Mastering the art of making meaningful conversations

WITH more British Asian podcasts than ever before, there is a great variety of shows on offer for avid listeners.

The popular medium is also giving those who have never thought about broadcasting an avenue to express their opinions to a worldwide audience. With all that in mind, Eastern Eye sought out three quality podcasts worth finding. The hosts also offered advice for those wanting to do the same.

Voice It Out

THE Voice It Out podcast, hosted by Shyama Sudra and Amrita Tanna, delves into the journeys of British Asians and the complexities they face with a ‘split identity’. They discuss dilemmas and experiences in a relatable way for listeners to identify with. Both of them discussed their podcast further.

What do you think sets your podcast apart from others?

We want to encourage meaningful conversations, which allow us to talk about being our authentic selves in whatever way we can. And we want to be able to do that through our own and other people’s experiences and perspectives. We are all on our own paths and feel that we can learn from each other in invaluable ways.

Which of your podcasts has been a personal favourite?

I don’t think we could choose just one. We’ve talked about a range of things from women’s guilt in putting themselves first to whether marriage should be seen as an essential life goal (which it mostly is in our culture). We are both at different points in our lives and an essential underlying theme of our first season is to draw from our similarities, but also talk about and respect each other’s differences – in opinion or otherwise.

What advice would you give those who may be wanting to start a podcast?

It’s important to know not to expect an instant audience. Be patient but keep doing your thing.

What can we expect next from you?

Season two is coming. And, as mentioned, it will feature guests who will come and enhance our conversations and add their own unique sparkle to Voice It Out.

What do you think makes for a good podcast?

Good, honest conversations and being as authentic as possible.

The Diverse Bookshelf

The Diverse Bookshelf podcast sees host Samia Aziz interview authors from under-represented communities. The literary fan creates a space to enhance positive representation of minority communities, and to give authors the space to talk openly about their work. Each episode explores what really drives the author, along with exploring themes and issues they write about. Samia explained more.

Samia Aziz

What inspired you to start a podcast?

I’ve been an avid podcast listener for years, and love how deep and wonderful they often are. I really like the idea of having a space to ask questions that are sometimes a bit different, uncomfortable, but always judgement-free. I wanted to create a space where I could interview authors and really dig deep, going far beyond the finished books in our hands.

What has been your most memorable moment so far?  

I’ve been most grateful for the support I initially received when I decided I wanted to start my own podcast. Friends and family rallied around to encourage me. Also, authors, some of whom I had hardly spoken to asking to be interviewed, really showing they believed in me.

Which author would you love to interview?

Like all podcast hosts, I’m sure, I have my own dream list. My list includes Elif Shafak, Zadie Smith, Malorie Blackman and Trevor Noah.

What are your book recommendations for 2023?

2023 has been a great year for books with so many excellent titles hitting the bookshelves. Some of my recommendations from this year are The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff, Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang, Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin and Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris.

What advice would you give those wanting to start a podcast?

You don’t need to know everything about podcasting before starting your own. There are a lot of resources online that can help, and places where you can outsource certain elements if you get stuck. But so much about having your own podcast is learning onthe-go, and figuring out what works for you. In time, you’ll explore more things, learn so much and get into your own rhythm.

Khandaan: A Bollywood Podcast

THE Khandaan: A Bollywood Podcast began five years ago and now has a dedicated audience around the world. It sees Asim Burney, Sujoy Singha, and Amrita Rajan produce and record shows on a weekly basis, giving a unique perspective of Hindi cinema. Asim gave further details on it.

Asim Burney

What inspired the unique name of your podcast? 

  Khandaan: A Bollywood Podcast is a pun – our podcast uses the movies of the three Bollywood Khans (Aamir, Salman, Shah Rukh) to explore Indian cinema. Khandaan means family in Urdu, so we’re a big family of film enthusiasts united by our love for the Khans.

What is the hottest topic people want to talk about in terms of Bollywood?

Bollywood fandom is very star driven, much more than Hollywood even. The fan wars are intense. Mass hysteria generated by star actors is a spectacle unto itself, and there’s always gossip - sometimes silly and harmless. Other times it veers sharply into propaganda and disinformation. This is why our movie reviews spend so much time discussing the context in which these movies are made

What are your film and web recommendations for this year?

In terms of 2023 films, Rocky Aur Ranii Ki Prem Kahaani,was our runaway favourite. We’re looking forward to Animal and Dunki as well. In streaming shows, this has been the year of the cop show - from Dahaad on Amazon Prime to Kohrra on Netflix.

What advice would you like to give those who want to start a podcast?

Consistency is key. You need to figure out your schedule and keep to it. Also, talk to your audience. The love we get from ours and their passion for the movies keeps us going.

Why do you love creating this podcast?

On a personal level, it’s just very good for our mental health. We’ve survived Covid, cancer, losses in the family – things that would have been so much worse if we hadn’t had each other and the larger Khandaan family to help us through. On a macro level, we began this podcast because we wanted a platform to feature Indi[1]an cinema with the love and respect it deserves. With a healthy dollop of humour. We basically created a podcast that we would love to listen to.