About: Kanwal

Ila Arun is an accomplished Indian actress and singer who has made significant contributions to the Bollywood film industry. She has appeared in several notable films, including “Lamhe,” “Jodhaa Akbar,” “Shaadi Ke Side Effects,” and “Begum Jaan.”

In addition to her acting career, Ms. Arun has performed numerous songs in Hindi and a variety of South Indian languages, including Tamil and Telugu. One of her most recognized performances is in the song “Choli Ke Peeche,” which she recorded alongside Alka Yagnik for the film “Khalnayak,” featuring Madhuri Dixit. This particular work garnered them the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer.

We invite you to join us for an engaging conversation with Ila Arun on our program, “From Our Archives,” today, November 18th, at 2:00 PM EST on MeraSangeet Gold, followed by a broadcast at 3:00 PM EST on MeraSangeet USA.

Kamal Bawa is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Founder of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore A world-leading authority on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, he has received many international awards such as Gunnerus Prize in sustainability, Midori Prize in biodiversity, Linnean Medal, and honorary doctorates from the University of Alberta, and Concordia University. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society, the American Philosophical Society, and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Kamal Bawa is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Conservation and Society and Founding Editor of Ecology, Economy and Society.

Today, we talk to Prof. Bawa about conservation of ecology and environment, about Atree and much more – Tune – in for sure, today, 17th September, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 7:00 PM and 12:00 PM EST.

Raima Sen is a wonderful Indian actress who has made a name for herself in Hindi, Bengali, and South Indian films. She is the daughter of the talented Moon Moon Sen and Bharat Dev Barma, and she proudly carries the legacy of her grandmother, the famous actress Suchitra Sen. Her sister, Riya Sen, is also part of the Bollywood scene. Their dad, Bharat Dev Varma, is connected to the royal family of Tripura, and their grandmother, Ila Devi, was actually a princess of Cooch Behar. To top it off, Ila Devi’s sister, Gayatri Devi, was the Maharani of Jaipur, and their great-grandmother, Indira, was the only daughter of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda.

On her mom’s side, Raima’s great-grandfather, Adinath Sen, was a well-known businessman in Kolkata. His son, Dinanath Sen, who is related to former Union Law Minister Ashoke Kumar Sen, served as the Diwan or Minister for the Maharaja of Tripura.

We are excited to remind you of a fantastic conversation we had with Raima a few years back, and we are bringing it back from our archives just for you! Don’t forget to join us today, 9th November, on our Hindi Radio Show on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM EST. We cannot wait to share it with you!

Boman Irani is an accomplished Indian actor, photographer, and voice artist whose remarkable contributions to Hindi cinema are noteworthy, with over 100 films to his credit.

Mr. Irani received training under the esteemed acting coach Hansraj Siddhia from 1981 to 1983, during his academic years. His inaugural theatrical performance was a cameo role in the play Roshni, presented at the Regional Theatre in Versova. Subsequently, he engaged in television serials such as Family Ties and Mahatma vs Gandhi, notably portraying Gandhi after the role had been declined by Darshan Jariwala. Among his most distinguished theatrical works is the play I Am Not Bajirao, which enjoyed a successful run for a decade. He transitioned to on-screen acting in the year 2000.

Years ago, we  had the incredible opportunity to speak with the talented Boman Irani and delve into his remarkable journey in the entertainment industry. During the interview, he shared captivating stories about his experiences, challenges, and the milestones that shaped his career and his life. Do tune in for an interview recorded several years ago, scheduled to air today, November 8th, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM EST.

Varsha Das lives with her husband in the beautiful sunshine state of Florida. Originally from India, where she built a successful career in technology consulting for large corporations, she immigrated with her husband and small child to the United States of America around thirty years ago. She went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Information Systems and now serves as assistant director of ERP systems.

In addition to her professional background, Varsha is passionate about the arts. She has a bachelor’s degree in Hindustani classical music and is trained in Bharat’s Natyam dance. She has always loved sports and has played basketball and badminton at a competition level at both college and state levels. As an avid traveler, Varsha enjoys exploring new cultures and cuisines and is currently learning Spanish.

We talk to Varsha Das about her life in Florida, about her concerns and much more – Tune – in for sure, today, on 2nd November, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM EST.

Parikshit Sahni is one of India’s finest actors. He is the son of actor Balraj Sahni and nephew of writer Bhisham Sahni.

Parikshit Sahni is known for playing the lead in the TV series Barrister Vinod, Gul Gulshan Gulfaam (Doordarshan), and Gaatha (Star Plus). He has also appeared in three of Rajkumar Hirani’s blockbuster films Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, and PK. He starred in the classic Punjabi film Marhi Da Diva (1989), with Raj Babbar, Pankaj Kapur, Kanwaljit Singh, and Deepti Naval. He played a remarkable role in the Hindi film Pavitra Paapi (1970) which was based on a Punjabi novel by Nanak Singh (a famous novelist). Pavitra Paapi also featured his real-life father, Balraj Sahni in a pivotal role. Courtesy https://merasangeet.com/page/2/

Do listen – in this conversation, recorded many years back – yet again today, 29th October, on our show, From our Archives, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and on MeraSangeet USA at 3:00 PM – EST

Chitra Kumar is a mother of two boys and environmental advocate living in the Washington, DC, metro area. Her family immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 and raised her in the American Midwest, including Michigan, Indiana, and Missouri. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a Masters degree from MIT focusing on environmental issues. Chitra worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for more than 20 years and now works for an environmental nonprofit in Washington, DC.

In her free time, Chitra sings and plays Western music, inspired by her mother’s passion for Carnatic music. She loves adventure, taking to the ski slopes, hiking and enjoying the beauty of Mother nature.

We talk to Chitra Kumar about various concerns she has and also about the upcoming elections – Tune – in for sure, on 25th and 26th October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM EST.

Pankaj Udhas is a very popular Indian ghazal and playback singer. After his success as a ghazal singer, he was invited to appear and sing for a film by Mahesh Bhatt, Naam. He did playback singing for many Hindi films after that. In 2006, Pankaj Udhas was awarded Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. Courtesy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankaj_Udhas

On the show, Pankaj Udhas talks about his growing-up days, about his father, his brothers – how music just became his first love, home, and much much more. This conversation was recorded many many years back but is as fresh as today – So know your favorite singer, and hear him talk about so many memories – as he does so, he also sings along – and we also play many many of his super hit nos.

The date and time to save is – our show, From our Archives, today, 21st October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 2:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA at 5:00 PM – EST

Sunil Mehta grew up in Bombay, India, and earned his bachelor’s degree in Engineering at IIT-Bombay. He moved to the U.S. in 1980 for graduate school and received advanced engineering degrees from Penn State and MIT. He has worked in the electronics industry for more than 40 years in both technical and management roles. He holds 92 U.S. patents.

Sunil was an independent who stayed clear of politics for more than three decades when the unthinkable happened in the November 2016 election. This spurred him to get involved in the ground game of politics for the first time. In June 2018, he co-founded They See Blue, an organization focused on getting South Asians to vote Democratic.

Besides his full-time high-tech job and They See Blue, Sunil has several other interests. He is a movie buff (both Hindi and English films), an aficionado of Hindi film songs, and a voracious reader of books and comics. Over the past three years, he has spent much of his spare time building a blogging/reference website that encompasses his various interests. He just completed the work on the website and it is now live: sunilslists.com.

We talk to Sunil Mehta about the upcoming elections, about the various issues – Tune – in for sure, yet again, today, on 21st October, on MeraSangeet Gold at 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 6:00 PM EST and MeraSangeet USA/East at 12:00 PM and 7:00 PM EST.