Conversations with creative South Asian minds. Hosted by Mitali Dargani, this interview show features the untold stories of creatives and entrepreneurs across the global South Asian community who dared to dream big and are achieving incredible things, often many at once, all whilst pushing past their inner critic.
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In this wonderful and increasingly hilarious episode, we sit with Srishti, a visual artist, illustrator and fashion designer based across London, Bangalore and Kolkata. We talk to Srishti about growing up watching Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network as a 90s kid, to going from being super crafty and creative to studying science to entering the world of…
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Natasha Sherpa on Dancing out of a Suitcase
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In this episode, we sit with Natasha, a choreographer, performer and dance content creator all about how she stumbled upon a full-blown career in dance, growing up not being that interested in dance but falling into it and subsequently starting a lifelong journey of training and teaching in numerous dance styles. We talk about how glamorous and sus…
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Seema Anand on Owning Your Pleasure
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In this eye-opening episode, we sit with storyteller and sex educator, Seema Anand, also known as 'Seema Anand Storytelling' as she talks us through the myths around the Kama Sutra, women owning the narrative around their sensuality, the damage the porn industry has done to our minds, the dangers of society's constant hyper-focus on the 'bad boy' i…
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Meghna Chakraborty on Ascending Beyond Borders
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In this wonderful episode, I sit with Meghna; choreographer, dancer, filmmaker and the co-creator of Ascending; the first ever official documentary covering the six South Asian artists at Coachella in 2023: Diljit Dosanjh, Joy Crookes, Ali Sethi, Jai Paul, Charli XCX and Jai Wolf.I had the privilege of attending the London screening organised by Di…
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Vik Kainth on Empowerment Through Digital Art
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In this conversation we sit with the incredibly talented artist and digital illustrator: Vik Kainth, to talk about his modern maharanis, his process from ideation to creation, random restaurants in Punjab stealing his artwork, will AI really replace humans in the digital art space, and what it means to be an artist in the digital age. Instagram: ht…
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Anisha Parmar on The Stories in our Adornment
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In this episode, we sit with the brilliant Anisha, a curator, artist and jewellery designer. Not only does she design beautifully intricate and unique desi jewellery pieces, she also opens up a space for learning and storytelling around ancient forgotten heirlooms and educates us on their deep-rooted colonial past.Anisha's Instagram: https://www.in…
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Anjalina Chugani on A Life Through Food
1:06:23
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In this episode we sit with, Anjalina (Anjali) Chugani, a renowned Barcelona based chef, recipe developer and author. She describes herself as a 'timid girl' and bookworm born in London who flourished in her formative years growing up in Bangalore. In recent decades, she's been actively running events and initiatives to teach Spain about Indian coo…
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Dilan Patel on Dispelling Myths in Women's Health
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In this episode, we chat with Dilan Patel, the founder of DNA Fitness. Dilan talks to us about how he went from his corporate role in recruitment, with a background in financial computing, to taking a leap of faith and starting his journey as a women's fitness coach. He also is a new dad and tells us about it was like when his daughter was born.We …
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Raja Kumari on Manifesting Dreams into Reality
1:17:46
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In this episode we sit with Raja Kumari, aka Svetha Yallapragada Rao, a world renowned Telugu-American rapper, Grammy-nominated songwriter, singer, previously first female rapper to be signed to Nas' label Mass Appeal Records, now the founder of her own label; Godmother Records.In this heartwarming conversation, we discuss her growing up with class…
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The Wedding Filmer on Capturing Moments of Magic
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We sit with Vishal Punjabi, the brain behind The Wedding Filmer, a world renowned wedding videography company, known for having worked on stunning weddings all over the world, including those of many Bollywood celebrities. As Kiara Advani advances towards Siddharth Malhotra during their big day, making sweet hand gestures at him, the world watches,…
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Pooja Vatas on Skin and Life Reflections
1:03:43
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In this episode I chat about all things life with my dear friend, Pooja, a nurse, (ex-)photographer, skincare guru and now the founder of Amala Skin Therapy & Aesthetics, a clinic that offers a range of skincare and aesthetics services based in east London. I've always loved chatting to Pooja because not only is she super chill, she's also extremel…
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To mark this special little milestone for a podcast that started off as a tiny seed in the brain, that has since seen so many evolutions, multiple breaks, going from two hosts to one, from lockdown Zoom sessions to face to face interviews, from over-sharing just inner thoughts to having now brought on 25 guests, what better tribute than to do a lit…
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Aakash Phulwani on Creating Vibes Around the World
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In this episode we sit with Aakash; dancer, choreographer and co-founder of Afrodesi, a company where Afro meets the Desi world through music and dance. You've seen the guy throwing shapes on the internet, now you can hear his story in his own words. We also cover topics such as art vs. the artist, community and collaboration and the power of shari…
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Priya Joi on Parenthood, Race and Identity
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Join us as we sit with Priya, a renowned science journalist and author of her debut book, Motherland: What I’ve Learnt about Parenthood, Race and Identity. In this conversation we talk about Priya’s own childhood experiences whilst living between India and the UK, fast forwarded to her now raising her daughter to embrace her Indian-Bangladeshi heri…
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In this episode we sit with Anish, a successful lawyer in the city who talks to us about when he realised he was gay, how he came out to his mum, what it felt like sharing his story in his BBC documentary 'My Hindu Coming Out Story', and what it means for him on a day to day basis to embrace his identity in the religious, cultural and corporate env…
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Sohini Banerjee on Bengali Cooking and Supperclubs
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We sit with Sohini, the founder of Smoke and Lime; the chef and creator of Bengali-inspired supperclubs in London. She talks to us about the reality of living and working in a big city as an entrepreneur, as well as the people and moments that inspired her cooking journey and what specifically drove her towards completely no-waste cooking. We also …
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Sneha Narayanaswami on Finding Comfort in Calligraphy
1:03:44
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We sit with the incredible Sneha; neurologist in training and the calligrapher behind Paint Pots & Quills, who also happens to be the official calligrapher at Cannes Film Festival. We talk about her deciding to pursue a career in medicine, what being a doctor was like during the COVID pandemic, discovering joy and escapism in calligraphy, social me…
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Shivani Sharma on Modelling as a Free Spirit
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In this conversation we sit with Shivani, a successful British Indian model, having been the face of Sabyasachi, Charlotte Tilbury, Tatler magazine and more.She shares some of her stories that touch on topics such as womanhood, the evolution of the modelling industry, friendships, finances, on maintaining your identity and integrity in the industry…
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In this exclusive interview podcast, singer Raghav Mathur, aka Raghav, sits with us to talk about the process of creating his music, his influences growing up, working in Bollywood, the evolution of the British Asian music industry over the last two decades and more. We also discuss his comeback through his new track ‘Desperado’ featuring Tesher.IG…
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Jyoti Patel on The Things That We Lost
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In this episode we sit with Jyoti who tells us all about her Kenyan Gujarati heritage and the role it has played in writing her debut novel 'The Things That We Lost'.Grab a copy wherever you purchase your books. https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-...IG: @jyotisbooks @wearemediahive
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Angie Tiwari on Cultural Appreciation in Yoga
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In this conversation, we sit with Angie to talk about her work in amplifying the cultural appreciation of yoga and why it is important for it to be taught and practiced in a way that acknowledges its ancient Indian roots.IG: @tiwariyoga Follow (like! subscribe!) us on @browngamestrong
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Leena Patel on Dance, Creativity and Doing It All
1:00:28
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We sit down with Leena Patel to discuss all things creativity, dance, motherhood and is it really feasible for a woman to 'do it all'? IG: @leena_lplp, @bollyfemme | Follow (like! subscribe!) us on @browngamestrong
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Rakhi Sachdev on A Journey of Radical Body Acceptance
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The lovely Rakhi Sachdev sits down with us to discuss her journey with her perception of her body. Welcome to the first of the Brown Game Strong studio series. Looking forward to holding space with you. TW: discussions on disordered eating IG: @rakhisachdev_ Follow (like! subscribe!) us on @browngamestrong…
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In this episode, we speak with Ashok Banker, a best-selling author and screenwriter based in LA with over 80 books and a career spanning 30 years who identifies as non-binary. They are known for their popular Mahabharata and Ramayana books that have been adapted into screenplays as well. We speak to them about their extremely unusual childhood, wha…
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Tanya Thanawalla on Storytelling Through Dance
1:47:07
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Tanya is a dancer, choreographer and creative director based in New York and through her visual storytelling and teaching over the last few years both in person and online has won the hearts of so many people all over the world. Not only is she an incredibly hard working and dedicated human being, she’s also been transparent in sharing her struggle…
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Prerna Khemlani on Building This Girl Invests
1:04:04
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Prerna is a chartered accountant and also the founder of This Girl Invests, an incredible educational platform aimed at providing women with financial freedom through jargon-free content that explains all aspects of personal finance and investing in a digestible format. I am proud to say that Prerna is also Spanish Sindhi, grew up between the Canar…
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Nisha Aaliya on Bringing All The Bollywood
1:34:53
1:34:53
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Nisha Aaliya is a powerhouse. She’s an actress, a dancer, a singer, a model and has worked on some incredible projects including Netflix’s The Girl on The Train alongside Parineeti Chopra, Amazon Prime’s Shakuntala Devi alongside Vidya Balan, numerous adverts including Deliveroo and Hellmann’s and yet still somehow manages to remain completely grou…
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Henika Patel on Demystifying Tantra
1:16:40
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Henika is the founder of School of Sensual Arts, an organisation aimed towards bringing the ancient Indian arts into modern society. We became friends over lockdown and she is a total inspiration, with the way she slowly transitioned away from her law career and into teaching yoga and tantra, and proceeding to uproot and travel the world for a few …
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Sara Nisha Adams on The Reading List
1:19:37
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Today I'm excited to bring to you a conversation with the lovely Sara Nisha Adams, a debut author who has just released her first book 'The Reading List' a beautiful story about an elderly Gujarati widower who discovers reading in an attempt to feel closer to his late wife who loved books, who meets and becomes friends with a young lady who works a…
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Aanya Hirdaramani on Balancing a PhD with Psycle
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In this episode I ask Aanya how she quite literally manages being a Psycle instructor whilst doing a full time science PhD. From having been diagnosed with leukaemia as a child whilst growing up in Sri Lanka, to coming to London for treatment and boarding school and falling in love with science, fitness has been something that has followed her thro…
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Akash Mehta on Celebrating Our Roots
1:27:23
1:27:23
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I spoke with Akash Mehta, the co-founder and CEO of the haircare wellness brand, Fable and Mane to talk about where the idea for the brand came from, how he turned his failures into his strength, his tips on how to grow your social media platform, how he ended up on Forbes 30 under 30, how he takes care of himself mentally and physically whilst run…
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Dr. Tina Mistry on South Asian Mental Health
1:19:47
1:19:47
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I have a lovely chat with the powerhouse that is Dr. Tina Mistry about all things conscious parenting, intergenerational trauma (we are born holding trauma in our bodies from our grandparents, you guys!) and why mental health is so misunderstood in children and in the South Asian community in general. I love love loved this honest and raw conversat…
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If it isn't blatantly obvious, I'm a big fan of ZHK Designs, and so I had the absolute time of my life sitting down with Zoe, the founder, and just having a good old chit chat. ZHK Designs is a digital art platform which strives to empower and educate the South Asian community and beyond. Zoe Harveen Kaur, the designer, focuses on representation an…
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Jonah Batambuze on Celebrating Love with Blindian Project
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This week, I sit down to have a chat with Jonah Batambuze, the founder and creator of Blindian Project, a platform showcasing the stories of Black x South Asian couples. The globally crowdsourced, art-based documentary project aims to normalise Black x South Asian relationships and dismantle anti-blackness within both communities. Jonah is a Uganda…
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Shirin Shah on a Journey With Grief & Running SASS
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TW: Topics around death and grief are discussed in this episode. The first thing I noticed about Shirin when I met her for the first time at a dance class was how reserved she appeared to be, but as soon as we started getting to know one another, I quickly learned how chilled and at times goofy she is, and also how much wisdom she has to offer desp…
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Roshni Kamta on Purple Wigs and Breast Cancer
1:07:03
1:07:03
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I came across Roshni's profile about a year ago when she featured on the Live Tinted Instagram page, and her story was so striking to me that I knew I absolutely had to bring her on here to have a chat. And it just so happens that we were both wearing the Live Tinted huestick when we recorded this episode! #notanad Roshni is a proud Surinamese woma…
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I sat down to have a chat with Pranav Patel, co-founder of AfroDesi (an eclectic fusion of African and Indian dance styles), professional dancer, ex-Nasa intern, law student, among like 3 other degrees, and proud puppy owner! We discussed how he embraced his Gujarati roots growing up in the US and navigated his dual identity in a very positive way,…
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Just dropping by to let you know that there are going to be some changes to the podcast. We're super excited to share what is next in store! Stay tuned.
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One very special thing 2020 has done is it has given us a LOT of time to reflect. A global pandemic appeared literally out of nowhere and forced us to sit down with our thoughts for long periods of time, either far away from our loved ones or too closely in their space and this has sparked the opportunity to have many an uncomfortable conversation,…
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It is extremely important for us to understand the meaning of being valuable allies, more so now than ever, to the Black community in light of recent events following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis among several others. There has been a surge of awareness around the Black Lives Matter movement, a plethora of resources and information circ…
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Or as we say in Hindi: Log Kya Kahenge? That's it; the (in)famous line we’ve grown up hearing from our Desi mums when we are about to do something that to them is worthy of bringing shame to the family. Got caught in public holding hands with a lover? What will people say? Can’t cook an Indian meal to save your life? What will people say? Who’s goi…
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It can be difficult sometimes, if not downright impossible, to figure out exactly what your direction should be in life, and get it right on the first go. At the age of 16, we are expected to pick higher level subjects that will influence what we can study at uni, which will eventually shape our careers and the rest of our lives… or so we are told.…
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For those of us who are old enough to have lived in the pre-millennium era, the concept of the quarter-life crisis is probably quite familiar by now. We are facing pressures from all sides to make 'important' life decisions and pick our priorities wisely. For South Asians, the pressures are very real and we are here to talk about it. From the sudde…
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In recent years there has been a huge movement around the concept of body positivity and more people are openly talking about the importance of embracing their natural selves. In a world where the the media and large corporations dominate and monetise our insecurities, we recognise that the journey of self-acceptance is one we are all on. In this e…
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Two women with bold brows, just having a chat. Introducing Asha and Mitali, your co-hosts for this brand new podcast where we will be discussing everything from why Kim K is NOT a role model, to how uncomfortable PDA in old Bollywood films is to watch and why there's nothing better than learning to embrace and celebrate your roots whilst bossing it…
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