Ancient Fiction. Modern Truth. | Truth Shots with Prabhu Ram
We live in an age where everyone is obsessed with the next big thing – AI, automation, disruption.
But in all this noise, we’ve forgotten the oldest thing – being human.
Episode 8 of Truth Shots with Kapil, hosted by Kapil Gupta, an Indian political thinker known for connecting modern realities with timeless truths, brings that reminder through an unusual lens: ancient history fiction.
My guest, Prabhu Ram, is not your typical author. He’s a global banker, a strategist, a man who deals with numbers and systems all day – and yet, he’s written a book that takes us back centuries.
His novel, “Nectar on the Seven Hills,” is a piece of ancient history fiction that doesn’t just reconstruct the past – it reflects on our present.
Because here’s the thing: stories may age, but truth doesn’t.
Technology Moves Fast. Humanity Doesn’t.
We started our conversation where the modern world loves to stay – technology.
From Nokia in 2001 to AI in 2025, we’ve seen every wave of transformation hit us harder and faster.
But while machines evolve every 18 months, human beings haven’t caught up emotionally.
As Prabhu rightly said, “Transforming technology is easy. Transforming people isn’t.”
And he’s right. You can upgrade a chip. You can update an algorithm.
But try changing human behavior – and you’ll see what real complexity looks like.
Empathy doesn’t run on 5G. It runs on awareness, patience, and connection — things our devices can’t download.
And that’s the irony of progress: we’ve become better at programming computers than understanding ourselves.
Machines Have Boundaries. Humans Don’t.
The next part of our talk hit a nerve.
Prabhu pointed out that technology operates with rules and structure. Machines have code, logic, and predictability.
Humans? We’re the opposite – unpredictable, emotional, irrational. And that’s what makes us powerful.
Every leader today faces this duality: you can design the perfect system, but you can’t control how people feel inside it.
The real challenge isn’t upgrading tech – it’s decoding human complexity.
And no leadership training manual can teach you that. Because unlike AI, people don’t come with instructions.
Leadership Without Empathy Is Just Management
Every generation likes to think it has redefined leadership.
But the truth is – most leaders still don’t get the basics right.
They chase performance metrics, speed, and efficiency – but they forget that people aren’t machines.
Empathy isn’t a soft skill. It’s a leadership strategy.
A leader without empathy can run a system but never build a culture.
And when you strip away the buzzwords, that’s the real difference between management and leadership.
As Prabhu said, “Every leader is supposed to drive something. But driving without empathy means you’re just moving fast – not forward.”
That line stayed with me. Because in a world obsessed with speed, empathy is rebellion.
Recognition Needs a Rethink
We also spoke about recognition – something that’s broken in most workplaces.
I shared how years ago, we used to give out “Employee of the Month” awards to those managing client-facing kiosks.
But one day, I realized: what about the ones behind the scenes? The ones who don’t stand in front of the kiosk, but build the foundation that keeps everything running?
That’s when I stopped rewarding visibility and started rewarding impact.
Not everyone shines under the spotlight. Some people are the light itself.
That’s what leadership means – seeing the unseen, hearing the unheard, and acknowledging the invisible effort that powers everything visible.
Myth, Memory, and Meaning
When we turned to “Nectar on the Seven Hills,” I understood why Prabhu writes the way he does.
He doesn’t call it mythology. He calls it ancient history fiction.
Because for him, these stories aren’t fantasies – they’re reflections of timeless human truths.
We talk about innovation like it’s new. But go back to any ancient civilization, and you’ll find curiosity, resilience, leadership, and human emotion – the same instincts that drive us today.
The only difference? They built temples. We build algorithms.
The book isn’t just about ancient India – it’s about us.
It’s about power, belief, and survival. About how every era, no matter how advanced, repeats the same human drama in new clothes.
Because history doesn’t repeat itself – human behavior does.
The Past Is the Real Future
Talking to Prabhu reminded me of a simple truth:
You can’t move forward without understanding where you came from.
We think we’re modern because we have smartphones and AI assistants. But our fears, desires, and egos are as ancient as the hills.
That’s why Nectar on the Seven Hills works – it’s not escapism. It’s realism written in the language of history.
And that’s also why I wanted this conversation on Truth Shots – because fiction can sometimes tell truths that facts can’t.
When you strip the world down to its essence, what remains isn’t data or disruption – it’s emotion, connection, and meaning.
And that’s where humanity still wins over any algorithm.
Final Truth Shot
So here’s what I took away from Episode 8:
Technology will keep changing. Human nature won’t.
Empathy will remain the rarest skill in leadership.
And stories – real or imagined – will always be how we understand ourselves.
As I said in the episode, the past isn’t gone.
It’s right here – living through us, teaching us, challenging us to listen.
And sometimes, the truth you’re looking for in code is already written in stone.
Truth Shots with Kapil – Episode 8 featuring Prabhu Ram is live on YouTube.
Watch it if you’re tired of noise and ready for depth.
Because ancient fiction might just be the most honest mirror of modern truth.
