Masala Podcast: The South Asian feminist podcast

"But where are you really from?" An episode investigating South Asian identity and belonging.

Do you feel like you belong? And where do you feel like you belong the most? Belonging often gives us a sense of fitting in or feeling like we are part of something bigger, that we really fit in one place more than any other. I’ve often struggled with that sense of belonging – and in this podcast episode I talk about fitting in – or rather not fitting in.

I talk about sitting on a little beach by the Thames in London - and wondering about where was home?

It started me thinking about where we, as immigrants, feels at home.

In this episode, I share how I never quite fit in - whether in India where I spent most of my life or in the UK where I've now spent close to two decades.

This is the latest episode of my new season called Masala Podcast Unfiltered. Where I, your host Sangeet Pillai, will be more raw, more unfiltered. I want to explore the usual Masala Podcast themes: from feminism, motherhood, sex, patriarchy, menopause, bodies, mental health and much more. These short episodes will go deep and personal, using a rich story telling format. Expect evocative stories, taboo topics and thoughtful musings that ask deep questions about what it means to be a South Asian feminist today.

Masala Podcast has won 6 British Podcast Awards, 1 Audio Production Award & the Spotify SoundUp 2018 award. Also featured on giant billboards in New York, London, Dublin, Cardiff & Glasgow.

More about Masala Podcast:

https://www.soulsutras.co.uk/about-masala-podcast/

"Why does resting make me feel guilty?" - Rest feels radical for women, particularly South Asian women. Because we're brought up to work, to serve, to always say yes. We've seen our mothers and grandmothers exhaust themselves endlessly looking after everyone else. And so we normalise being tired, overworked and overwhelmed.

On this episode of Masala Podcast Unfiltered, I talk about going on holiday to Corfu to rest and recover but being unable to fully relax - because my mind kept reminding me of my to-do lists.

I know I'm not alone. Many feminists and South Asian women in particular feel this guilt and inability to really relax. So many women find resting so difficult, because patriarchy and capitalism have us stuck on an endless productivity treadmill.

This feminist podcast is here to tell you that resting is a feminist act. Resting is about preventing burnout. Resting is about self love.

Are you exhausted by the endless to-do lists in your own life? Are you knackered but unable to really, deeply rest? If so, you'll love listening to this feminist podcast episode.

MASALA PODCAST UNFILTERED

This is the second episode of my new season called Masala Podcast Unfiltered. Where I, your host Sangeet Pillai, will be more raw, more unfiltered. I want to explore the usual Masala Podcast themes: from South Asian women, feminism, motherhood, sex, patriarchy, menopause, bodies, mental health and much more. These short episodes will go deep and personal, using a rich story telling format. Expect evocative stories, taboo topics and thoughtful musings that ask deep questions about what it means to be a South Asian feminist today.

Masala Podcast has won 6 British Podcast Awards, 1 Audio Production Award & the Spotify SoundUp 2018 award. Also featured on giant billboards in New York, London, Dublin, Cardiff & Glasgow.

More about Masala Podcast:

https://www.soulsutras.co.uk/about-masala-podcast/

"Where are your kids?" - South Asian women are expected to be mothers, they're told that is the very purpose of being a woman. In fact, society expects all women in all cultures to be mothers.

On this episode of Masala Podcast Unfiltered, I talk about a very personal episode in my life where a stranger stopped me on the street, demanding to know where my kids were.

It started me thinking about how society expects all women to want kids, to have kids.

In this episode, I get very vulnerable, very personal. Because I want us all to talk about the stigma surrounding women like me, who choose to not have kids. Let's also think about women who may not be able to have kids.

Are you tired of the constant pressure on women to be mothers? Do you believe that every woman's choice should be celebrated? If so, you'll love listening to this episode.

MASALA PODCAST UNFILTERED

This is the first episode of my new season called Masala Podcast Unfiltered. Where I, your host Sangeet Pillai, will be more raw, more unfiltered. I want to explore the usual Masala Podcast themes: from feminism, motherhood, sex, patriarchy, menopause, bodies, mental health and much more. These short episodes will go deep and personal, using a rich story telling format. Expect evocative stories, taboo topics and thoughtful musings that ask deep questions about what it means to be a South Asian feminist today.

Masala Podcast has won 6 British Podcast Awards, 1 Audio Production Award & the Spotify SoundUp 2018 award. Also featured on giant billboards in New York, London, Dublin, Cardiff & Glasgow.

More about Masala Podcast:

https://www.soulsutras.co.uk/about-masala-podcast/

Mentioned in this episode:

Girls Will Be Girls Movie

Click link: https://www.modernfilms.com/girlswillbegirls A fab film about mothers and daughters - and the ups and downs of navigating teenage sexuality as a young woman in a boarding school in North India. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.