The poverty of conversation in Kashmir’s podcast boom

By

inam ul rehman

In Kashmir it is said when a trend catches up it is done to death by all. At present we are witnessing three trends: opening up of eateries, everyone becoming a social media influencer, and launch of videocasts or podcasts.

Kashmiris love to chatter patter. We love to give advice on everything to everyone even if we have never travelled outside our own district. We interfere without permission in everyone’s affairs.  So, podcasts are ideal for the Kashmiri propensity for discourse. But there is a catch: we love to hear only ourselves not others.

For the past many months, I have been surfing podcasts hosted by Kashmiris. And not to my surprise I saw many, many podcasts on YouTube. In fact, it will not be an exaggeration to state that Kashmiri podcasts reveal not a hunger for meaningful dialogue but a preference for safe and familiar ideas. 

Here I look at some of them that caught my attention. As happens often many of these, at present seem, are just for the trend here and not for any conviction.   

Let me first start with the largest circulating English newspaper of Jammu and Kashmir—the Greater Kashmir. Its podcast is awful in terms of set and prop. There is no set designing. In fact, the guests are placed anywhere in their office. Take a look at this podcast with Dr Haseeb Drabu. Now the latter himself has been a journalist, and if we leave his politics apart, one of the towering intellectuals of Kashmir, and see how this podcast has been shot.  

In GKTV productions the video editor is often absent. Long, long cuts are there particularly when its interns are interviewing. And the questionnaire is not the one which can hold the interest of the viewers. Unsurprisingly their podcast does not generate much traffic and I didn’t see any podcast with 50k views. Anyone managing their digital channel should be worried to see such an abysmal viewership.  

My personal favourite is journalist Ahmed Ali Fayyaz’s Talkistan . Although in terms of sets and props it is not modern and beautiful. His podcast is not done in any studio. He usually hops from one place to another. Sometimes the places he chooses to do his podcast look clumsy. White backgrounds for interviews always present a tedious look for the eyes.  Since all his podcasts are sponsored, it is surprising to see he has not come up with any studio of his own. Although it has to be said that his podcast is weekly which is a smart move in Kashmir. Considering that the Valley is a small place with an even smaller number of people having done anything substantial. Being a sharp journalist, he always asks questions that a journalist should. 


 

I was waiting for his Talkistan show to host former DIG Ali Mohammad Wattali. My wish became reality when he invited Wattali. His interview was in two lengthy parts. It is commendable to see a 90-year-old man still having a memory which social media addicted youth cannot think of. 

                                     

In this interview, Wattali almost repeated what he had written in his book “Guns Under My Chinar: Kashmir’s Covert Wars”. This book is explosive. But sadly Fayyaz, sharp observer of things, and asking uncomfortable questions without annoying his guests, didn’t ask his trademark trenchant questions.  Wattali in his book mentions that the daughter of former home minister, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was kidnapped and the state was complicit in it. Wattali in his book questions why was the daughter of home minister travelling in a public transport when already militancy had started in the Valley? I don’t know why he didn’t ask these questions. Why did he allow himself to drift from this journalistic purpose.  

Recently he invited counter insurgent Ghulam Mohammad Mir to his show. And the latter revealed many details which we would not have known.   Fayyaz has not restricted his podcast to political talk only. Sometimes he invites a few doctors and actors to his podcast, but the range is limited.  

His podcast does not generate much traffic, but it has terrific archival value, which will be quoted in future.   

There is also Straight talk communication by former banker and columnist Sajjad Bazaz. There are no energy vibes from his side which makes this podcast boring to watch.  

 While journalism institutions and journalists are still caught in time warp, a few influencers are trying to show the digital aesthetics but without the rigour of research.

 Mashq Records of RJ Nasir, is the most subscribed with almost 2.5 lakh subscribers. He has got plenty of eyeballs but his podcast viewership is coming down to a few thousands. For example, his most viewed podcast is with politician Ilitja Mufti, daughter of former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, with 3.1 lakh views. But that is in 2024. Post 2024 his podcast is receiving less number of clicks. The content obviously does not resonate with the people. It seems we are listening to the radio jockey of any FM station, not a podcast for intellectual stimulation. You cannot record a 60-minute programme and expect viewers to watch the whole content in one go. 


 

Raja Aadam is doing podcasts properly. His is a lively one. He has set up a proper aesthetic studio for it. His vibrancy has earned him many brand endorsements. Earlier he used to give credit to everyone who helped him in his podcast. A commendable thing in Kashmir, but not now anymore. His interest, it seems, is not on politics. He invites people from different walks of life who share their failures, success, struggle, and ideas. A few times the audio quality of his podcast is not up to the standard. He has done everything alright but has not added a YouTube timestamp. Why?  


There is another popular podcast Areejological hosted by Syed Areej. She has set up a tight studio where the depth is missing. Her guests and background seem in tight embrace with each other. Surprisingly she is coy during these podcasts. Again, the intellectual discourse which you expect from podcast is mostly absent. 


Kashmir Unfiltered by Sufi Hiyadah is also banal in terms of questionnaire and energy vibes. Her studio has been designed amateurishly. Someone should tell her that white or creamy shades as background is meant for hospital wards not for YouTube podcasts. Incredibly, in just 6 months, she has been able to interview a few leaders of the now defunct anti-India party Hurriyat Conference. She does ask them uncomfortable questions.

There is also The Valley of Wisdom Podcast by Dr Farhat Umar and Muheet Meraj. It is nothing to rave about. Umar Sofi's podcast looks boastful and will not work the way it is.

Surprising is Imadclicks has not ventured in this territory. He has all what it takes to make the most trending podcasts. He has a boyish charm backed with professional integrity, a research team which others lack, and a reach which only a few influencers have in Kashmir. He sharply blends Kashmiri, Hindustani, and English language, which sets him apart from the rest of the crowd. He has done a few but the change of background in every podcast is jarring.


The endemic absence of YouTube timestamps across Kashmiri podcasts shows content creators disrespect toward the viewer’s time. All serious global podcasts treat time segmentation as an editorial decision, not a luxury. Visually weak podcasts are annoying, and editorially weak podcasts are dangerous. Another thing I noticed is that nobody invites authors on their shows! Journalists are also barred. Forget intellectuals. Everyone has created his own fears.  

By the time you are reading this someone may have already launched a new podcast only to disappear without a notice. A few years from now only a few of these podcasts will survive because most of them are doing it lazily without any intellectual ambition. There is still ample space for podcasts which can hold the imagination of not only the Kashmiri public but the people of Jammu as well. Intellectually enriching podcasts which drive our curiosity are missing here. Most are just PR vehicles.

Lastly, do you find any podcasts from media education departments in universities and colleges of the Valley? Chances are none. While the podcast has become the most accessible medium of our time, Kashmir’s media study centres keep themselves in frozen conditions immune to renewal.

 

Pic courtesy: X 

 

Location: Srinagar

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