Let Me Explain

The Karnataka government’s choice of inviting Kannada writer and Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara celebrations this year has stirred a controversy. It has ignited a public debate on whether the festival should reflect Karnataka’s inclusive cultural identity or remain a strictly religious event.Critics argue that her identity and past remarks make her unfit for the role, while supporters see it as a step toward inclusivity. But at its core, this controversy raises deep questions about religion, culture, and identity in Karnataka. From historical clashes to modern political posturing, Pooja Prasanna unpacks the complexities surrounding Mysuru’s most iconic event, in this week’s Let Me Explain.For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.comLike Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeBecome a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRProduced by Megha Mukundan, script by Lakshmi Priya and Pooja Prasanna, camera by Ajay R, edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, graphics by Dharini Prabharan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hate speech has found a new home.From X Spaces where Malayali right-wing voices urge Hindus to “arm themselves,” to YouTube’s Hindutva Pop songs with lyrics that glorify violence and rack up millions of monetised views, hate is being amplified, monetised, and often slipping past platform checks.Unchecked sexist tirades, conspiracy theories, and calls for violence spill out from these spaces into the real world, amplified by media outlets, legitimised by repetition, and turned into political currency.This week on Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna unpacks how hate spreads from chatrooms to streets, the role of platforms in fuelling and profiting from it, and what the law and the Supreme Court have said about the threat it poses to India’s secular fabric.Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeBecome a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRTo support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fundProduced by Bhuvan Malik, script by Lakshmi Priya, camera by Ajay R, edited by Dharini Prabhaharan ET, graphics by Vignesh Manickam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bollywood’s record on portraying south Indians has been one of stereotypes, missteps, and mockery. From Padosan (1968) to Shah Rukh Khan’s “curd noodles” in Ra.One, and now Janhvi Kapoor’s “Thekkapetta Sundari” which literally means “dumped beauty” in Param Sundari, the tropes remain the same. Loud voices, broken Hindi, exaggerated accents, and token visuals of jasmine and coconuts are passed off as representation. This week on Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna unpacks Bollywood’s long history of stereotyping, the cultural hierarchy it reflects, and the few times Hindi cinema got it right — when characters were written and performed with context and care.Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeBecome a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRTo support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fundProduced by Megha Mukundan, script by Lakshmi Priya, camera by Ajay R, edited by Nikhil Sekhar ET, graphics by Vignesh Manickam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bengaluru is infamous for traffic. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has pitched a 190-km tunnel road as the solution and recently invited global tenders for its construction.  But can underground car-only corridors really solve congestion? Critics warn it could drain ₹85,000 crore, worsen the city’s ecology, and undermine public transport investments. From flooding risks to environmental concerns, and from hefty tolls to Metro ridership losses, the plan has drawn sharp opposition. In this episode of Let Me Explain, @poojaprasanna68 examines the red flags, the alternatives, and why Bengaluru’s real fix may lie in buses, Metro, and suburban rail—not tunnels.For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.comLike Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeBecome a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRTo support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fund Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ allegation has put Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura in the spotlight. But fake voters and duplicate IDs are being found far beyond Karnataka. This week on Let Me Explain, we hit the ground in Mahadevapura, and Kerala’s Thrissur, uncovering fake voters in a single address and duplicate EPIC IDs across states. From a brewery with 68 voters to IDs active in three states, the rot runs deep.If the rolls are flawed, the game is rigged before the first vote is cast.How did these anomalies go unchecked by the Election Commission? What does it mean for our democracy? Pooja Prasanna brings you the full picture from the ground in this week’s Let Me Explain.TNM’s Independence day offer: https://pages.razorpay.com/I-DayB1G1Support Let Me Explain show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a state backed film conclave in Kerala, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, a legendary director, criticised the state’s decision to fund SC/ST and women filmmakers. He said it would lead to corruption and SC/ST filmmakers should be given “intense training”. His remarks are not an isolated misstep, and it is not the first time he has landed in controversy. It comes from a long pattern of exclusion in Malayalam cinema - right from its first heroine Rosy being outcasted for her caste. In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna examines the caste lines in Malayalam and Tamil cinema, traces the history and breaks down the moments when the industries challenged caste norms. For suggestions and feedbacks, write to lme@thenewsminute.comLike Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeBecome a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On July 31, 2025, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) uncovered partial human remains from a site near the Nethravathi river in Dharmasthala. This location was among 13 identified by a former sanitation worker who alleged he had buried unidentified bodies there between 1995 and 2014. How many sites are being examined? What do official records show about unidentified deaths in the area? What have local authorities said about burial practices? In this episode of Let Me Explain, TNM’s Pooja Prasanna and Shivani Kava report on the confirmed findings, official statements, and next steps in the investigation.Like Pooja’s LME? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeBecome a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRTo support our team, contribute to our reporting fund: https://pages.razorpay.com/reporting-fund Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation as Vice President leaves behind a polarising legacy.  In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down Dhankhar’s dramatic exit and how he turned what was supposed to be a neutral constitutional role into a highly polarising one. From defending the RSS and attacking the judiciary to shutting down Opposition demands, we look at his controversial tenure and the questions his resignation raises.Like Pooja’s LME ? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeOr Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRProducer: Megha MukundanEditor: Nikhil Sekhar ETGFX: Vignesh ManickamCamera: Ajay RScript: Lakshmi Priya Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Let Me Explain, we’re in Dharmasthala—inside the chilling claims of mass burials, and missing women. This isn’t the first controversy involving the temple. In 2012, a teenager named Sowjanya was raped and murdered in Ujire, a village in Dakshina Kannada district. But each time media houses and activists raised their voices, they were silenced using gag orders and ex parte injunctions.In this special episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna and Shivani Kava travel to Dharmasthala to break down the new allegations, speak to families of the missing, and examine how legal restrictions have stifled media coverage and public discourse over the years.Like Pooja’s LME ? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeOr Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRSupport our spirituality series: https://pages.razorpay.com/spirituality-business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A former sanitation worker at Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple in Karnataka, has alleged that he was forced to bury victims of rape and murder over nearly two decades. This isn’t the first controversy against the temple. In 2012, a teenager named Soujanya was raped and murdered in Ujire, a village in Dakshina Kannada district. Her family allege that one of the murderers worked for the temple. But each time media houses and activists raised their voice against this, they were silenced using gag orders and Ex parte injunctions.In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna breaks down the new allegations and explains how the media and activists have been restrained by courts over the years.Like Pooja’s LME ? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeOr Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wRSupport our spirituality series: https://pages.razorpay.com/spirituality-business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) halted the release of Malayalam film Janaki vs State of Kerala, insisting the character’s name be changed. Why? Because Janaki is another name for the Hindu goddess Sita and a survivor shouldn’t carry a divine name according to the board.But this is not an isolated incident. From Punjab 95, to Santosh, Nasir, and Sitaare Zameen Par, a disturbing pattern is emerging: films that challenge caste, state power, or religious ideas are being stalled or sliced up. In this episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna looks at how the Central Board of Film Certification is quietly censoring the truth. It’s not just films under the knife — it’s freedom of expression. Like Pooja’s LME ? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeIf you are watching from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wROr Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscriptionGift a TNM-NL Subscription: https://pages.razorpay.com/tnm-gift Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode of Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna travels to the Keezhadi excavation site near Madurai — a place that’s rewriting what we thought we knew about the origins of urban life in India. According to archaeologists, with artefacts dating back to the 6th century BCE, Keezhadi offers archaeological backing to the Sangam era, a period celebrated in Tamil literature but long denied material proof.But the excavation has also been caught in a political storm. Lead archaeologist K Amarnath Ramakrishna has faced multiple transfers, including one just weeks after he refused to revise his report. So what’s at stake here? Why are findings from a 6-metre-deep trench in Tamil Nadu making headlines? Here is the full episode to understand why this dig could change the way we see Indian history.Like Pooja’s LME ? Support the show: https://rzp.io/rzp/support-lmeIf you are from abroad, click this link: https://buy.stripe.com/28o01q9md0OPdtm8wROr Become a TNM subscriber- https://www.thenewsminute.com/subscription Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.