When a leading actor chooses to set boundaries, the industry takes notice.
What began as one artist taking a stand on working hours has now cracked open long-suppressed conversations about working conditions in the Indian film industry. What Deepika Padukone may never have anticipated is unfolding—a ripple effect that could spark real, long-overdue transformation, especially around the mental health and well-being of artists and workers across the filmmaking ecosystem.

From those in the spotlight to the countless invisible crew members working punishing hours—this episode of The Artists Podcast is a timely, urgent listen.

We’re joined by mental health expert Dr. Avinash Desousa of the Desousa Foundation in a powerful conversation as part of our ongoing series: Artists and Mental Health.
Together, we ask: Why is it so important to speak openly about mental health in the film industry—and what needs to change?

Digs:
1) Productivity vs Work hours2) Designing and respecting the well being of all in the crew3) Steps Production companies should take when working longer hours4) Women in the crew and the boundaries5) Building strong interpersonal relationships based on compassion and respect.6) Women are equal participants in the industry

Music Courtesy: Francesco Biondi (IPI: 00542050494) pixabay -

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🎙️ New Episode | THE ARTISTS Podcast
"Brecht and Dialectical Thinking"
with Anthony Squiers, author of Bertolt Brecht’s Adaptations and Anti-Capitalist Aesthetics Today

In an age dominated by doomscrolling and passive viewing, what does it mean to create art that wakes us up instead of lulling us into consumption? In this rich and urgent conversation, scholar Anthony Squiers joins us to re-examine Bertolt Brecht’s radical vision of theatre, adaptation, and aesthetics—and why it matters now more than ever.

Drawing from his book Bertolt Brecht’s Adaptations and Anti-Capitalist Aesthetics Today, Anthony explores how Brecht’s theatrical techniques—rooted in disruption, distance, and dialectics—are tools for reshaping not just art but consciousness.

We cover:

1. Brecht in the Age of Doomscrolling – How Epic Theatre holds up against passive digital aesthetics.

2. Brecht’s Techniques and Innovations – From Gestus to the Alienation Effect, and how they work today.

3. Filmmakers Who Echo Brecht – Cinema that resists identification.

4. Brecht vs. Stanislavski – Emotional immersion vs. critical distance.

5. Art That Effects Consciousness – Why Brecht wanted you to think, not feel.

6. Aristotelian vs. Brechtian Plot Structures – Neat catharsis or jagged provocation?

7. Sartre and Brecht – Political art as philosophical ground.

8. Adaptation as Intervention – Brecht’s irreverent, purpose-driven approach to classic texts.

9. Dialectical Thinking as Creative Tool – Ways to think in tension, contradiction, and complexity.

10. Epic Theatre in 2025 – What does radical performance look like now?

11. Instagram Reels & Passive Aesthetics – What does it mean to consume without questioning?

12. Gestus in Performance – The body as a site of political storytelling.

13. Shakespeare vs. Brecht – Poetic psychology vs. historical materialism.

💭 “The proof of the pudding is in the tasting.”
Let this episode be your first bite into Brecht’s theatrical revolution.

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This episode of The Artists Podcast promises a captivating exploration of the evolving media landscape, featuring renowned producer, professor, and media cartographer Evan Shapiro. Known for mapping the tech and entertainment ecosystem with sharp insights, Shapiro’s work in his Media War & Peace newsletter has helped shape the conversation around the future of media. With a background that includes running TV networks, winning an Emmy and two Peabody Awards, and speaking at prestigious events like SXSW and MIPCOM, Shapiro brings unparalleled expertise to the table.

In this episode, Shapiro dissects the mess the media universe is in and addresses the burning question: Is content still king, or has data taken over?

Key highlights include:

• Data as the Audience's Voice

• Algorithms vs. Creativity

• The Global Fascination with Adolescence:

• The Mass Middle: Streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and Jio are making strategic moves toward appealing to the mass middle.

• Shakespearean Testing of Content: Shapiro draws a parallel to Shakespeare’s method of testing his plays with live audiences. Should we be testing our content in a similar way before launching it into the world?

• The Evolutionary Leap in Filmmaking:It’s not about competition; it’s about evolution.

This episode offers an insightful look at the intersection of content creation, data, and filmmaking in a rapidly changing industry. Don’t miss it—The Artists Podcast is dropping soon. (Link in bio.)

connect with us on our insta handle the.artistspodcast and tell us what you think of it.

Music Courtesy: Francesco Biondi (IPI: 00542050494) pixabay -

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