Episode Number: 254

Publishing, Blogging, & Literature Festivals: Issues & Beyond | Arnab Ray | The Mohua Show | EP-254

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About This Podcast

Where did the name “The Great Bong” come from? Can satire thrive in a pre-social media world? And how does a writer reconcile personal philosophy with ancient texts like the Bhagavad Gita?

In this insightful episode, Mohua Chinappa engages in a free-wheeling conversation with Arnab Ray, the celebrated author, better known as The Great Bong. Arnab, one of India’s pioneering bloggers, opens up about the origins of his iconic pseudonym and about the challenges in the book publishing industry.

Key Takeaways:

The story behind the legendary name "The Great Bong"
Why he started his influential blog in the pre-social media era
The art of using literature to make people feel uneasy
His unique "interpretation of the Geeta" and the maturity that brings discomfort with certain implications
The real value of literature festivals and why they are popular not for the books, but for the conversations
The challenges of publishing and the difference between writing books and scripts
The script of a classic film he wishes he had written

Episode Timeline

00:00

: Introduction to Arnab Ray, The Great Bong

01:21

: The Story Behind the Name "The Great Bong"

02:30

: Arnab on the origin of "The Great Bong"

04:25

: Bengalis: Opinionated Regardless of Ideology

07:20

: "I Don't Speak For All Bengalis"

08:40

: Mohua on Starting Satire Pre-Social Media

09:00

: Why Arnab Started His Blog

10:30

: Writing a Blog to Pick Fights

11:00

: "Now that you've taken my trousers off..."

15:20

: "I Don't See Things Visually"

16:55

: "I Cannot Be Myself in Front of the Camera"

17:00

: Mohua on His Different Books

17:55

: Writing Books He Wished Existed

20:35

: Using Literature to Make People Feel Uneasy

35:30

: Arnab's Interpretation of the Geeta

38:30

: Maturity and the Discomfort with Implications

41:30

: The Problem with Publishing

43:30

: Literature Festivals vs. Books

44:30

: The Real Draw of Literature Festivals: Conversations

48:20

: The Script He Wishes He Had Written

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