The Story Behind Karadi Tales: 30 Years of Publishing, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rain Rain Go Away

In this Parenthoot Spotlight, Neha sits down with Shobha Viswanath, co-founder of ‪@karaditales‬ — one of India's most beloved children's publishing houses, now 30 years old. Shobha traces the journey from a gap she spotted as a returning mother (no Indian audiobooks for children) to an institution that has shaped millions of childhoods. The conversation spans the founding of Karadi Tales with husband Viswanath and brother-in-law Narayan, getting Naseeruddin Shah to narrate the very first two stories, the pivot from audiobooks to picture books, and the birth of Karadi Path — a pan-India English language learning program now in thousands of schools. Plus: why Shobha wrote Indian nursery rhymes to replace Jack and Jill, and the accidental discovery that Karadi Tales is an anagram of "read as I talk." Why You Should Listen Whether you grew up with Karadi Tales or are raising a child on them, this is the story behind the stories Shobha shares sharp, unsentimental wisdom on raising readers and building a child's aesthetic — without pressure or prescription There's an honest conversation about the economics of independent children's publishing and the real threat of AI-generated content You'll hear how a family of musicians — alongside Naseeruddin Shah, Gulzar, Girish Karnad, Usha Uthup, and Rahul Dravid — built a 30-year institution from a fax machine and two Panchatantra retellings Notable Quotes "Roz roz you won't feed your child dal chawal, no? You expose them to so many kinds of cuisines, similar with books, similar with art." "Always test your story with a teenage kid or an older kid or with an enemy, not even with a friend." "What are we doing in an agricultural country like ours, singing rain, rain, go away?" Practical Takeaways Expose children to many kinds of books and illustration styles early — not just franchise characters. Aesthetic diversity builds imagination. Never test a picture book manuscript on a toddler. Test it on a teenager. If they show even a flicker of approval, you have something. Build a book club inside your home. Give your child agency to pick what they want to read. Read together, then talk about it. Prioritise physical books for young children, ideally until age 8–10 — not for nostalgia, but because they anchor a child in a way screens don't. When buying children's books, go beyond price. Open it, read the blurb, look at the illustrations. What a book costs is not what it's worth. Resources & References Karadi Tales: www.karaditales.com Karadipath (English language learning program, pan-India): www.karadipath.com The Blue Jackal and The Foolish Lion: Karadi Tales' very first audiobooks, narrated by Naseeruddin Shah Run Ravi Run: one of Karadi's recent picture books Karadi Rhymes on YouTube (   / @karaditales):   search "Karadi Tales rhymes" or "Karaditales mango song" to find Shobha's India-contextual nursery rhymes sung by Usha Uthup Shobha's online picture book writing workshop (limited to 20 participants) — follow Karadi Tales on Instagram (  / karaditales  ) for upcoming dates About the Guest Shobha Viswanath is the co-founder of Karadi Tales, established in Chennai in 1996 alongside her husband Viswanath and brother-in-law Narayan — all classically trained Carnatic musicians. A journalist and writer by background, Shobha has spent three decades commissioning, writing, and publishing children's audiobooks and picture books rooted in Indian stories, languages, art, and music traditions. She is also the co-founder of Karadi Path, a structured English language learning methodology now active in government, tribal, and CSR-supported schools across India. She believes children should be trusted with stories — and left free to find their own way into them. Follow Shobha on Instagram:   / shobhavish   Connect with Shobha on LinkedIn:   / shobhavish   --- Enjoyed this episode? Share it with someone who needs to hear it. Follow Parenthoot on your favourite podcast platform and leave a review if this conversation stayed with you. ☕ Support Us: https://buymeacoffee.com/gargneha Your support helps keep the show running.