Meet Avinash Pothu : The Voice Behind Hyderabad’s Most Interesting Podcasts

Podcasts? If you are wondering what that is, chances are you have attained nirvana and are living in the Himalayas. If not, you have no idea what the latest trends are in the world of Music and Broadcasting. When we sit down to explain Podcasts, the first idea we have is Radio. Yes, Radio broadcasting wasn’t too different from what we have today with Podcasts. However, Podcasts go a step further in that culture, by structuring theme-based episodes, which can be downloaded into your device from time to time. The culture is fast picking up, and we see a spike in the number of Podcasters who tell their stories via this medium. Avinash Pothu, a Hyderabadi lad with panache to talk, has become one of the forebearers of the culture. We spoke to him about Hyderabad’s Podcast culture, and what makes it click….

The most apparent question – Why Podcasts, when most of the indie talent are taking to YouTube to showcase their talent? And why do you feel Podcasts in SoundCloud is better to go with?
To be honest, the only reason to go with Soundcloud is that hosting is free initially. Once you have an RSS feed, a platform does not make much of a difference. I could have uploaded my podcasts on YouTube for higher listens, but it somehow didn’t feel right when I initially thought about it. And most podcasters who started at about the same time also stuck to it and encouraged consumers to download podcast apps. I feel that a podcast is meant to be audio only and should be presented that way. It probably is not such a smart decision considering the low listener count for my podcast.

Where do you say this project of Podcasts started?
It’s an interesting story. One of my friend’s college-mates made an ad film and asked me for a voiceover. I must be honest; it felt terrible. Even though they said my voice was ok, I didn’t quite think that way, but it did feel nice to be in that studio, in front of a microphone and be involved. I was working at a pretty average job at that time, and I started to read James Altucher, and then he was on a podcast which I thought was good and started following it. Then one more podcast and then one more and then I got hooked.
The theme itself -”Independent Art & Culture” was something, my friends and I had always been discussing. When we talked about artists or entrepreneurs or anyone who designed a lifestyle where they could do what they are passionate about, we felt being independent is something that is common to all these people. External agents don’t dictate whether you create something or not. So, when we decide to start something, my friends, most of whom are filmmakers & writers said they could make videos and blogs and all of that. Now, if I have to be part of the initiative, then I have to contribute in some form so I said I could do a podcast. For various reasons, videos didn’t happen, the podcast did.

Podcasts have been a rage in the West, with highly followed channels there at.. However, the scene in India is taking the time actually to explode. Why do you think that is?
The Short Answer: Do we care enough? Forget about podcasts which are a relatively new format, think about theater, folklore, even writing for God’s sake, do you think we in India hold any values to these. When was the last time you supported artists in some form(Sorry, likes and shares on FaceBook don’t count)? I don’t think it is podcasts; the problem is something fundamental).
The Longer One: I think we need validation before we can recognize beauty or art in something. Some artist probably has done phenomenal work, and no one gives a damn but the moment she receives an award or some famous person tweets/mentions her, the world goes mad, and all online articles are like “10 works of this person you should see” and stuff like that. I think that’s an insult to the artist and is just a reflection of our stupidity. You can trick people and make them consume any load of BS. Where are our priorities? Would you rather spend some money, go to a concert and have a good time or watch The Great Indian Bollywood Gossip on your mobile. Convenience is turning us into idiots I believe, and it is up to us if we are allowing it to happen.

We went through your podcasts till now, featuring indie talents like Megh-uh-Watt , Spitfire, etc. You seem to hand pick people from different walks of life. Comment.
Yeah, I consciously try to pick artists from various fields so that the listeners also feel that it is worth a listen. Indie culture is already a niche area and featuring talents from the same domain would make it super niche. Two things I look for, in a potential guest, are honesty and authenticity. If someone is not authentic, I do not want to feature them. Too many fashion bloggers and Instagram models, for instance, they are indie artists as well, I am full of respect for their work, but what would you convey through their story. Why should people listen to it? I don’t think I need to produce a podcast for the sake of it. I am not dependent on podcasts for survival. Meeting these people, getting to know them, and consuming their content lets me look at their craft in an entirely different way. Sometimes, I feel like this podcast is just an excuse for me to meet all these amazing people and apply some of their hacks in my life.

Apart from Podcasts, do you wish to do something else? What does the future look like for your works?
Firstly, I believe I am still learning this craft, and I want to get better at the storytelling aspect of it, in particular. Once you are good at that, you can pick any format and produce content of quality. Having said that, I want to explore more. I like the process of pursuit and being immersed while creating something. I don’t know what form it would take; It could be a travelogue, a book or a talk show, I don’t know. I am trying to assemble a team to work on something we could cherish if not for anything else. But I find this process extremely tiring and time taking. So, whatever I start needs to be something I can have significant control on so that I am not dependent on external factors. Which means I should either earn enough to hire these crew or learn the rest of the crafts myself. I hope things materialize sooner than later.

If you had the chance to pick any five people from the city to do features on, who would they be and why?
I don’t have a list of people, but I am yet to feature stand-up comedians, self-published writers, painters, designers and maybe bloggers. The good thing about podcasts is that any story that is honest and personal usually turns out to be good. I just have to make sure that I get them to say what they feel, make them say the words they would say to themselves or a good friend. No sugar coating, just pure emotions expressed through words. That is very crucial and something very hard to get good at.

Do you have any inspirations in this particular area.? Any podcasts channels you look for reference?
Home Of The Brave and Rumble Strip Vermont. The Real Food Podcast, which is from India is also cool. I also like most of the shows from Gimlet Media and The Heard. Earlier, I used to compare my work and felt disgusted, but now, I only look at them as a reference and treat their work with great respect and admiration.

When you take up a podcast with another participant, what are the measures you take to make it awesome?
Well, I don’t think my podcasts are my awesome. Do you think they are? I think it’s ok to be average and most often, I wonder if anyone even cares. But two things I want to ensure are 1. I don’t spoil my guest’s story, 2. I don’t want to waste my listeners time. I value both of them equally and usually edit for weeks just to reduce the flak and present it in a nice consumable way. One good proxy for a good effort put on an episode is how uncomfortable I am, working on it. If the process itself doesn’t make me feel anxious, clueless and worried, then I probably am not doing enough.

To someone looking to start their podcast channel, what would you advise them? Any specific things they should know about to make it big in this area of work?
I think it is still very early, and given the current consumption, you’d have to produce something that strikes a chord with as many people as possible to make it big. I am not sure if I know any podcast that made it big. I would say, one shouldn’t stick to a format initially. If you want to share something, it could take any form. Hope it is podcasts. Platform like Saavn are also turning to podcasts, hopefully, if enough people listen to them, they’d probably put more resources into this format.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, that was Avinash, with his amazing insights on everything Podcasts. It’s time for us to brace the new age broadcasting trends, and find a whole lot more interesting content online.

Be Sure to follow Avinash Pothu’s works via His Official Website: TheIndieStreet