All Ears: Hyderabad-based podcasters are taking the world by storm
HYDERABAD: Most of us do not prefer reading lengthy, boring articles and move on to something more entertaining. But what if the same information was read aloud? It is likely that you would listen to the audio while you get on with your daily chores, rather than sitting in one place with a book or paper. This is exactly what a podcast presents to today’s fast-paced world — the opportunity to receive information or to be entertained without the need to read books.
A podcast is an episodic series of spoken words where listeners can tune into the digital audio at any time and hear the speaker address a few topics. It is themed and the speaker, based on the genre, voices out facts, opinions and other information. With the prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise of podcasts in Hyderabad has only surged. Almost everyone seems to have apps such as Spotify and Gaana on their phones, and are a click away from tuning in. Here are some popular podcasts from the city, which have quickly become everyone’s favourite.
Telugu Logili
Telugu Logili is a podcast by a Telugammayi, Padmavathy Sanapala, a.k.a Avani Prakruthi. It covers a variety of genres such as film reviews, personal experiences, self-help, nature, books, music, travel, gardening, and much more, and is available on all podcast platforms. This multi-variety podcast is one of the top five Telugu podcasts on Gaana, with 1,95,000 plays. The podcaster’s philosophy is simple: ‘Hope and Positivity’, and the motto is “to spread some good vibes and bright smiles.” The episodes are usually posted on weekends and this entertaining content appeals to all Telugu listeners with the idea to foster the mother tongue in an English-speaking society.
Pure Perception Podcast
If you are looking for a podcast based on just entrepreneurship, Pure Perception Podcast is the one for you. The P2 Podcasts Network was the first-ever Telugu podcast network and was founded by Revanth Anupoju. It deals with a variety of topics within entrepreneurship and aims at helping listeners grasp the concepts of the business world. The motto behind Pure Perception is to interact and learn from other people’s stories as Revanth believes that everyone has an experience to share.
The platform provides opportunities to people from different backgrounds across the world to share their experiences and knowledge. It currently has a listenership of 5,000 and is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Jio Saavn and Gaana. Revanth aims at pushing Telugu content and has expanded into a few more podcasts such as Prathibimbalu (the first Telugu four-part anthology podcast), NBK: A Telugu Podcast Series (a Telugu comedy drama podcast), Telugollu with VK, Sabhaku Swagatham (by Keerthana Ramesh) and Hello Masteeru (by Vikas Varma).
Beyond Charminar
You definitely would have heard of this platform called Suno India. One of their famous podcasts is Beyond Charminar which deals with Hyderabad’s history — from modern political events to the mediaeval period. They interview experts, who enlighten the audience of the unknown facts of Hyderabad’s history. The host, Yunus Y Lasagna, covers oral history, material memory and the personal histories of people. It is available on all platforms, including Spotify, and audiences can also tune in by listening to www.sunoindia.in. The podcast releases one episode every month-end. The series, which discusses some intriguing stories from the city’s 430-year history, is a revelation to the present generation who have grown up only witnessing the allure of rapid urbanisation.
Daabakathalu
Daabakathalu, a Telugu podcast on ChaiBisket by Avinash Manchiraju, takes listeners down memory lane. The podcast, like the name suggests, deals with genres of what families and friends talk about when they get together every evening on a terrace, especially in small cities. It is currently ranked in the top 100 category on Spotify and has over four million digital hits. It has aired about 130 episodes so far and new ones can be accessed via ChaiBisket on social media channels every day at 7 pm. It is a Telugu podcast run by a millennial.
Pavani Tho Kaburlu
Just like the name suggests, the podcaster engages with its audience by addressing the various genres of love stories. This podcast was founded by Pavani Kotrike during the pandemic and received an overwhelming response when she started a series called Matrimony Love and Ye Maya Chesavee in Telugu Kathalu by Pavani (her other podcast). The podcast is available on all major platforms, including Amazon Music. Her previous podcast had a listenership of 6,00,000 and this new podcast, Pavani Tho Kaburlu, has 50,000 listeners and counting. The second season of Ye Maya Chesavee, which is yet to be released, has many more love stories on the list. Pavani’s passion for music and love stories led her to follow this dream and Pavani Tho Kaburlu is now one of the most popular podcasts posted every Friday.
Telugu Ammai Podcast
Started out of sheer passion, this is one of the popular ones in the city. It is a part of the RagaPod production house which produces over 25 unique shows and has a listener base of one lakh, over one million podcast plays and two award nominations. The podcast is run by Sahiti Raga Leena Gunti, a new entrant in the arena, and deals with current issues in a casual chat and informative format. It is currently in its fifth season and new episodes are uploaded every weekends.