In 2023, having a podcast is a rite of passage for standup comedians. Not all of them are great or survive for long, it’s pretty hard to stick to a schedule after all. But there’s also a bunch of comedy podcasts that offer a great alternative to spending your commute listening to an uncle drop nuggets of knowledge from WhatsApp University. So we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight our favourite listens over the week in this new series we’re calling the Podcast Playlist.

This week we’re featuring an episode of This Past Weekend with Theo Von featuring The Office star Rainn Wilson. Talk about stars colliding. We also have Indian pop culture torchbearer Rohan Joshi discussing the 2003 film Bhoot on Has It Aged Well? British comedians Stevie Martin and Tessa Coates talk about giving exams, while Stavros Halkias catches up with Nimesh Patel on Stavvy’s World. Lastly, Aakash Mehta, Abijit Ganguly and Siddharth Shetty join Sorabh Pant to discuss the Kohli-Gambhir drama. Time to hit play!

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von — Rainn Wilson

Theo Von is a comedian who has found incredible success in the podcasting game. Formerly a part of the King And The Sting podcast, Von had his fingers in multiple pies but he’s called quits on that and is now focusing on his solo show This Past Weekend. Von brings his incredibly zany humour to every episode which may or may not be accompanied by a celebrity from the world of comedy. 

442 episodes in Von is joined by The Office star Rainn Wilson, possibly the only person who could keep up with Von’s absurd childhood stories, given he’s grown up on Schrute Farms and whatnot. Jokes aside, we see the duo quickly warm up to each other as they discuss Wilson’s new book titled Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, the concept of world peace and how they deal with their anxieties. Don’t worry, there are constant breaks from the heavy material as the two launch into a bit which is always lurking around the corner. 

Has It Aged Well? — Bhoot (2003) with Rohan Joshi 

Some films just don’t stand the test of time. Comedians Abbas Momin and Urjita Wani have taken it upon themselves to ask the question, “Has it aged well?” one Bollywood film at a time. From revisiting childhood classics like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander—which was apparently responsible for bringing cycling to the mainstream in India (move aside Lance Armstrong)—to discussing slightly lesser-known gems such as Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein, the show is a nostalgia fest. 

On the latest episode, the hosts are joined by pop culture devourer Rohan Joshi to discuss Ram Gopal Verma’s Bhoot. We all remember those random stories of cinema halls putting up big rewards for anybody who could watch the film alone in the theatre. But the trio dives deeper into the director’s contribution towards horror cinema in our country, Urmila Matondkar’s portrayal of a possessed woman, and naturally share some horror stories along the way. 

Stavvy’s World — Nimesh Patel

This isn’t comedian Stavros Halkias’ first venture in the world of podcasting. It is almost second nature to the comedian who was a co-founder of the incredibly successful C*m Town podcast from which he announced his departure in 2022. After a brief hiatus from talking into the mic every week, Halkias came back with his podcast Stavvy’s World, where he and his guests would shoot the sh*t and dish out some advice to callers along the way. 

In last week’s episode, Halkias is joined by comedian Nimesh Patel. The duo naturally discuss his Indian upbringing and what it was like to break it to his parents that he wasn’t going to be a doctor after all. Patel has some hilarious stories about garba parties in New Jersey before the comedians discuss his latest special Lefty Lucky. Lastly, there are phone calls from fans who want some relationship advice and closure on a certain Greek stereotype. 

Nobody Panic — How to Sit an Exam

There’s a reason we had Nobody Panic on our list of top podcasts in 2022. Comedians Tessa Coates and Stevie Martin are here to handhold us through life as we figure out the intricacies of adulting. Spoiler alert: You’ll never be fully prepared for what curveball life throws your way. But the two are here for us to take a break from crying at our misery. Or maybe laugh-cry? 

In last week’s episode, the two discussed the daunting task of giving exams. The act of entering the hall and revising every single thing you’ve tried to read and retain one night before is deeply ingrained in most of us since childhood. But life is never so kind as to get rid of this horrible activity altogether. Even as an adult you have your CFA, CA, LLB, and Medicine specialisations (if you’re the studious kind and not writing a listicle about podcasts). The duo remember some brilliant teachers who gave them sound advice and discuss every sadistic teacher’s favourite hobby: giving out surprise tests. 

3 Drinks Later — Thank You Kohli & Gambhir

After the success of his lockdown experiment Wake Up With Sorabh, comedian Sorabh Pant has another podcast in the mix titled 3 Drinks Later. As the name suggests, Pant and his guests—comedians, mostly—have a couple of drinks and discuss comedy, sports and anything pop culture. 

If by any stroke of luck, you stay in India and are unaware of Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir’s infamous showdown in last week’s IPL game, we would like a corner under the rock you call home. This was the topic of discussion in the mini-episode featuring comedians Aakash Mehta, Abijit Ganguly and Siddhartha Shetty. The four cricket fanatics have a lot to say about the incident and the comics also divulge some information about aggressive sportspeople in the comedy scene. Who among the four are they talking about? Watch the episode to find out!