Ever had an annoyingly chatty Uber driver? Or is some random person trying to “make conversation” with you while you wait at the airport? I’ve had to deal with both of these only in the last three days and there’s only one thing that comes to the rescue. My trusty old pair of earphones. Plug them in, put on a podcast and you no longer have to make annoying small talk. Looking for podcast recommendations though? We’ve got them right here. All you have to do is hit play!

1. BEYOND THE LAUGHS W/ PUNIT PANIA – SOURAV GHOSH

Fresh off the high of his standup special No Country for Moderation, Punit Pania returned with his podcast Beyond The Laughs where he sits down with his comedian guests and breaks down their creative process.

In the latest episode, Pania is joined by retired comedian and owner of Kolkata comedy club Top Cat Retired Comedy Club Sourav Ghosh. This one-and-a-half-hour-long episode gives us a peek into Ghosh’s chaotic brain as he discusses Bengalis, his retirement from comedy and censorship in India. He’s been around for a long time, seen the rise of some of our favourite comedy superstars and has stories to tell (and tea to spill). Check out the full episode now!

2. SERIOUSLY FUNNY W/ VARUN GROVER AND AAKARSH KHURANA – A MASTERCLASS ON THE POINT OF COMEDY

Here’s a masterclass for all the comedy nerds. Aakarsh Khurana and Varun Grover are at the top of the comedy writing trade and they’re being nice enough to share some secrets in this freewheeling episode.

Whether you’re an aspiring comedy writer, actor or standup, you’ll definitely find something worth your while in this episode which is packed to the brim with insights on comedic timing, formulae to craft the perfect punchline and some hilarious anecdotes from the duo’s professional lives.

3. NUMBER ONE BULLSH*T PODCAST – SHAAD SHAFI

Shashwat Maheshwari and Chirag Panjwani are back to shoot some sh*t on Number One Bullshit Podcast. This week, the two were also joined by Shaad Shafi, who brought a hefty dose of his zany and outlandish humour.

As usual, they waste no time in setting the mood and we’re plopped right in the middle of a conversation. What are they talking about? Being “cool” in school. They touch upon a lot more in this three-hour-long (?!) episode including auditioning for shows, their first relationships and some insane hacks comedians use to get views on their YouTube clips. You won’t believe the lengths some of them go to. Check out the episode now!

4. CONAN O’BRIEN NEEDS A FRIEND – SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY

After almost three decades, countless interviews and thousands of standup routines, Conan O’Brien realised one thing—he hasn’t made any lasting friendships with his celebrity guests. He’s taken it upon himself to fix this very pressing problem on his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend.

This week’s guest is arguably the best friend someone could ask for. He’s a rock n’ roll legend, has got some crazy stories to tell and was part of this little-known band… Don’t know if you’ve heard of them… The Beatles. Yep, O’Brien is joined by Sir Paul McCartney in this episode where they take a look at some old photographs from the band’s first transatlantic trip and discuss McCartney’s new book Eyes of the Storm.

5. SMARTLESS – SIMON PEGG

Close friends Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett started their podcast Smartless in 2019, featuring improvised conversations, friendly ribbing, and authentic interactions. The trio—along with a ‘mystery’ guest, known to only one of the three hosts beforehand—always looks on the brighter side of things as they connect with people from all walks of life.

In this week’s episode, they were joined by zombie apocalypse survivor, Simon Pegg. Their episode is crashed by Lorenzo Zoil, a cop from Pegg’s 2011 film Paul. Pegg also let’s us in on some intimate details about his relationship with long-time collaborator Edgar Wright. There’s a lot to soak in. Get started on this episode now!