Journeys, Chance, and the Indian Railways: Rahul Bhattacharya on Railsong

How does one build a life within a system that never stops moving?This week on The Reading List, Rahul Bhattacharya joins us to talk about Railsong, a novel that traces the life of Charu within the vast world of the Indian Railways.Through the world of Railsong, we explore Rahul’s writing practice, the origins of the book, and the making of Charu, a character shaped by observation, movement, and change. He also speaks about his enduring fascination with the Indian Railways, and how the novel captures a world that feels shared, yet remains deeply divided.A conversation about systems, stories, and the lives that move through them.