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The Bad Take

The Bad Take 23 Episodes Aug 2, 2026

The Bad Take is a conversational podcast that covers a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from politics and pop culture to the universe and the meaning of life. Each episode engages listeners in thoughtful and entertaining discussions, blending serious subject matter with casual, relatable conversation. The show aims to offer a fresh perspective on everyday questions and current events, inviting listeners to think deeply while enjoying an informal exchange of ideas.

Episodes

#22 On Nolan’s Odyssey Aug 2, 2026 00:53:41 Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s ancient epic is all anyone’s talking about these days. So much so that it even managed to spurt us out of retirement. We are back. Sort of. With our own spicy take on the biggest movie of 2026.Show notes:Thamara’s review of The Odyssey: https://thamara.co.uk/notebook/2026/08/the-odysseyHimal’s review of The Odyssey: https://himalkk.substack.com/p/nolans-odyssey-

#21 Sri Lanka in Crisis: Is the Political Elite Doomed? (with Rajni Gamage) Jun 5, 2022 00:30:39 In this episode, joined by Rajni Gamage, we discuss the nature of elite politics in Sri Lanka in the context of the current crisis. We explore what scope there is for a new politics of solidarity and social transformation through the people's protests and the shifts in elite politics this would entail. Rajni is a politics researcher based in Colombo. She holds a PhD in Political Science and Inter

#20 A Matter of Words (with Carmen Aguilera-Carnerero) Feb 29, 2020 01:03:54 On this episode, we're joined by linguist Carmen Aguilera-Carnerero based in Granada, Spain. She was in Sri Lanka for some months last year, studying extreme speech online. She has also studied graffiti and "wall art" in Spanish and other European cities. This is a deep dive into her findings. Carmen Aguilera-Carnerero is a lecturer at the University of Granada (Spain), a Senior Research Fellow a

#19 Planet Hunting (with Mahesh Herath) Jan 31, 2020 01:16:40 On this episode, we're joined by Sri Lankan astronomer Mahesh Herath who made headlines last year when he discovered not one but two exoplanets - no big deal - in a remote corner of our galaxy. We talked about his rigorous research process and the future of space exploration technologies among other things. Mahesh Herath is a research scientist attached to the Arthur C Clarke Institute of Modern

#18 Demystifying AI (with Nisansa de Silva) Dec 31, 2019 01:28:00 Joined by subject expert Nisansa de Silva, we bust some myths about AI and its applications, while exploring the challenges in AI development and the inevitable social, economic and political implications it poses. Nisansa de Silva is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Oregon. His research interests are in the area of Artificial In

#17 Fidel off the Field - In conversation with Andrew Fidel Fernando Nov 22, 2019 01:10:13 We caught up with sports writer Andrew Fidel Fernando for a chat on his first book, the well received travelogue Upon a Sleepless Isle. Andrew is a prolific sports writer with a penchant for incisive analysis of all things cricket. He is also a historian and travel writer, and his new book Upon A Sleepless Isle has been well received both here and abroad. He is on Twitter at @afidelf Andrew's boo

#16 At The Movies: Hollywood Ramblings Nov 3, 2019 00:36:21 This edition of our At the Movies episodes is a somewhat belated discussion on Tarantino's latest outing and legendary filmmaker Martin Scorcese's remarks on the MCU. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://thebadtake.com/episode16 --- Music used in this episode: Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On (© WMG on behalf of Atco) Soundtrack: Downtown Funk by

#14 Major Throwback - '90s Pop Culture in Sri Lanka Jun 26, 2019 01:24:14 From Doo Daruwo to Soora Pappa, from Rookantha to Bathiya & Santhush, the 1990s saw an unprecedented boom in popular entertainment in Sri Lanka that defined an entire generation. This is a look back at the glory days. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://thebadtake.com/episode14 --- Soundtrack: Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided

#13 Catching up on Twitter Jun 11, 2019 00:31:31 We're back after a bit of a hiatus. So much has happened since you last heard from us. Particularly on the online space. This is a brief look at what's been going down. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://thebadtake.com/episode13 --- Soundtrack: Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw

#12 Cosmic Musings: Are we living in a simulation? Apr 20, 2019 00:33:30 Are we living in a simulation? The idea is not a new one. It's been a sci-fi staple for years. But more and more scientists are taking it seriously. This is an attempt to understand the implications of this question. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://medium.com/the-bad-take/episode-12-cosmic-musings-2-are-we-living-in-a-simulation-d43d41612865 ---

#11 Cosmic Musings: Where are all our neighbors? Feb 18, 2019 00:45:27 Given the sheer number of stars in the universe – over 200 billion in our galaxy alone, in a universe of two trillion galaxies – chances are, we are not alone. And yet, we have yet to see a shred of credible evidence for life outside our little cosmic corner, let alone intelligent life. The silence is deafening. Are we really alone? --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything

#10 Congested Jan 29, 2019 00:45:06 "You're not stuck in traffic. You are traffic." So goes the adage. But is that always true? What explains the bumper to bumper traffic jams we find ourselves in almost every day, slowly driving us all insane? Is there a solution in sight? This is our attempt to answer some of these questions. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://medium.com/the-bad-tak

#9 A Conversation with Ajay Kamalakaran Dec 31, 2018 01:23:14 This week, we're joined by journalist turned author Ajay Kamalakaran based in Mumbai, India. He talks about, among other things, his latest work, a short story collection centred around a remote island in Russia. Ajay Kamalakaran is a writer and journalist based in Bombay, India. He is currently a columnist for the Malayala Manorama, one of the most widely read publications in India. A veteran on

#8 Firing Squad (with Chav and Thimal Gajadeera) Dec 25, 2018 00:45:12 An unfortunate incident involving a political argument that quickly escalated took Twitter by storm a few days ago. Tempers flared and one of the parties ended up losing their job as a result. Joining us today are Chav and Thimal Gajadeera to discuss the ethical and moral implications of this. Thimal Gajadeera describes himself as a perennial law student with an interest in politics and poet

#7 At the Movies: Talking Movies with Dilina Amaruwan Dec 14, 2018 01:02:10 This week, we're joined by writer and pop culture connoisseur Dilina Amaruwan Pathirage. We pick his brain on what's hot (and not) at the movies and take a walk down memory lane on Sri Lankan cinema's golden years. Dilina Amaruwan Pathirage is a writer at Roar Media. He has a BA in Teaching English as a Second Language and has extensive experience in feature writing, content creation and writing

Bonus Episode: Back from the Beaches Dec 1, 2018 00:35:28 The Bad Take is back after a month's silence. On this episode we have a chat about Thamara's holiday in Indonesia. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://medium.com/the-bad-take/bonus-episode-b008426653d --- Soundtrack: Downtown Funk by Dj Quads @aka-dj-quads Music provided by Free Music for Vlogs youtu.be/UYBJQkvLTIw

#6 On Digital Demons Oct 26, 2018 01:22:59 Social media is all around us, controlling so many aspects of our lives. For a lot of us, it's a useful way to stay connected, to stay up to date on what's going in the world. But like with all things, too much of it cannot be a good thing. This is a deep dive into the ills of social media. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://medium.com/the-bad-take/

#5 On "Radicals" & Social Justice Oct 8, 2018 00:19:42 In the Sinhala-speaking corner of the internet, the word 'radical' has come to mean something negative, not unlike pejorative terms such as 'SJW'. This is an attempt to make sense of this politically loaded word as it applies to the Sri Lankan context. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://medium.com/the-bad-take/episode-5-on-radicals-social-justice-82

#4 On Bus Music Sep 30, 2018 00:47:21 It's cranky, it's raw, you know it when you hear it. And whether you like it or not, 'bus music' is here to stay. On this episode we explore the fundamental characteristics of the famed Lankan musical genre with connoisseur Indika de Silva. --- Indika de Silva is a lecturer in IT at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defense University in Suriyaweva, Hambantota. He has been a double bass player sin

#3 At The Movies: Moviecrush Sep 23, 2018 01:20:07 With no preparation at all, we sat down to have a chat about the movies we have enjoyed. The conversation flowed with great ease, and we veered a little towards books and TV shows, too, naturally. A fun exchange it was, so we decided to revisit the movie theater again soon. We hope you’d enjoy this first installment for now! --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentione

Bonus Episode: Sound Check Sep 20, 2018 00:47:31 So we got some new recording gear this week and we thought we'd just sit down and record an impromptu conversation just to test the equipment. This is what we ended up with: a rather long-winded meta chat about the podcast and a few other things that interest us personally. It's not the most exciting, so feel free to skip. Await Episode 3! --- Show notes for this episode, including links to ever

#2 On Atheism Sep 16, 2018 00:17:32 Religion is a touchy topic, to say the least. It's a subject many people like to steer clear of - with good reason. But lately, in Sri Lanka, there has been much conversation around religion, or more specifically, the absence of it. This is one such discussion. --- Show notes for this episode, including links to everything mentioned: https://medium.com/the-bad-take/episode-2-on-atheism-4e0e8afbf

#1 On Censorship, Hate Speech & Tolerance Sep 9, 2018 00:29:16 The word 'censorship' gets thrown around a lot these days, both locally and internationally. It's been an especially thorny topic of late, given the divisive political climate we're living in right now. But what exactly does it mean to censor someone? And who reserves the right to do it? Thamara and Himal, two random dudes on the internet, offer their half baked opinions on this important subject.

The Bad Take

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