes involving birds' nests and shares how a Japanese delicacy can literally be your Last Supper!!! In Believe It Or Not, Joy and Rathin gag on Chocolate Biryani from Pakistan and discuss a French bread which was banned in Syria. Plus the regular sections like Cute Words and Phrases, Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! If you love food and regularly eat a second lunch without guilt pangs, jump onto this food truck and burp your way into a happy coma!!

Aug 19, 202135:06

Episode 6 - India's most famous lady dacoit, Phoolan Devi and a female outlaw from the American Wild West, Sumo wrestling and spooked horses at the Tokyo 2020, birdies and eagles and much more!!

In this episode, we celebrate India's iconic lady dacoit, Phoolan Devi's birthday by discussing her life and times along with that of Pearl Hart, a Wild West outlaw who got lost in the desert after successfully robbing a stagecoach!! All this in the Main Course! In Believe it or Not, Joy and Rathin talk about a sumo wrestler cut-out which spooked participating horses in the show jumping event at Tokyo 2020!! In Cute Words and Phrases, the focus is on sports as Rathin shares the meaning of the Aussie phrase - Doing a Bradbury and Joy breaks down the origin of golfing terms like birdie and eagle. Plus the regular sections like Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! If you love bandits, dacoits, outlaws and other swashbuckling buccaneers - tighten your sashes, man the sails and get onboard the ride of your life! The thrill alone will be worth it!! Even if you manage to fall off!! We frequently do!!

Aug 13, 202140:21

Episode 5 - THE OLYMPICS SPECIAL - Lovelina Borgohain's journey to an Olympic medal, Arthur Conan Doyle on Dorando Pietri, Michael Jordan's greatest basketball game and much more!!

In this first SPECIAL, its all about the Olympic Games and the vast fount of indelible stories and anecdotes! Listen to the marathoner Dorando Pietri's herculean effort through words crafted by the legendary Arthur Conan Doyle, check out how a Olympic shooter managed to dodge an attempted murder rap and get to know Michael Jordan's greatest basketball game ever!! Joy and Rathin also share some of the great moments in Indian Olympic history as well as some of their most memorable and iconic Olympic memories!! Plus the regular sections like Bare Naked Lies and audience questions!! If you are a fan of sports and Olympics, deep dive into the world of triumph and disaster, of overcoming odds and crashing out on the brink of immortality. Immerse yourself in the true Olympic spirit through these awesome anecdotes!!

Aug 04, 202150:26

Episode 4 - About Spies in the White House, Spanish Flu and how it wasn't really Spanish, actor Sunny Leone's educational achievements and a Harsha Bhogle anecdote!

In this episode, Rathin and Joy talk about spies in the White House, crazy World War espionage stories and Ian Fleming's literary inspirations, why Spanish flu might not be an appropriate name, Sunny Leone's association with a Kolkata University, how comedian Amit Tandon shared some funny recruitment stories and a place Harsha Bhogle remembers in Hyderabad which gets its name from the word Quarantine. All this spiced up desi tadka style with sections like Weird News, Cute Word Origins and Bare Naked Lies - the last one where they try and bluff each other!! And a special quiz question for listeners at the very end!!

Jul 27, 202133:20

Episode 3 - About cosmonauts and vials of pee, upside down flags, a guy who went to hell and came back safely and a hoodlum named Muldoon and his possible contribution to the English language!

In Episode 3, we find out why some cosmonauts carry vials of pee, meet a guy who visited hell and came back safely, find out how a hood from San Francisco contributed to the English language and why some national flags are sometimes flown upside down!! All this spiced up desi tadka style with sections like Weird News, Cute Word Origins and Bare Naked Lies - the last one where they try and bluff each other!! And a special quiz question for listeners at the very end!!

Jul 20, 202132:58

Episode 2 - About Bollywood stars and their Peshawar connection, Jinnah's family tree and the Mahindra story, alcoholic rat armies and Clark Gable's Indian connection!!

In episode 2, Joy and Rathin unearth a small market in Peshawar that was home to three Bollywood film stars, explore Jinnah's family tree, find out the interesting history of Mahindra & Mahindra - the Indian corporate giant, chase alcoholic rat armies and figure out how Clark Gable is connected to a 15th century Indian sultan. All this spiced up desi tadka style with sections like Believe it or Not, Cute Words and Phrases and Bare Naked Lies - the last one where they try and bluff each other!! And a special quiz question for listeners at the very end!!

We love to hear from you!! So write to us at factofthematterindia@gmail.com. Rate us and berate us!! Follow us on Twitter - @joybhattacharj and @rathindrabasu. Find us on all leading podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Jul 13, 202130:40

Episode 1 - About cake eating leopards, special Euro football matches, mad British soldiers in India and ghosts in medical colleges!!

In Episode 1, Rathin and Joy talk about a rare Euro football match result which was decided by a coin toss, chase cake eating leopards around the countryside, find out about mad British soldiers in India and meet some ghosts in a medical college! All this spiced up desi tadka style with sections like Believe it or Not, Cute Words and Phrases and Bared Naked Lies - the last one where they try and bluff each other for kicks!!

Visit our website - https://anchor.fm/factofthematter

Jul 13, 202130:33