Welcome to Cyrus Says!

In this episode, Cyrus sits down with Girish Talwar and Debayan Deb, founder and co-founder of Rebellion Management, for a fascinating conversation about India’s independent music movement, artist management, live events, creator culture, and how entertainment businesses are actually built from the ground up. Girish reflects on his journey from law school and playing bass in Zero to helping shape the indie scene through Only Much Louder(OML), artist management, CDs, music videos, festivals, and eventually some of the biggest shifts in Indian live entertainment. Debayan adds the next-generation lens, sharing how fandom, the internet, and modern creator ecosystems changed the way talent is discovered, built, and monetized.

The conversation moves through the rise of OML, the early independent band circuit, NH7 Weekender, artist communities, Babblefish, branded content, streaming, music economics, Vir Das, creator management, sync licensing, and how Rebellion now works across music, creators, and brand partnerships. It is funny, nostalgic, sharply observant, and full of real industry insight on what it takes to build culture before the market is ready for it.

This is a great episode for anyone interested in music, entrepreneurship, media, and the business of entertainment in India.

Most people collect degrees to build a career. Kailashnath Koppikar collected an MBBS, an MBA, film-school experience, jobs in cinema and television, ghostwriting work and then decided to start doing open mics.

Naturally, Cyrus is offended on behalf of every Indian parent.

Kailashnath and Aakash Mehta joins Cyrus Broacha to discuss his journey from medicine to NFDC, film production, television and stand-up comedy. They also get into Backspace, the importance of doing the unglamorous work, Aakash’s international tour and the strange economics of performing comedy abroad.

The conversation then behaves like every Cyrus Says episode should: Christopher Nolan eating at Olympia, alcohol becoming a vaccine, unsuccessful fishing trips, Bollywood feuds, cricket fans, Rajinikanth in Japan, ancient Egyptian gold tongues and current affairs solved with absolutely no responsibility.

Come for the career advice. Stay because nobody remembers what the original topic was.

Why are Indians so afraid of snakes and how much of what we believe is completely wrong?

On this episode of Cyrus Says, Cyrus Broacha speaks with animal welfare and snake conservation advocate Sumanth Bindhumadhav about snake behaviour, snakebite prevention and the misinformation surrounding reptiles in India.

Sumanth explains the difference between venomous and poisonous animals, introduces India’s “Big Four” medically significant snakes and reveals why a cobra’s hood is usually a sign of fear, not aggression. He also shares the correct response to a snakebite, including why cutting the wound, sucking out venom or tying a tourniquet can make things worse.

The conversation explores India’s snakebite public health crisis, the lack of research and effective antivenom, dangerous advice still appearing in textbooks, unethical snake relocation and the role cinema has played in spreading animal myths.

Along the way, expect stories about a 12-foot king cobra, a five-star hotel’s bizarre snake-catching scam, elephant conservation, Bangalore traffic, weight training and Cyrus asking questions nobody else would dare ask.

Watch the full episode and share it with someone who still says “poisonous snake.”