Masala Podcast: The South Asian feminist podcast
bySoul Sutras
EducationSelf-ImprovementSocietyCulturePersonalJournals
This multi-award-winning South Asian feminist podcast is all about cultural taboos. Everything from sex, sexuality, periods, menopause, porn, mental health, shame, sexual harassment & more. Considered the biggest South Asian feminist podcast representing the voices & views of South Asian women, exploring intersectional feminism from a South Asian lens, Masala Podcast features some of the world's most inspiring South Asian women. Masala Podcast is the winner of multiple British Podcast Awards 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023. Masala Podcast has been featured in the Guardian, BBC Radio, the Observer, Evening Standard, Cosmopolitan, Stylist, Eastern Eye, Huffington Post, BBC Sounds, Brown Girl Magazine, Women’s Health Austria, Deccan Herald In...
Episodes(40 episodes)
E64 - Stop waiting & start owning your pleasure
The Pleasure is All Yours: Stop Waiting & Start Owning Your FireWhy is female pleasure still the ultimate taboo? In our community, we talk about marriage, children, and duty—but we rarely talk about a woman’s right to her own sexual satisfaction.This week on the Masala Podcast, we’re exploring the psychology of pleasure and the biology of bliss. This episode is a deep dive into sexual agency—the radical idea that you are the primary driver of your own enjoyment. We are moving past the silence and into a space of embodied empowerm...
Published: Jan 24, 2026Duration: 20:04
E63 - 5 things you must know about Trauma Healing
Trauma Healing: It's more than just therapyFor most of my life, I thought being a "strong" South Asian woman meant carrying my burdens in silence. I thought if I just worked harder, ignored the tightness in my chest, and kept moving, the ghosts of the past would stay where they belonged.But our bodies don't forget.In this week’s episode, I’m being super vulnerable to talk about trauma—not as a clinical term, but as a lived experience. I'm sharing the moments I felt broken, the exhaustion of a constantly "on-edg...
Published: Dec 30, 2025Duration: 22:33
E63 - 5 things you must know about Trauma Healing
Trauma Healing: It's more than just therapyFor most of my life, I thought being a "strong" South Asian woman meant carrying my burdens in silence. I thought if I just worked harder, ignored the tightness in my chest, and kept moving, the ghosts of the past would stay where they belonged.But our bodies don't forget.In this week’s episode, I’m being super vulnerable to talk about trauma—not as a clinical term, but as a lived experience. I'm sharing the moments I felt broken, the exhaustion of a constantly "on-edg...
Published: Dec 30, 2025Duration: 22:33
E62 - Mothers & Daughters: Heal The Wound, Break the Cycle
Can you ever truly be a "good" daughter while staying true to yourself?In this episode: understand the the Mother Wound, learn how to stop passing it on.The bond between a mother and daughter is often described as sacred, but for so many of us, it's a complex battlefield of unspoken expectations, inherited trauma, and deep-seated guilt. In this raw and revealing episode of the Bad Daughter miniseries, I get vulnerable, revealing my own pain around my mother - so you can understand yourself better and start exploring how to heal your own mother-daugher...
Published: Dec 18, 2025Duration: 18:13
E61 - Good Girl or Bad Daughter: who are you?
Masala Podcast is back with the Bad Daughter miniseries. Where we carry on exploring taboo topics, have provocative conversations and challenge patriarchy. Let's go!GOODBYE GOOD GIRL, HELLO BAD DAUGHTER!Are you constantly editing yourself, tweaking yourself, minimising yourself to fit into what the world wants you to be? In this episode, I’ll be exploring Good Girl vs Bad Daughter. In fact, we're throwing the good girl script out the window. Because I promise you, when we own our Bad Daughter self - that’s when we really start living our lives. Are you read...
Published: Dec 4, 2025Duration: 16:44
E60 - Tantra & Kamasutra: It's not about sex positions
Tantra and Kamasutra secrets - plus Three Interactive Sensual MeditationsSPICY LIVE EPISODE WITH TANTRA & KAMASUTRA EXPERTS, RECORDED AT LONDON PODCAST FESTIVAL Explore the power of pleasure and learn how to tap into own your own body’s innate sensuality.Hint: it’s not about sex positions.Learn Tantra and Kamasutra secrets - plus Three Interactive Meditations to activate your sensuality! All, in one super spicy Masala Podcast episode recorded in front of a live audience at the London Podcast Festival 2023. Meet my two amazing pleasure warrior guests: Tantra Sexu...
Published: Dec 19, 2024Duration: 1:14:50
E59 - Feminism: can I ask a man to fix my mice problem?
"Can I be a feminist and ask a man to get rid of mice?" An fun, light hearted episode asking questions about feminism. And mice infestations.Are you a strong feminist? Are you proud of what you've achieved? I know that I am. I own my own house, I pay my own bills, I buy my own jewellery. But when a mouse crept into my bedroom - I suddenly wanted a man to come get rid of it. In this episode, I talk about being a strong feminist and yet screeching like a little girl...
Published: Dec 5, 2024Duration: 10:53
E58 - Belonging & Identity: South Asians, where is home?
"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...
Published: Oct 24, 2024Duration: 11:37
E57 - Feminism & Resting: South Asian women, let's reclaim rest
"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...
Published: Oct 10, 2024Duration: 15:11
E56 - South Asian Motherhood: it's not for all women
"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...
Published: Sep 26, 2024Duration: 12:16
E55 - Fargo/Never Have I Ever Star Richa Moorjani on South Asian Beauty
Richa Moorjani on South Asian Beauty & Identity: S5, Ep 13Never Have I Ever & Fargo star Richa Moorjani is talking with me, Sangeeta Pillai, host of Masala Podcast!I'm thrilled to share my conversation with the exceptionally talented Richa Moorjani. We talk about challenging beauty standards, about the importance of representation, about our dual identities as South Asian women living in the West – and so much more. American actress Richa Moorjani hails from a South Asian family deeply rooted in music, her life filled with melodies and rhythms since her childhood. Her mother is a sin...
Published: Feb 6, 2024Duration: 40:11
E54 - South Asian Feminism: why do we need this podcast? Guest host Melanie Chandra interviews Sangeeta
Why I became a South Asian feminist activist: Guest Sangeeta Pillai: S5 Ep 12 In this extra-special episode, Masala Podcast creator Sangeeta Pillai becomes the guest. She is interviewed by Hollywood actor & producer Melanie Chandra about the importance of South Asian feminism. Sangeeta talks about her own personal and painful experiences growing up in the Mumbai slums with an alcoholic, abusive father. She talks about seeing her mother and other South Asian women being treated badly, which inspired her to become a feminist activist. Sanegeta also talks about why it’s important for women and girls to have safe space...
Published: Dec 15, 2023Duration: 38:39
E53 - Racism & Books: Can we fight racists with words?
Author Mira Jacob on Fighting Racism with Books: S5 Ep 11 Mira Jacob is a novelist, memoirist, illustrator and cultural critic. Her graphic memoir, 'Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations,' was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award, longlisted for the Pen Open Book Award, nominated for three Eisner awards, and named a New York Times notable book, as well as a Best Book of the Year by Time, Esquire, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal. Mira's writing and drawings have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, Literary Hub, Guernica, Vol. 1 a...
Published: Nov 9, 2023Duration: 54:55
E52 - Comedy & depression: Can jokes help mental health? With Aparna Nancherla
Comedian Aparna Nancherla on Depression & Jokes: S5 Ep 10 Aparna Nancherla is an LA-based comedian, actor and writer who performs all over the US and worldwide. Her TV stand-up appearances include Netflix's 'The Standups,' HBO's 'Two Dope Queens,' and Comedy Central's 'The Half Hour.' Aparna was also a series regular on Comedy Central's 'Corporate,' and appeared many times on HBO's 'Crashing.'She's also made late-night appearances on 'The Late Late Show with James Corden' and 'Late Night with Stephen Colbert.'Aparna's book of personal essays called 'Unreliable Narrator' i...
Published: Nov 2, 2023Duration: 52:20
E51 - Saris in Hollywood: Mean Girls Star Avantika Vandanapu
At just 18, Avantika is already a force as a well-known Hollywood actor and producer. She was the first ever Indian American lead in the Disney Channel Original Movies 'Spin'. She was named in Variety’s Young Hollywood 'Up Next' list in 2021. Avantika plays a lead role in the Sony Screen Gems feature 'Horoscope'. Avantika also starred opposite Rebel Wilson in a #1 movie on Netflix, Senior Year. She is also starring as 'Karen' in the Paramount feature 'Mean Girls Musical', for executive producers Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels.She is also currently developing a TV series adaptation of the New York...
Published: Oct 26, 2023Duration: 59:06
E50 - NASA's female South Asian aerospace engineer!
Tanya Gupta was a NASA aerospace engineer, a childhood dream for so many of us and Tanya made it happen. She worked on a prototype aircraft, which now sits at the Smithsonian, and she also owns a software patent with Kennedy Space Centre.Born in the UK, she and her family moved to the US and spent some time in India too, all of which informs her work.These days, Tanya calls herself a New York based art director, multimedia artist and content creator. In 2021, Tanya became the first Indian American to join the Adobe...
Published: Oct 19, 2023Duration: 52:35
E49 - Beauty rituals: South Asian skincare secrets from Ayurveda
S5 EP7Michelle shares her beauty secrets as the founder of Ranavat, a skin and hair care brand, based on age-old Ayurvedic traditions. Leveraging her expertise in the pharmaceutical industry and her background in engineering, Michelle honors her South Asian heritage to create a line of beautiful skin and hair treatments.Founded in 2017, Ranavat became the first Ayurvedic skincare brand to launch at the iconic retailer Sephora. And is now even available at Harrods.Michelle's journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur is so grounded in her South Asian culture and is super inspiring.<...
Published: Oct 12, 2023Duration: 48:09
E48 - Diversity in Hollywood: Stories about minorities with "Code Black" star Melanie Chandra
Melanie Chandra on Diversity & Equality in Hollywood: S5 EP6Melanie Chandra is an award-winning actress and producer passionate about bringing more empathy to this world through her work. She uses her platforms both on-screen and behind the camera to share powerful and diverse stories about women and minorities.I loved chatting with Melanie Chandra, we discovered our common Kerala heritage and explored our journeys towards our cultural identities. Melanie Chandra is best known for her role on the CBS drama Code Black. I also loved Mel in the hilarious comedy central movie, Hot Mess Holiday, wh...
Published: Oct 5, 2023Duration: 1:02:05
E47 - Sustainable & ethical fashion with Fendi, Gucci & Dior photographer
Tanya Ravichandran, making waves with sustainable fashion: S5 EP5Tanya Ravichandran is just 21 years old and incredibly wise.She is the South Asian creator, director and photographer making waves in the fashion and beauty industries. Tanya was photographing campaigns for well-known brands by the age of 15.She has amassed over one and a half million followers across TikTok and Instagram. Some of Tanya's recent partnerships include Fendi, Gucci, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Farfetch and many more.She has also been featured in Vogue India, Harper's Bazaar, and Coveteur to name a few.<...
Published: Sep 28, 2023Duration: 57:10
E46 - Women & money: breaking the taboo around female wealth
Reshma Saujani On Why Women Need Money: S5 EP4Reshma Saujani is a leading activist and the founder of Girls Who Code as well as founder and CEO of Moms First (formerly Marshall Plan for Moms.Reshma began her career as an attorney and Democratic organizer. In 2010, she surged onto the political scene as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress.Reshma has spent more than a decade building movements to fight for women and girls’ economic empowerment, working to close the gender gap in the tech sector. Most re...
Published: Sep 21, 2023Duration: 49:42