India, Feb. 22 -- One of the innate aspects of being in public life, in present times, is the likelihood of being pulled onto a podcast or two. All and sundry find themselves on the hot seat these days. Businesspersons turned podcasters, or those from other backgrounds, are at the ready to fire away with some hurriedly prepared questions. The number of podcast episodes that each such host shoots is serious business. Some manage to record even four to five per week, others aim for a modest target of one. Raj Shamani, the young, upbeat, daring podcast host, stated in a video interaction with French President Emmanuel Macron that he is world number 25 at present and has firmly set his sights on the numero uno position. Podcasting is serious business. Huge amounts of revenue can be raked in from advertisement rights alone when a podcast garners millions of views. Podcasting has virtually taken the world by storm in recent years. Each shoot requires studio space, reasonably impeccable sound quality, lighting that is professional and at least two cameras, if not three. Podcast hosts usually hire such studio space, complete with the aforementioned facilities, but some well-to-do worthies, like Shamani, actually own their own studios. The essence of a podcast, however, is the content and therefore the person being questioned, so to say. The host can of course try to make a match of it on his own, and some of them are excellent communicators, but the clincher is the personality being bombarded with posers. Some of us necessarily hum and haw. We are evasive and try to be non-committal, especially when in positions of power. Others are more candid, free-flowing and well-spoken. Many a podcast guest has surprised the host with his fluency, candour and even boldness. The result is that the ubiquitous reels, which are culled out of an hour's footage, have the potential to go viral. This typically happens when the topic of discussion is spicy. For instance, reels relating to political accusations, corruption, gossip or filmy relationships are highly popular on YouTube. The influence that podcasts exert upon the youth and even the not too young is no laughing matter. I often say that they may not pay much attention when public speakers address them from stage, but they are glued to their screens or at least to their ear pods, when the same speakers pop up on videos. Even if they have not much sense to make! My own experience on podcasts has been comme ci comme ca, as the French would say. Some podcasts are conducted in a conducive environment, with an eager host and a balanced perspective. Others are mildly harrowing experiences, with the host being largely clueless and the environs being a bit shady. Encouraging younger podcasters is, of course, important, so that they can grow well into their chosen line of endeavour. But if one is saddled with a host who was probably better off selling insurance policies, which was his original vocation, then one had better make one's sojourn as brief as possible. Young podcasters are therefore more likely to make a mark in their journey. Those who think they are likely to float into the podcasting world and take it by storm despite having hitherto had a totally different career, had better think again. The key to being a successful podcaster is the skill to communicate with fluidity, with a certain amount of charm and with well-structured content as well as production facilities. Podcasting is also a highly responsible vocation nowadays. Each and every word screened on social media has the potential to be lapped up by eager audiences. Misleading, malicious or Machiavellian designs are never going to make for a balanced, professionally produced and well received podcast. And podcasting can also create ripples in the right direction. Inspirational and educational content can instil hope and awareness in the general populace, glued as everyone is to the screen anyway. Conversely, harmful or inflammatory content can create havoc, particularly with young minds. The pea in the pod (cast) world has much potential to swing the overall mood of humanity. By being of sincere, upbeat, well-meaning nature, podcasters can be game changers towards bettering the mindsets of us all....