Atul Khatri on Modi, 90s India, and Rock Music | Dostcast

Subscribe to Dostcast Clips:https://www.youtube.com/@dostcastclips?sub_confirmation=1Listen to Dostcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70vrbHeSvrcXyOeISTyBSy?si=be05dbdd564245d9Join the Dostcast Janta Party on WhatsApp for regular updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAZwo5D8SDs5kf94N3TWant to suggest a guest?Fill this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ft_-1QDs7XpsSWnaPOeF21yUlhk9bzKvwHSyh4hHfBU/edit?usp=drivesdk====================================================================Atul Khatri was selling computers before most of today’s comedians were born.Before he became one of India’s most loved stand-ups, he spent decades inside the Indian IT industry — the real Rocket Singh life, minus the Bollywood polish. He told me the actual story of how computers entered Mumbai, when fax machines died, and what the analog-to-digital transition really felt like from the inside.But this conversation went way beyond his career.We talked about marriage — whether it genuinely gets boring, why Indian parents obsess over their children’s weddings, and the quiet comedy of hen-pecked husbands. We talked about his worst rejection, his love for rock music, his brush with Jethro Tull, and the 90s scene of LP cassette piracy and booking movie tickets by hand.We got into the business of comedy too — how clubs are designed, what Indian comedy looked like before stand-up existed, and why startups keep trying to gamify human connection.And we didn’t stop there. Modi’s larger-than-life image, Soho House networking, the builder-politician nexus in Maharashtra, pressure on kids, education abroad, cultural diversity — Atul had takes on all of it.I also shared a farewell story from my own life that I’ve never told on the podcast before.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro01:14 - Agencies vs Artists08:39 - Hen Pecker Husbands?11:24 - Does Marriage Get Boring?14:34 - Indian Parents Obsessed with Children’s Marriage17:39 - Is Rocket Singh Based on Reality?21:17 - How He Got Into Computer Industry28:02 - Atul’s Worst Rejection29:44 - Analog India vs Digital India32:18 - When Did Fax Machines Go?33:41 - Computer Adoption in Mumbai37:19 - Startups Gamifying Human Connection39:58 - His Love for Rock42:32 - Vinamre’s Podcast with Roger Waters?45:03 - Atul Meeting Jethro Tull47:55 - LP Cassettes Piracy in 90s50:34 - Booking Movie Tickets in 90s53:34 - How are Comedy Clubs Designed55:19 - Comedy in India before Stand Ups58:56 - End of Modi’s Larger Than Life Perception?1:02:41 - How Atul Looks So Young?1:04:51 - Meeting People at Soho House1:12:22 - Politicians and Builders in Maharashtra1:14:13 - Vinamre’s INSANE Farewell Story1:19:14 - The Shrink and The Nut1:25:34 - Pressure on Kids, Education Abroad & Cultural Diversity1:41:01 - Conclusion​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​====================================================================Vinamre Kasanaa is a writer at heart, podcaster and entrepreneur by craft.He spends a significant part of his time reading and researching.With over 500 podcasts under his belt, he’s interviewed everyone—from HNIs and industry leaders to everyday superheroes.Follow Vinamre:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinamre-kasanaa-b8524496/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinamrekasanaa/Twitter: https://twitter.com/VinamreKasanaaDostcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dostcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/dostcast====================================================================Contact Us:For business inquiries: [email protected]