Reuven Azar is the Ambassador of Israel to India. He previously served as the Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel. He has also held several key positions in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ambassador Azar speaks about Israel’s recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities. He claims that Iran was assembling nuclear warheads with the help of a clandestine group, and says that Israel is acting to defend not just itself, but the world.

Ambassador Azar also says the United States was fully informed about the strike. He adds that elite Iranian forces were successfully targeted and emphasises that Israel will do everything it can to protect its people.

He also shares his views on whether India should consider striking Pakistan’s nuclear sites.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction

02:04 – Israeli strikes Iran

07:03 – Why Did Israel Strike Iran?

10:15 – 'Operation Rising Lion'

14:10 – US role in Iran-Israel conflict

17:15 – “Radical regime” in Iran

20:25 – Proxy battlegrounds for Iran

24:20 – Narrative against Israel

27:08 – Israel’s stand on Op Sindoor

31:23 – US’s nuclear proposal to Iran

34:53 – Involvement of Israeli Air Force

37:58 – Support for forces in Israel

Get ready for the much-awaited episode of the 'Real' Samosa Caucus! Edition 6.0 is here, and it’s all about raw, uncensored, no-holds-barred discussions.

Joining the panel are: Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow at ORF

Tehseen Poonawalla, TV personality and political analyst

Anand Ranganathan, author and scientist

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

This episode dives into some heated topics, including Operation Sindoor and the new normal, India’s foreign policy challenges in 2025, ANI’s side of the story in the copyright debate, Elon Musk vs Donald Trump, and Rahul Gandhi’s “Narender Surrender” jibe at PM Modi.

00:00 - Coming up

03:07 - Introduction

07:23 - ANI's Copyright Case

48:57 - India Gets Invitation for G7 Summit

01:01:33 - Operation Sindoor & Pak's narrative war

01:26:50 - India-Pak Ceasefire

01:28:05 - Hitting the Nur Khan airbase

01:39:45 - Rahul's 'surrender' jibe at PM Modi

02:02:35 - Trump-Musk fight

02:17:11 - Caste Census

02:19:20 - All-Party Delegation for Op Sindoor

02:25:20 - Congress vs Shashi Tharoor

02:26:25 - Mann’s ‘Sindoor’ Dig at Modi

02:37:53 - Trump vs Harvard

02:47:15 - Journalists writing books on Op Sindoor

Sonali Bendre began her career as a model before transitioning into the Indian film industry. She made her debut at the age of 19 with the film Aag. Over the years, she has acted alongside top stars like Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan. Known for her roles in films like Major Saab and Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sonali Bendre remains one of the most familiar and beloved faces in Bollywood.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Sonali opens up about her acting journey and her book release, 'A Book of Books'. She talks about her marriage to Goldie Behl, becoming a mother, and her brave battle with cancer.

Sonali also shares stories of working with the three Khans, welcoming Michael Jackson to India, and taking Dakota Johnson to temples. She addresses the viral video from an event with Raj Thackeray and sets the record straight.

A passionate animal lover, Sonali also speaks about her new podcast centred around animals and her bond with them.

Audio Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

00:26 - Sonali Bendre's Book

07:50 - Importance of Reading

10:50 - Bucket List

11:34 - Battle with Cancer

16:57 - Family Support during Cancer

18:58 - Acting with Khans

22:22 - Sabbatical after childbirth

26:18 - Stories from 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' Set

30:48 - Favourite Co-stars

33:15 - Salman Khan as a co-star

35:33 - Relation with Ajay & Kajol

36:25 - Working on Sarfarosh

43:43 - Working on Films in Different Languages

46:20 - First Meeting with Husband

01:00:29 - Bollywood's pay disparity

01:04:30 - Dakota Johnson Visiting India

01:06:03 - Welcoming Michael Jackson

01:11:31 - Voicing Up for Stray Dogs

01:17:57 - Friendship in Bollywood

01:19:10 - Sonali’s Ultimate Dream Movie