Mic and Magic with Manan

About Mic and Magic with Manan

Welcome to Mic & Magic, where your host, 14-year-old Manan, sits down for insightful interviews with successful entrepreneurs, trailblazing athletes, and inspiring leaders. We go beyond the highlight reel to map out their entire career journey and the life path that led them to greatness. This isn't just another motivational podcast; it's your playbook for the future. Each conversation is packed with practical advice, actionable tips, and powerful lessons you can apply to your own life. Whether you're looking to build a career in a diverse field, improve your well-being through sports

Publisher

Manan Periwal

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Aug 2025

Latest episode

4 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

61 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Levon Aronian on Niemann, Gukesh vs Pragg & the $500K Question

   Levon Aronian — former World No. 2, two-time World Cup winner and the man often called the David Beckham of chess — sits down with Manan on Mic & Magic Sports, days after winning the Global Chess League 2026 in Bengaluru with Ganges Grandmasters. Why did he defend Hans Niemann when most grandmasters stayed quiet? What does he really think of Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi? Why does he think classical chess could get boring — and Chess960 could be the future? Levon also opens up about growing up in Armenia without electricity for four years, his father’s advice to “be the one who finishes the fight,” his love for Indian classical music, boxing, fashion, ego, resilience and finding positivity through difficult moments. And yes — Manan asks the $500K question: how much has Levon actually won from Freestyle Chess? CHAPTERS 01:18 His pre-game playlist: Indian classical music 01:56 From hospital to champion 02:24 Think like a composer 03:13 When does calling out cheating become bullying? 04:28 The Carlsen-Niemann controversy 05:44 Gukesh, Pragg or Arjun? 06:17 Armenia, USA & representing teams 07:00 Should his daughter play chess? 07:37 Boxing, fights & his father’s advice 08:41 Will classical chess get boring? 09:30 Why Levon signs autographs for everyone 10:15 Leave your ego off the board 11:39 How to hunt your weaknesses 12:45 Growing up in Armenia without electricity 13:39 The memories that stay with him 14:27 Two cultures: Armenia & the USA 15:44 Why Levon loves colourful clothes 16:26 The reset 17:04 Finding positivity in difficult times 17:54 Rapid fire 17:59 How much has he won from Freestyle Chess? 18:27 Outro WHY YOU MUST WATCH From the Carlsen-Niemann controversy and the rise of India’s young chess stars to the future of Chess960, Levon Aronian gets candid about modern chess. He also shares deeply personal stories about childhood, family, setbacks, ego and resilience. ABOUT LEVON ARONIAN Levon Aronian is a former World No. 2 chess grandmaster, two-time World Cup winner and one of the most recognisable players in modern chess. Born in Armenia and representing the United States since 2021, he has won major titles across classical, rapid, blitz and Freestyle Chess. MENTIONED Hans Niemann • Magnus Carlsen • Gukesh • Praggnanandhaa • Arjun Erigaisi • Vladimir Kramnik • Fabiano Caruana • Leon Mendonca • Chess960 • Freestyle Chess • Global Chess League • Ganges Grandmasters • Triveni Continental Kings • Kishori Amonkar 3 FUN FACTS ♟️ Levon loves Indian classical music and listens to Kishori Amonkar before games. 🎨 His colourful fashion has been part of his identity since he was 19. 💰 He says he has won more than $500,000 from Freestyle Chess. LIFE LESSON “Be the one who finishes the fight.” ABOUT THE HOST Manan is a teenage podcaster whose questions land somewhere between a sports journalist and a mischievous younger brother — and who gets India’s athletes to say the things nobody else asks. ABOUT MIC & MAGIC Mic & Magic with Manan is where India’s champions, underdogs and record-breakers sit down for the conversations their press releases never allowed. New episodes every fortnight. #LevonAronian #Chess #Gukesh #Praggnanandhaa #ArjunErigaisi #FreestyleChess #Chess960 #GlobalChessLeague #SportsPodcast #MicAndMagic

2. 

   20 Sept 2026

   They Said She Wasn’t Fit for India. She Became MVP | Taarushee Tarun | Mic & Magic Ep 29

   They told her she wasn’t fit for the Indian team. At 16, Taarushee Tarun became MVP of India’s Youth National Basketball Championship and played for India at the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026. In this episode of Mic & Magic with Manan, Taarushee opens up about overthinking, India’s 99–17 win over Oman, thesemi-final loss to Kazakhstan, meeting NBA stars at Basketball Without Borders Asia, the Thai player who “cooked” her, her lucky braid ritual, and her biggest dream: to dunk. WHY YOU MUST WATCH THIS • Hear how Taarushee handled being told she wasn’t fit for the Indian team. • Get inside the mindset of a 16-year-old playing basketball at the international level. • Hear about her 25-point performance against Oman and the lessons from India’s loss to Kazakhstan. • Discover what she learned at Basketball Without Borders Asia alongside top young players and NBA coaches. • Hear her honest take on overthinking, pressure, self-doubt and proving people wrong. • And find out why her biggest dream is to become the first Indian woman to dunk in a game. About the Athlete Taarushee Tarun is an Indian basketball player from Bengaluru who has represented India at the international level. A standout young talent, she was named MVP at India’s Youth National Basketball Championship and competed for India at the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026. Known for her rebounding, scoring and competitive mindset, Taarushee is one of the young players making her mark in Indian women’s basketball. 3 ACHIEVEMENTS MVP at India’s Youth National Basketball Championship Represented India at the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Scored 25 points in 14 minutes against Oman ABOUT THE HOST Manan is a teenage podcaster whose questions land somewhere between a sports journalist and a mischievous younger brother — and who somehow gets India's athletes to say the things nobody else asks them for. ABOUT MIC & MAGIC Mic & Magic with Manan is where India's champions, underdogs and record-breakers sit down for the conversation their press releases never allowed. New episodes every fortnight. Subscribe so you meet the next one before the rest of the country does. About This Episode Episode 29 of Mic & Magic with Manan features Indian basketball player Taarushee Tarun. She talks about representing India, becoming a National MVP, dealing with self-doubt and over thinking, her biggest on-court challenges, and her dream of dunking. 3 FUN FACTS Has a specific pre-game braid ritual she believes helps her play better Her favorite color is pink, but she wants to buy pink jewellery despite hating pink jewellery Her biggest basketball dream is to dunk in a real game LIFE LESSON Don’t let someone else’s doubt decide what you’re capable of. Keep working, stay patient, and let your performance speak for itself. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Indian National Basketball TeamFIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Basketball Without Borders Asia India’s Youth National Basketball Championship KazakhstanOman Thailand Stephen Curry Jalen Brunson Dominic Malonga “Monica — the team’s celebration song #TaarusheeTarun #IndianBasketball#WomensBasketball #IndiaU18 #FIBAU18 #FIBAU18AsiaCup #IndianBasketballPlayer #BasketballIndia#YouthBasketball #BasketballWithoutBorders #KarnatakaBasketball #WomenInSports#MicAndMagic #Manan #BasketballPodcast #IndianSports #TeenAthlete#TaarusheeTarunMVP

3. 

   6 Sept 2026

   Never Bowled a Leather Ball Till 16, Now Karnataka’s Purple Cap Pacer | Abhilash Shetty

   He didn’t touch a leather ball until he was 16. At 27, Abhilash Shetty became the Best Bowler of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2026 — and a champion left-arm seamer for Karnataka. WHY YOU MUST WATCH This is what the road to Indian cricket looks like when there is no academy, no floodlights and no famous surname — just a wet ground in Mangaluru, a sports quota admission at 16, and a boy who refused to let “no facilities” become his excuse. If you have ever been dropped, injured, overlooked or told you started too late, this one’s for you. ABOUT ABHILASH SHETTY Abhilash Shetty is a left-arm pacer from Mangaluru who came up through tennis-ball cricket and got his first real coaching at 16 through the sports quota at Alva’s College, Moodbidri. A stress fracture kept him out for eight months, but he returned to earn his Ranji Trophy debut and bowl in some of Karnataka’s biggest games. He bowls at 140+, bats at No. 11, and is one of Karnataka cricket’s exciting fast-bowling prospects. CHAPTERS 01:15 – From Tennis Ball Cricket to Leather Ball at 16 01:48 – What Small-Town Cricketers Have That City Kids Don’t 02:52 – The One Thing Abhilash Shetty Is Useless At 03:06 – Ranji Batter vs Gully Cricket Uncle 03:47 – Where Is the Purple Cap Now? 04:40 – Why His Batting Average Is Only 5 05:17 – The Stress Fracture That Kept Him Out for 8 Months 06:35 – Staying Calm Under Pressure 07:18 – When Cricket Stopped Being Fun 08:27 – Abhilash’s Cricket Memories: 2014–2026 08:46 – His Goal for 2030: Playing for India 08:59 – Complete the Sentence: Abhilash Unfiltered CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 🏆 Purple Cap winner — Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2026 with Shivamogga Yodhas. 🏆 Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024–25 champion with Karnataka. Took 3/58 in the final against Vidarbha. 🏆 Overcame an eight-month stress fracture layoff to earn his Ranji Trophy debut. ABOUT THE HOST Manan is a teenage podcaster whose questions land somewhere between a sports journalist and a mischievous younger brother — and gets India’s athletes talking about things nobody else asks them. ABOUT MIC & MAGIC Mic & Magic with Manan is where India’s champions, underdogs and record-breakers sit down for conversations their press releases never allowed. New episodes every fortnight. ABOUT THIS EPISODE Manan talks to Abhilash Shetty about his journey from tennis-ball cricket to Karnataka, handling pressure, overcoming injury and his dream of playing for India. FUN FACTS * Google his name and a Kannada film director shows up instead. * His Purple Cap is at home in Mangaluru — his mother calls it “just another cap.” * Batting average: 5. His explanation? “Non-striker jaldi out ho raha tha.” LIFE LESSON Stop auditing what you don’t have. “Jo bhi facilities aapko available hai usme aap kya kar sakte hai, uske upar zyada focus karo — reasons dhoondna kam karo.” Wet ground, no lights, no academy — the question isn’t what’s missing. It’s what’s still possible today. MENTIONED Karnataka | KSCA | Ranji Trophy | Vijay Hazare Trophy | Maharaja Trophy | Shivamogga Yodhas | Gulbarga Mystics | Mangaluru Dragons | Hubli Tigers | Mysore Warriors | Bengaluru Blasters | Baroda | Vidarbha | Mangaluru | Moodbidri | Alva’s College | Mayank Agarwal | Devdutt Padikkal | Virat Kohli | tennis-ball cricket | gully cricket | sports quota | Purple Cap | stress fracture | DRS | impact player rule #AbhilashShetty #MicAndMagic #KarnatakaCricket #MaharajaTrophy #KSCA #RanjiTrophy #VijayHazareTrophy #ShivamoggaYodhas #IndianCricket #DomesticCricket #FastBowler #LeftArmPacer #PurpleCap #Mangaluru #CricketPodcast #CricketInterview #SportsPodcast

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