Shalmali Kholgade joins Cyrus Broacha for a candid conversation about her journey from St. Xavier's College to becoming one of India's most recognized playback singers.

They discuss her musical upbringing, early performances, independent music career, songwriting process, fashion design interests, fitness goals, marriage, and the inspiration behind her latest single, "Impression."

Packed with humor, stories and unexpected detours, this episode offers a deeper look at the artist behind the voice.

Welcome to Cyrus Says!

In this episode of Cyrus Says, Cyrus sits down with Gajraj Rao for a witty, free-flowing conversation about acting, directing, advertising, awards, Hindi poetry, cinema history, social messaging in films, and why not taking yourself too seriously may be the biggest survival skill in the industry. The episode moves from Clint Eastwood’s quiet directing style and Bandit Queen memories to ad filmmaking, podcasting, Kavi Sammelan, and the strange beauty of keeping conversations light while still saying something meaningful.

The chat also dives into Gajraj Rao’s award-winning ad work, especially Band Baaja Bitiya, a socially relevant campaign around domestic violence, dowry pressure, and families telling daughters to “adjust” instead of bringing them home. From film trivia and humor to craft, ageing, poetry, and the current entertainment landscape, this is a classic Cyrus-Gajraj episode: sharp, funny, warm, and unexpectedly thoughtful.

Comedian Shamik Chakrabarti is back on Cyrus Says, which means any hope of structure disappears immediately.

In this episode, Cyrus and Shamik jump from Shah Rukh Khan to Alexander the Great, from Donald Trump and UFC crowds to hair transplants, circumcision, Ben Stokes, football, cricket, World Cups, Kunal Kamra, road renaming, Elon Musk, Poonam Pandey and somehow even Cape Verde.

They discuss why Trump may be impossible to parody, why older audiences laugh harder at death jokes, why comedians keep touring despite terrible travel schedules, and whether India is a country... or a culture.

There's also a passionate debate about ZEE's World Cup tagline, the economics of stand-up comedy, and Cyrus once again proving that he goes to sleep before most people have dinner.

No agenda. No conclusions. Just two comics following every tangent available.

Follow:

• Cyrus Broacha: @cyrus_broacha
• Shamik Chakrabarti: @shamikchakrabarti

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