Cultured, or Nah?

Bollywood, our parents' marriages, Disney movies, Hollywood - all of it would have been enough to throw us into a doozy. How did you think about love and dating growing up? What has changed for you, and what do you hope for now? In this episode, Shabnum sits down with fellow podcasters Lahari Rao (of Down to Brown podcast) and Mitali Dargani (of Brown Game Strong podcast) and the three compare their childhoods, influence of their parents' relationships, what they saw in the media, and the impact of their relatives' perceptions and relationships on their conceptions of love both growing up and now. Travel with us as we talk about our childhoods, our teenage years, our twenties, and how we think about love/relationships now! 

Do you ever feel like our collectivist cultures and all the models we grew up with of what a fulfilling life could be make it seem like not having kids is a strange, or even selfish choice? How do we talk about not wanting kids and still being able to live fulfilling lives without feeling like we're missing out on something or feeling guilty? Listen to this episode where Shabnum and her friend Avani Patel speak candidly about when they started to feel they may not want kids and how they think this choice is perceived by their family members. Shabnum and Avani talk at length about how fulfilling lives without kids weren't really modeled to them, and how as South Asians it's hard to find models for these even today. Not enough is mentioned around the choice to not have kids, and so the two take a moment to really sit in this discussion around all the different thoughts they've had about what kind of life they see themselves living and why we feel we don't hear about this choice enough. 

In this episode, Shabnum compares two books: The Doctor and the Saint - Caste, Race, and the Annihilation of Caste (the Debate Between B.R. Ambedkar and M.K. Gandhi) by Arundhati Roy, and The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander to get a deeper understanding of the way in which we can define caste. Shabnum is no expert in caste, nor someone who has personal experience with any of the issues highlighted, and wants to call that out upfront. This episode is Shabnum's journey through reading the two books mentioned, and sharing her learnings and personal opinions with her audiencel. 

Today we're joined by Payal Shah - Founder & Designer of L'Dezen and Psylish Jewelry, fashion influencer, and Web3/NFT enthusiast! Payal talks through the basics like what even are NFTs? She then proceeds to explain how she has been looking into and experimenting with Web3 and the blockchain to future proof her own business, and why she enjoys the world of NFTs so much. Payal will talk us through an endless world of possibilities when it comes to this space, and even highlight some South Asian artists she specifically likes. I personally learned a lot in this conversation, so if you've ever been curious about NFTs and have been nervous to dive in or feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start, definitely do give this episode a listen! Payal made it all super accessible.  

What do you think when you hear the term "mom"? What do you picture when you picture a desi mom? Taking the previously uncool to cool, we're seeing a new generation of women claiming all aspects of their identity - motherhood, South Asianness, their hobbies, their kids, and everything in between. Today we have on Jyoti Chand (@mamajotes on Instagram) and we talk about how and why the image of what a South Asian mom is has changed. Jyoti talks about her journey as a creator and how she juggles the multiple identities and perceptions that come with being a South Asian woman and mother. Note: the title is a reference to the film Mean Girls, and not in any way meant to diminish the role mothers play in our lives. 

Does your comedy always have to stem from your race / religion / culture? Join us as we talk to Meghana Indurti and Daman Bamrah about how they got started in comedy and what drives them. Meg and Damn will get into the good, the bad, the ugly of comedy and how they think about the content of their sets as they think about talking to different kinds of audiences. 

Publishing a book is no joke - especially one that seeks to tell the stories of South Asian women across the world in all different phases of life - young, old, married, single, divorced, taking care of their mothers or mother-in-laws, maintaining friendships or struggling with the loss of them. Untold did what few other books have been able to do before - collect a series of varied experiences and bring them together to representatively try to present a point of view on the experience of growing up South Asian. In this episode, Shabnum sits down with Trisha Sakhuja-Walia, the founder of Brown Girl Magazine, and editors of Untold Kamini Ramdeen-Chowdhury and Gabrielle Deonath. The group talks about the motivations of starting a book, how and why BGM was started, and the lessons they learned in publishing this anthology. 

Join us as we talk to 3 writers from Brown Girl Magazine's Untold anthology who speak about unique experiences such as the expectations between a daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, caretaking duties as a children of desi parents, and relationships with grandparents abroad. In this episode we'll dive into the relationships that define so much of our lives, and the way the expectations of those relationships are distinctly unique to being South Asian - often serving as extreme counter-types to the relationships we see portrayed in western media. Any relationship between two people is unique, and in this episode Shabnum gets a deeper dive into the relationships and thoughts that inspired each of these writers to write their pieces. Featuring Anita Gulati, Neha Patel, and Radhika Menon. 

Ever been confused by how your parents can hate Trump but support Modi? How do we have difficult and honest conversations on social media given very real potential threats from the governments of South Asian countries, as well as the comment trolls? What started as a conversation about how these two accounts, Urban Asian and South Asian Nation, are working to amplify South Asian voices and building a brand blossomed into a much more important conversation on the importance of being able to amplify the areas of utmost attention in conversations about South Asian matters - but this isn't always easy. The internet can still be a scary place to have an extremely opinionated opinion. Join Shabnum Gulati in conversation with Roshni Patel Vasram (founder of Urban Asian) and Divya Suneji (founder of South Asian Nation). 

How did this happen? What allowed this to happen? And what are the legal arguments that underpin such a momentous decision in American history? Back with a bang, Shabnum comes back for Season 4 with Seema Iyer, a lawyer and journalist with Queens City News as they explore what the legal arguments were that allowed Roe v. Wade to get overturned. Seems explains the fractious history behind America's abortion laws (or lack thereof) and how we are in the situation we're in, as well as what we need to do for the future to ensure that access to abortion is fair and equal for citizens of the USA going forward. 

In this episode Shabnum is joined by Juanita Dudhnath of Brown Girl Magazine as both of them talk through the dark history of indentured servitude that led to Indian migration to the Caribbean, and how four to five generations onward the culture of Indo-Caribbean people has evolved. Juanita explains the term "Coolie," and how it can have both familiar and negative connotations, and she explains the hyphenated identity that Indo-Caribbeans have uniquely lived with for generations when the world is just now starting to normalize a hyphenated identity. We also talked a bit about the perception problem of other South Asian Americans not seeing Indo-Caribbeans as our own, and how the world is changing to enable more of these conversations to be had in order to drive changes in thinking. Host: Shabnum GulatiGuest: Juanita Dudhnath Art: Chelsi Bhagan (@island.childd) on Instagram Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

In this episode, Shabnum interviews Jennifer Williams, Senior Foreign Editor of Vox Media on her journey with religious conversion to Islam. Jennifer grew up Southern Baptist, but through the course of her own work and research, found herself drawn to Islam. The best way to summarize Jen's journey is in her own words: "If you were to pass me on the street, you would never suspect I'm a Muslim: I don't wear hijab. I have platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. And I am heavily tattooed. I grew up in Texas and was raised Southern Baptist. I use the word “y'all” a lot—and not ironically. But I am Muslim. I also speak Arabic and hold a Master's degree in International Security with a focus on terrorism and the Middle East. " Join us in this episode as Shabnum asks Jen about the effect converting religions can have on a person and their sense of identity. Was it easy to fit in after conversion? Did she feel like she was leaving something behind? How did her family take it? What were the hardest parts, and what did she learn about herself that she may not have known before? Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Jennifer Williams Art: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud

Is the American dream for everyone? Does the color you are on the spectrum affect your place in society? In this episode Shabnum talks to Madison Natarajan and Alex Karjeker about their experiences growing up part South Asian. Madison is half white and half Indian, Alex is mixed race with multiple South Asian and part South Asian family members. Both of them talk to us about their experiences growing up and how they came to terms with the many different fragments of their identities. Madison talks through her childhood in which there was more of a "proximity to whiteness" as her father had also struggled with race growing up in America, thus causing her to lean more into her white identity. Alex talks us through how discussions of race and identity, of the inevitable inequity of race in America were discussions his family consistently had at home and how they helped him reconcile his reality growing up. Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Madison Natarajan and Alex Karjeker Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

A lot of us are first generation citizens of western countries where our parents were immigrants. Some of us have been parents for a few years while others are just now embarking on this journey; still others are a few years away. Gen X and Millennial diaspora South Asians are now having to grapple with questions of how we raise our own children: our second generation and sometimes biracial children in today's world where in many ways we have far more opportunities to provide them than ever before, but also brand new questions to tackle on race, feminism, climate change, and health. Additionally, how do we deal with the loss of our own parents and losing a bit of the culture we were raised with as it slips away? In this episode, Shabnum talks to Nikesh Shukla, author of Brown Baby - a memoir of race, family, and home. Nikesh talks us through how he's thinking about many of the questions mentioned above as he documents his thoughts in raising his two young daughters. 

In this episode Shabnum sits down with Unitarian Minister Barbara Merritt, who is working on a collection of poetry from Rumi's Masnavi. She explains the persistence of Sufi poetry in our world and how and why it has survived the test of time. Sufi poetry has transcended organized religions and is widely read and used - the imagery being relatable and the lessons being easy to remember. Rumi is the most widely read poet in America, and Barbara explains why Sufi poetry which originated in the Islamic tradition has since overcome barriers of religion and been adopted by so many across the world. Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Barbara Merritt Art: Hanifa Abdul HameedMusic: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud Bibliography from the show: Doorkeepers of the Heart, Versions of Rabi'a, Charles Upton , Threshold BooksThe Conference of the Birds: Attar, translated by Sholeh  Wolpe, w.w. Norton & CompanyThe Winged Energy of Delight: Selected Translations, (Poems from Europe, Asia and the Americas), Robert Bly, HarperCollinsBulleh Shah, J.R. Puri & T. R Shangari, Radha Soami Satsang BeasThe Essential Rumi, Translations by Coleman Barks and John Moyne, HarperSanFranciscoMystical Poems of Rumi, Translator, A. J Arberry , University of Chicago PressHafez, Translations and Interpretations of the Ghazals, Geoffrey Squires, Miami University Press The Poems of Hafez, translations  by Reza Ordoubadian, Ibex Publishers

In this episode, Shabnum interviews British standup comedian and now book author Tez Ilyas about his book "The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3/4." Cycling through a variety of topics, Tez and Shabnum exchange childhood stories of growing up South Asian (Tez still can't believe Shabnum would use the word "rice" to describe what she's eating for dinner instead of "chawal"). Tez talks about racism in a post-Thatcher Britain, the after effects of 9/11 and the 7/7 attacks, and the effects of American politics on the world. They of course wrap up with more on Man Like Mobeen and the inspiration for the show. You won't want to miss this fun episode that touches on some very important topics about the British South Asian narrative from the hilarious Tez Ilyas! Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Tez Ilyas Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud

Originally recorded for the South Asian Film Festival of America by Product of Culture, in this episode Shabnum & Rajiv take a magnifying glass to Bollywood films throughout time. With an almost academic fervor, they explore the relationship between the Hindi film industry and the Indian government while applying that lens to the tropes we've seen in Bollywood through the 70's - 2010s.  They'll talk through the way India's relationship with the USSR impacted the type of Bollywood hero we saw in the 70s-80s, the way high rates of unemployment at the time landed us with iconic characters such as the ones in Sholay, and the role of globalization going into the 90s impacting much of what we saw in films like DDLJ. They'll also talk through the way body perceptions have changed across time, and when we started seeing the objectification of the male body just as much as the female body in the late 2010's. Don't miss this episode if you're remotely interested in films! Exec Producer & Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Rajiv MenonArt: Nainah HussainMusic: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud Special thank you to Product of Culture

In this episode Shabnum talks to Sabrina Lakhani and Malini Ramakumar Bartels. Sabrina is a behavioral scientist who specializes in helping people learn how best to navigate their own attachment styles in relationships. Having gone through a divorce herself, Sabrina shares the common pitfalls that South Asians may fall into due to cultural expectations and the marriages they would have observed of their own parents growing up. Malini is a 46 year old mother of two who shares more about her own journey growing up as a Gen X South Asian in the 80s and the experiences she's had with friends and family in the wake of her divorce. Both women have many insights to share about how and why divorces are more common than ever before, how they've learned from their own experiences, and why we may not have been able to recruit any men to speak on this episode. This was a fascinating episode of both science and anecdotes, and a definite must listen whether you're in a relationship or not! Executive Producer & Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Sabrina Lakhani and Malini Ramakumar Bartels Art: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

In this episode Shabnum talks to Supraja Seshadri and Darshi Shah in more of an anecdotal episode on their experiences going through the Arranged Marriage process. Supraja is Tamil and Darshi is Gujarati. They both talk through how the process works generally as well as some spicy, hilarious, and sometimes sad tales of the various dates they've been on and how the process has gone for them. This is a long episode, so feel free to skip to parts you'd find most interesting: 0:00-0:30 - Intros, how the process generally works 0:30-1:20- Various tales of arranged marriage prospects, and the various issues that were highlighted throughout 1:20-1:48 - Story of how Supraja met her husband Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Supraja Seshadri Art: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud

In this episode, Shabnum sits down with her friend Khalil currently joining us from Ramallah, Palestine and they both explore the similarities between the Israeli/Palestinian and Indian/Pakistani conflict. Taking the stance that dividing countries up on religious grounds has not turned out to be the "clean" solution it may appear to be on paper, Khalil and Shabnum talk through family stories of the respective partitions and how the conflicts have a few features in common: colonization by the United Kingdom, a colonial empire falling apart in the wake of World War II, and a two state solution to carve out a religious state. Khalil also talks about his experiences of growing up in Palestine, and what the situation is like on the ground right now. Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Khalil A. Art: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

In this episode, Shabnum sits down with Navpreet Sachdev (Nav the Poet) and Jaydeep Singh Ugra to talk about how being Sikh plays a role in one's understanding of identity. As a minority group within India as well as in the West, and given the Sikh community's at times strained relationship with the Indian government, we explore how being Sikh can sometimes be alienating from the identity of being "Indian", yet more intertwined with the cultural identity of "Punjabi." Jay and Nav tell us about their experiences growing up Sikh in the UK and US, and as a not-turbaned and turbaned Sikh respectively. Host: Shabnum GulatiGuests: Navpreet Sachdev and Jaydeep Singh Ugra Illustration: Hanifa Abdul HameedMusic: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

In this episode, Shabnum is joined by esteemed film director Faraz Arif Ansari. Faraz has worked on numerous Bollywood projects, and most recently is known for their internationally award winning short film Sisak, Netflix's the Big Day, and their film Sheer Qorma (to be released later this year). Faraz and Shabnum talk about what's changing or not changing fast enough to allow for more queer representation in South Asian mainstream media, and how much further we still have to go. Faraz talks about their own journey coming out as a queer Muslim that is gender non-binary, and how they've learned that acceptance is not a destination, but a journey. We talk about the overlaps between faith and gender identity, between culture and gender identity, and culture and religion. Join us for this deep conversation on how we can come to celebrate our gender and sexual identities despite the pressures of society and culture! Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Faraz Arif Ansari Illustration: Hanifa Abdul HameedMusic: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud 

If you are Indian American, dancing is more than just a "hobby." It's a blood sport. How someone hasn't already made a reality TV show about the national Bollywood, Bhangra, and Raas competitions we all end up doing is a mystery to me (consider this my pitch, Netflix). Recently, on the Cultured, or Nah? story I posted a poll to ask if Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are also as into dancing as Indians. The results that came in explored a lot of nuance that goes back to how dance in India originally started, and the history of dance in itself. Most classical dances of India pre-date Jesus Christ! In this fascinating conversation, Shabnum sits down with Sudha Grover and Rohit Gijare to understand the history of Indian classical dance, the cultural spillover (or lack thereof) into Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, and the reasons why dance as a phenomenon has pervaded Indian Americans disproportionately to other Indians around the world! Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Sudha Grover, Rohit Gijare Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud 

Is there a racial hierarchy when it comes to dating outside of our community? How difficult would it be to go against the 20-30 years of conditioning we've all had on what an acceptable partner looks like? And how does religion add in a third layer where most in the West only struggle with the "interracial" aspect of a mixed marriage? These are the questions Shabnum explores on this week's episode with Zara, Angie, and Tej. Zara is a British Pakistani woman from the UK who fell in love with a white British man from a Christian family. Zara tells us about navigating religion and marriage as a Desi and as a Muslim when these aspects of her identity were very important to her. Angie is Chinese American, and Tej is Indian American and the two talk about breaking the news to their own families while navigating how Sikhism fits into the picture. This episode is a really important one in understanding how Desis all over the world are for the first point in time breaking the established notion of what a successful marriage must look like on such a large scale . Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Zara Hadid, Angie Fu, Tej Dhillon Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

In this episode Shabnum is joined by Rajiv Menon, a producer working in LA with a PhD from NYU in Masculinity and Global Pop Culture. Shabnum and Rajiv talk through a series of issues in our understanding of what Toxic Masculinity is today - starting with the question, "What is Toxic Masculinity?" We will deep dive into how a seemingly buzzworded concept can actually provide a rich vocabulary with which to have meaningful discussions on how masculinity, when purported in negative ways, can become harmful to both men and women in a society. We will also talk about how both men and women have to work together to combat a toxic form of masculinity, and how South Asian men in the west consistently facing the uphill battle of an emasculated identity coming from characters such as Apu on the Simpsons need to balance that identity with the identity of the "provider" or the "dutiful son" being thrown at them from their South Asian families. Join us in this discussion as we explore the challenges of being a South Asian male, and the role all of us have to play in making sure we are expressing masculinity in healthy ways. Host: Shabnum GulatiGuest: Rajiv MenonIllustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud  

In this episode, Shabnum is joined by Masterchef star, author, and celebrated Instagram blogger Hetal Vasavada on the unique place food holds in our culture. Desis have a complicated relationship with food. We all know that our mothers and grandmothers will force feed us until we're about to explode, but are also the same women that will berate us for gaining weight. What we don't always talk about though is the social capital that food has in our culture. There are certain gender norms associated with food, and food is distributed as a means of celebration - often in a way that has a debt associated to it. We also cover on the episode how food for Desis usually goes beyond social into the realm of political capital. Indian Independence is owed in large part to a series of hunger strikes, and hunger striking as a means of political protest is a custom that continues to this day. We also say a lot with food by using it as a means of ascertaining caste or religion. Join us in this conversation as we explore the many ways in which food holds more than just nutritional value for us! Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Hetal Vasavada Illustration: Hanifa Abdul HameedMusic: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud 

Just as with Hollywood, the fiction landscape is changing rapidly! Just this year, we had a series of books by South Asian authors hit the literary landscape and make waves throughout the world. In this episode, Shabnum sits down with Alka Joshi, author of "The Henna Artist," and Saumya Dave, author of "Well Behaved Indian Women." Both of these pieces of work came out in 2020, are works of fiction that feature almost all South Asian characters and families, and explore the role of the South Asian woman and all that is expected of her. This is true in Joshi's "The Henna Artist," a historical fiction book set in 1950s India, and Dave's "Well Behaved Indian Women," set in modern day America. It's striking how much similarity there is in what the characters face despite the different settings of each book.  Alka and Saumya both discuss the inspirations for their work as well as what is causing the widening of the publishing market that we are seeing today, allowing for more South Asian authors to tell stories from their perspective, and to talk about history from a perspective that is not just European. Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Alka Joshi, Saumya Dave Illustration: Hanifa Abdul HameedMusic: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

In the first episode of Season 2, Shabnum sits down with Faiza Gul and Jibran Ahmed to talk about the factors that contributed to Pakistani migration to the UK, a demographic that is much more sizable in comparison to Pakistani immigrants to the US. We talk about how and why so many Pakistanis moved to the UK in the 60s - 80s, the racism they faced, and a deeper look into some of the nuanced issues that British Pakistanis face in their own community. We will talk about the relationship of different South Asian groups to each other in the UK, and look to sort some of the myth from fact we hear in the media about the British Pakistani experience.Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Faiza Gul, Jibran Ahmed Illustration: Hanifa Abdul HameedMusic: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud   

SEASON 1 FINALE! Thank you all so much for being loyal listeners! Can't believe we're already at the last episode of Season 1! In this episode, Shabnum talks to Priyanka Ganjoo, Pritika Gupta, and Seerat Saini about the evolving and widening beauty space as it relates to representation for South Asian women. Priyanka and Pritika are the CEO / Founder and Head of Partnerships of Kulfi Beauty, a budding beauty brand focused specifically on South Asian skin tones and undertones. Seerat is a fashion and beauty influencer and one of the co-founders of Brown Girl Memes who has been blogging about feminism and representation in the beauty space for a few years now. Priyanka and Pritika tell us all about the mission of Kulfi, and why creating these products are more important now than ever. The four of us discuss the hard lessons learned about starting a South Asian focused beauty brand in 2020 - the challenges the Kulfi team faced in getting funding for what was considered a "niche" market, grappling with the pandemic while trying to get a business off the ground, and what needs to change in the beauty space to allow for more women to feel comfortable in their own skin. Seerat tells us about her journey as a blogger talking about problems in the beauty space that aren't always talked about in the public arena, and the experiences that inspired her to take centerstage on supporting South Asian focused beauty brands. Check out the episode and let us know what you think! Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Priyanka Ganjoo and Pritika Gupta of Kulfi Beauty, Seerat Saini Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkIN on SoundCloud 

In this episode we discuss the Golden Age of South Asian content that we seem to be enjoying in America. Shabnum and Khan talk to Sujata Day, (as seen on Insecure and Awkward Black Girl)  who tells us about her latest venture writing/directing/producing Definition Please, and by Rajiv Menon, a producer that's had a windy path to a job in entertainment but loves to bridge the gap between South Asian and North American content. We talk about what kind of content inspired us all growing up to do what we do now, and how the small pieces of South Asian focused content that see the light of day have to carry the unfair burden of representing all of us. There's space for all of us in this industry, so when are we going to see the South Asian Barry Jenkins, Ava DuVernay, Christopher Nolan? We talk about the troubles of playing an Indian character in America, and how it would be difficult to get cast if you "didn't look Indian enough," and yet struggled to get cast in anything mainstream. However, the tide is definitely turning, and we explore what role streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu have played. We really hope you join us on this journey, as we covered the gamut of South Asian content having its heyday today.  Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Sujata Day, Rajiv Menon, Khan Asghar Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on SoundCloud 

Perhaps our most important episode yet. There's a lot that comes with the identities of being Hindu and Muslim that we don't always discuss. Shabnum, Razib, and Khan discuss how deeply the religions are intertwined with our culture, since for desis culture and religion are deeply coupled in a way that is less common in the West. Razib and Khan will delve into tales from their childhood about coming to understand what Islam is, and the different interpretations of what the principles of Islam are by different ethnic groups of people. Shabnum will talk about how she and so many other Hindus she knows have trouble accepting an identity of Hindu because the term was always ambiguous to begin with, and people practice it differently. Saying you're Hindu fundamentally comes with less clarity on actual practices and beliefs than saying you're Muslim. We will dive into the historical events that have shaped modern perspectives of both Hinduism and Islam. We at Cultured, or Nah? truly believe that greater understanding and mutual respect can be engendered by having an open dialogue, and this is just one of the many conversations we feel that we as desis don't have enough and with as much depth as we should. Follow us on Instagram @culturedornahHost: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Khan Asghar, Razib Khan Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkIN on SoundCloud 

One of the most vibrant aspects of our culture is our fashion - our fine textiles, our rich and colorful fabrics, and the unique cuts of our clothes that separate South Asian couture into a class of its own. It's no secret that even our couture has evolved to meet the modern world - not just in the actual styles, but in the way the fashion is consumed and distributed. Remember when we would have to travel across oceans to go back home, haggle in alleyways, and trust the tailors to ship our precious cargo back to us - all while praying it fits? We're very happy to say, those days are almost completely behind us. In the digital age, many brands are working to make South Asian fashion easier for all of us. In this episode, Shabnum talks to an Indian American fashion icon, Megha Rao. Megha is the Founder and Designer of HoliCHIC by Megha, a brand that pioneered being a digital-first South Asian fashion brand. Shabnum and Megha talk about how even though Indo-Western fashion has been around for a while, what we're seeing is a budding of styles that feel authentically fusion in a way that wasn't possible before children of the diaspora came of age. Megha also tells us about her biggest challenge yet - being a fashion brand in a pandemic, and how the ideas that came to her helped the brand meet its customers where they are in time, and in the trendiest way possible. Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Megha Rao Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkIN on SoundCloud 

It's no secret that the next billion people to come on the internet are going to come from developing countries: likely South Asia. What is the role of India and Pakistan on the tech world stage today? In this episode, Shabnum (Product Manager at Facebook and host of Cultured, or Nah?), Faizan (Founder of Halo and Head of BD at Lyft Media), and Charlie (Chief Architect at Mettle) have a discussion on what the West needs to watch out for in tech when it comes to India/Pakistan. We'll talk about the Jio Phone and its revolutionary effect of bringing the millions of Indians onto the internet for the first time, the valuations on startups we're seeing in Pakistan, and what principles of technology both emerging markets should keep in mind. This is a power packed episode with lots of topics: everything from Jio, WhatsApp Pay, Amazon vs Flipkart, Careem, Zameen, and everything in between. Note: All of the opinions presented in this episode are of the podcasters themselves, and not of the companies they work for. All information talked about in the episode is public information, and none of us are speaking on behalf of our companies. Host: Shabnum Gulati Guests: Faizan Bhatty, Head of BD at Lyft Media & Charlie Wood, Chief Architect at Mettle Music: AnAkkIn on SoundCloud 

In this episode, Shabnum interviews Dr. Swarna Rajagopalan, founder of Prajnya Trust and a political activist currently working with the UN whose life's work on gender violence helps to provide a great deal of perspective on why gender violence is such a problem in India and South Asia as a whole. Shabnum and Dr. Rajagopalan will talk through what has or hasn't changed in the understanding of femininity and masculinity in India, the portrayal of sexual assault in Indian cinema, and how most of the issue boils down to an issue of patriarchy. They will also talk through how the language we use to define instances of sexual assault put the onus of the event on the victim, and how we should be addressing these issues going forward. This is one of the most important episodes we've recorded, and we think these are conversations that we need to have as a culture. Trigger warning: the episode mentions rape and quotes the India's Daughter documentary on the 2012 Nirbhaya case. Host: Shabnum Gulati Guest: Dr. Swarna Rajagopalan, Prajnya Trust Art: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud 

In this episode, Khan and Shabnum explore the nuances in Desi groups when it comes to academics - we all know the pressure to perform academically for all Asian groups is quite high, but what accounts for the differences in actual results? We explore why different sub-groups of South Asians have materially different performances in UK GCSE exams, and what potential causes for these differences might be. In the second half of the episode we're also joined by fitness titleholder and influencer Nika Sedghi, who shares her own journey of balancing academic success and her fitness dream: her stints on TV competitions doing 720 lb leg presses and how she met Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, all while balancing her day job as a mechanical engineer. Host: Shabnum Gulati Regular Contributor: Khan Asghar Guest: Nika Sedghi Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-77559481

Everything you need to know about the upcoming 2020 US Elections, and everything South Asians had to do with them. Ever wondered about the rising significance of South Asians in America as a voter demographic? Or about the increasing number of South Asians we see running for political office? We're gonna talk about all of it. We're also going to touch on the role of the South Asian community in a major referendum like Brexit in the UK. This is a power packed episode, so here is your guide to navigating it as you see fit! 0:00 - 12:00~: Intros & Motivations to work in Elections 12:00 - 20:30~: The uniqueness of the current election and problems with democratic procedures in the US as they are today 20:30 - 40:00~: The role of South Asians as a Voter Demographic in Elections in US/UK 40:00 - 59:00~: Highlights on South Asian candidates 59:00 - 1:03: How to vote and wrap up Host: Shabnum Gulati Regular Contributor: Khan Asghar Guest: Rajan Narang - Director of State and Local Campaigns, End Citizens United Illustration: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-77559481Disclaimers: We have taken a snippet from Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act in this recording, and Tomi Lahren's video. We in no way own this content and don't claim to. 

Join Shabnum and Khan in conversation with Manal Mirza and Hanifa Abdul Hameed, two exceptional, rising South Asian artists. We'll talk about the changes in landscape that have allowed the proliferation of South Asian art we see today, how art can be a medium to express opinions that may otherwise seem controversial, and what bothers us about the portrayal of South Asians in the media. Host: Shabnum Gulati Regular Contributor: Khan Asghar Guests: Manal Mirza, Hanifa Abdul Hameed Illustration: Hanifa Abdul HameedMusic: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-77559481 

Meet Shabnum and Khan as we talk about what it was like to grow up as an Indian in the US and as a Pakistani in the UK. We're going to cover why filling out the race form was so hard growing up, what it means to be "Asian", and how the different immigration patterns of our respective countries have shaped the way American Desis and British Desis are so different. Did you know that the highest recipients of H1B visas in the US are Indians? Or that immigration to the UK from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh started post-Partition in the wake of WW2? These differences have led to the varied stories of the diaspora across the West today. Did you know that "Asian" in the US generally refers to East Asian, but in the UK it refers to South Asian? In this episode we'll ponder some of these differences. This is our intro episode, and we're looking forward to introducing ourselves to you and sharing our stories. Let us know some of your own through our Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook! Exec Producer & Host: Shabnum Gulati Regular Contributor: Khan Asghar Illustrations by: Hanifa Abdul Hameed Music: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-77559481

Cultured, or Nah? is a podcast about understanding and challenging some of the truisms we've come to believe are inherent in desiness. In this trailer, get a sense of what Shabnum and Khan will talk about throughout the season. We'll cover a range of topics: everything from the rise of South Asian art on Instagram, to gender violence in India. From the role of South Asians in US and UK elections, to the increasing visibility of South Asian stories told by South Asians in the mainstream media. We can't wait to go on this journey with you! Host: Shabnum Gulati Regular Contributor: Khan Asghar Featured Guests in Trailer: Manal Mirza, Rajan Narang, Rajiv Menon, Sujata Day, Swarna RajagopalanMusic: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/user-77559481