Fursat Feminism: A conversation podcast

Can loitering go beyond being just an act? Can it be a way of life?Our 'aawara aurat' Isha joins us in this episode to crack open a theme that we've all lived and experienced in more ways than one. She speaks about how she has come to the act of loitering, and how deeply it now sits in her bones and her spirit. We unpack the many ways in which we have loitered - physically, mentally, virtually - and how it is a heady cocktail only when the right elements come together. The conversation, much like the theme, loiters aimlessly and joyously into several pockets of laughter, epiphany and even makes a pitstop at some poetry.Write to us on fursatfeminism@gmail.com and share with us how you have loitered. In mind, body, and spirit.

What is with 'men's' and 'women's' haircuts being priced differently? What's gender got to do with it?Shraddha brings the incisive questions and the unabashed laughs to this deep dive into our relationships with hair. They help us dig through memory files to pull out the times when our hair was hopelessly entangled with identity, gender, caste, policing and shame - and yet became a tool of coping and subversion. We talk cultural appropriation, share horror stories from salons to schools, and land on some important epiphanies. Listen in and write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com as we hurtle towards the end of season one. Is there anything you'd like to ask any of the season one guests so far? Send off allll the questions!

In a world so set on isolating us, why is it that we still seek to live alone?Tasaffy joins us on this breezy episode to chat about the inexplicable joys of the decision to live alone, and the complicated feelings that surround it. We etch around emptiness, loneliness, and aloneness, swapping stories from Gujarat to Dhaka of renting homes, running them, and every self-appointed guardian along the way. How have we tried to define the terms of our aloneness? How have we had to change them? How have the structures around us sought to make this harder? Why does mental health always poop on the best laid plans? Join us as we attempt to answer the truly unanswerables. And email us your own attempts at fursatfeminism@gmail.com.

In a world of prescribed lines and restricted zones what does it mean for women to bend the rules and leave their mark in spaces- virtual, real and intellectual? In our second Gujarati episode, our dear friend Sonal (or Sonbai as we like to call her) joins us to share her own journey of breaking free and claiming her life. Stepping out of locked doors, securing the 'unconventional' job, having a cup of tea at the tapri, exploring the town on a bike, wearing goggles or sitting on the terrace for hours on end. Claiming spaces for work, identity or just leisure is a rollercoaster ride and in this episode, we share the joy being 'bigdi auratein' together has brought us. Join us and share your stories of bending the rule book and taking over your space on fursatfeminism@gmail.comપિતૃસત્તાના બંધનો માં બંધાયેલી દુનિયા માં ખરેખર પોતાની જગ્યા બનાવી શકાય ખરી?આ એપિસોડ માં સોનબાઇ - અમારી બેનપણી અને નારીવાદી સાથી - અમારી સાથે તેમના પરિવાર, સમુદાય અને સંગઠન માં જગ્યા બનાવવાના અનુભાવો લઈને જોડાયા. તો આવો, સાંભળો અમારી વાતો, અમારી જગ્યા બનાવવાના સંઘર્ષ અને જગ્યા મેળવવાની ખુશી. 

How have we, as a species, managed to find life on other planets and yet not cracked the secret to well-fitting bras?Aashika dons a triple cap this episode - that of lingerie designer, historian and feminist - to join us for a fun, candid, complete no-holds-barred discussion on boobs, 'intimates' and fashion. Why were all of our first bra experiences so cringey? Why do we still use a two-dimensional measuring system for a three-dimensional gland? How deeply does history inform our lingerie and fashion choices?  Between the male gaze and a 52-week-fashion cycle, we try to locate our agency with clothing and style, and when we feel and don't feel 'fashionable'. Its a rollick of an episode through everything that felt too hush-hush even five years ago.Listen to us, and tell us what you think! Write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com with thots, memes and everything in the middle. 

Is being a supermom a compliment or just an indictment of structures that have let us down?Charvi - a dear friend and doting mother - sheds her therapist hat to joins us this week on an honest, vulnerable episode about motherhood - how it's shaped us, and how we are trying to shape it. Whether we have chosen or not to have children, we realise there are similar threads of guilt, de-pedestaling and reclamation that frame all of our journeys with the idea of motherhood. We try to disentangle the places where motherhood, womanhood and 'perfect families' intersect, trying to simultaneously break down our own myths of the women that 'have it all'. Our own experiences of loss, forming kinships of choice, and navigating the question of 'when is the next one due?' shape what is hopefully a conversation starter about all the not-so-glamorous parts about motherhood and the non-binary nature of 'will I have a child?'Write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com with your own thoughts, feelings, or just plain memes. They are all received with glee and gratefulness.

'Sometimes I think I am not Muslim enough for my family, and not Indian enough for this country'Nisrin brings vulnerability and a quiet power to this overdue conversation as she takes us through how she has navigated her identity as a Muslim woman in a world constantly seeking to remind her that she doesn't belong. From being an 11-year-old during the Godhra riots, to being a 16-year-old exchange student in post-9/11 America, to the trappings of corporate workspaces in Gujarat - she breaks down, with heartbreaking candor, what it feels like to move through a world that doesn't account for you. We also take different vantage points to similar events, examining what it means to be a part of the majority - how that shapes you, and the arrogance of the 'big picture' conversation.इंसान अपनी ही प्रजाति को अल्पसंख्यक घोषित करने की अद्भुत कला रखते हैं।  जब हर मौके पर और हर प्रकार से याद दिलाया जाए की आप हमारे नहीं हैं - हमारे जैसे नहीं है।  यह कुछ आपके जन्म से ही तय किया जा चुका है और कुछ आपके रहन सहन, विचारों और निर्णयों से तय किया जाएगा। तो फिर कैसा होता है अल्पसंख्यक हो कर जीना?हर समय कमतर होने के एहसास के साथ पहचाने चेहरों के बीच किसी अनजान डर से घिरे रहना? और इन सब के बीच कहीं नई पहचान बनाने की कोशिश। कई सारे झकझोर देने वाले अनुभव और कठिन सवालों से भरा ये एपिसोड निसरीन के नाम।

Why are feminists always so angry?With the incredible Evanne in our corner this week, we shake off our midseason break with an episode and a topic we have all been dying to talking about: anger.  In the muddled, interchangeable societally endowed labels of passion, aggression, violence, and rage, we start to locate our histories with anger, and how we have come to a place of acceptance and reclamation when it comes to the 'angry woman' tag. We speak about what safe, caring, collective spaces of anger feel like, how completely ridiculous it is to equate the anger of the oppressed and the oppressor, and how states and corporations are weaponising anger. It is, it should go without saying by now, an episode that contains every feeling other than the one we're carefully dissecting.We end with what is probably the most delightful story of how Evanne found her way to the podcast. Listen in and write to us with what you think. :) 

What have your favourite episodes been?How do I start my own podcast?Following an intense mapping of our podcasting journey in part one, the second part of the mid-season episode tackles a super fun rapid fire sent in by one of the listeners. We spar, we pick favourites (but not really), and we bask in the reflected awesomeness of our guests. We also pick our most memorable moments across this journey, somewhere finding a beat to reflect on why podcasting felt like such an out-of-body experience to begin with. We also tell you about all the hardware and software we use and the expenses of running a podcast. So first time listeners and podcasters, this might be just the introduction you need. To our podcast and to the podcasting world in general!पार्ट-२ तक पहुंचने के लिए बधाइयां!! :) अब कुछ चटपटे सवालों का जवाब सुनिए!  हमारी एक श्रोता ने हमें कुछ मजेदार रैपिड फायर प्रश्न दिए हैं और हमने पूरी कोशिश की है ईमानदारी से उनका जवाब देने की! परदे के पीछे के किस्से, कुछ यादगार पल और कुछ भविष्यवाणियां।  अगर आप अपना पॉडकास्ट शुरू करना चाहते हैं तो जरूर से सुनिएगा सिर्फ टेक्निकल जानकारी के लिए नहीं, पॉडकास्टिंग की रूह को समझने के लिए भी। और कुछ नए सवाल या विचार हों तो हमें जरूर लिख कर भेजिएगा :)   

Is Fursat Feminism a full-time job? How has it impacted our feminism and our friendship?We are officially halfway through the first season! And it feels as good a time as any to be taking stock of the wild, unexpected, and joyful journey this podcast has been. In our first hosts-only episode since the intro, we reflect on how little we knew when we were recording that first episode, and what a whirlwind we have been riding ever since. In answering some of your incredibly well thought-through questions, we gush about each other and the community we have all created, and reflect on what's been most surprising and shocking about the process of podcasting. It's a conversation we wish we had been privy to before starting our own podcast.... And it's only a warm-up to a revved up part 2! Join us for both (look for the easter eggs!) and feel free to write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com पार्ट - १  हेलो नमस्ते आदाब के पीछे की कहानी क्या है? पॉडकास्ट का आइडिया किसका था? हमारे सबसे प्रिय गेस्ट कौन हैं और कौन हैं जिनकी नाक में हमने दम kr diya है? अपने रिश्ते को समझते समझते किस तरह हम इस पॉडकास्ट तक आ पहुंचे उस सफर की कुछ झलकियां लिए आए हैं हम। पिछले ६ महीनों में हमारी दुनिया कई मायनों में बदल गई कई सारे नए रिश्ते बन गए, कई सारे राज खुल गए और एक प्रकार का कायापलट भी हुआ है हमारा। तो हमने सोचा क्यूं ना रुक कर एक पल को थोड़ा जायज़ा लिया जाए - अपने फुरसत भरे पलों का?  तो बस फुरसत से बैठ हमने दिल खोल कर बातें की और चुन कर कुछ किस्से आपके लिए लाएं हैं - आपके होस्ट दीपा और अरुंधती। एक एपिसोड हमारी दोस्ती/रिश्ते के नाम !!!तो ध्यान से सुनिएगा! :)

What is so revolutionary about having a room of one's own?"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." We ride Virginia Woolfe's words from 1929  through an episode about building spaces of our own, of occupying, of learning, of joy, of creativity, of being free and of becoming persons of our choice in rooms of our own. Amrisha joins us to share the literal and metaphorical manifestations of shaping and stealing spaces of her own, even as we all explore how the words from Woolfe's original text bled into our lives in different stages, and also the ways in which they come up short. It is a gentle, lovely episode of peeling back layers on physical space as it sits with our experience of womanhood. Do listen, engage, and let us know what it takes for you to have a room of your own.एक बीन बाग, कुछ किताबें, कुछ संगीत, एक योगा  मेट, कुछ झिल्ली से कपड़े और अपना कमरा- आहा!! फ़ुरसत से बैठ चाय की चुसकियाँ लेते हम इस एपिसोड मे कुछ सपने बुन  आए अमृषा के संग। वर्जीनिया वूलफ की किताब 'अ रूम ऑफ वंस ओन' से प्रेरित हो कर हमने बयां किए हैं अपने कुछ रंगीन सपने हमारे कमरों के; अपनी मालिकी और अपनी जुटाई हुई मनपसंद वस्तु- सामग्रियों, घरों, कमरों के बारे में। आज़ाद रहने के लिए जरूरी है कि दावे के साथ अपनी जगह बनाई जाए- और उन्ही जगहों की चर्चा मे हमारे साथ जुड़िये और अपनी भी कहानिया हमे भेजिए :) हमे इंतज़ार रहेगा। 

Does leading a feminist space make you a feminist boss? And vice versa?We have all come a long way in becoming feminists and our workspaces have played a crucial role in this evolution. In this episode, Anamika joins us with her candor and dry wit as we deep dive into the world of feminist and women led NGOs, reflecting on the experience of leading and being led by people we admire. We speak about the expectations of martyrdom that accompany so many jobs in this sector, and the cult of the leader that often obfuscates the permission to make mistakes. This conversation is also intended to somewhat break down the cultures of silence around some of these sticky topics, the discomfort of 'calling out one's own', and how the movement at large might benefit from constantly examining our own feminism. नारीवाद  की लहर में कदम रखते ही आदतन हम नए एहसासों में गुम  हो जाते हैं फिर आँखें खुलती हैं, रूमानी परदे हटते हैं तो दिखता है कि इन लहरों में तो कई मछलियाँ छूट रहीं हैं कई गोते जबरदस्ती लगाने पड़  रहे हैं ! हम बिल्कुल अकेले ही तैरे जा रहे हैं! इस एपिसोड में हमारे साथ अनामिका ने काफ़ी लंबी बातें करीं- नारीवादी 'बॉस' के बारे में,  नारीवादी संस्थाओ ओर संगठनों के बारे में, नेतृत्व के कई पहलुओं के बारे में। बदलाव लाने की होड़ में हम कितने दीवाल खड़े कर रहें उनपर थोड़ी ठहर कर चर्चा की हमने और कोशिश ये की है सामान्यतः जिन सवालों से हम अकेले जूनझ रहे हैं उन्हे थोड़ा बाल मिले और अपने कूपों से निकल  कर हम उनसे प्रश्न भी पुच सकें जिन्होंने शायद हमें नारीवादी बनना सिखाया है। आप भी हमें अपने नारीवादी 'बॉसेस' की कहानिया लिख सकते हैं हमारे ईमेल id fursatfeminism@gmail.com पर ! 

Would a camera in any other hand be just as powerful?In our first Gujarati episode of the podcast, our friend and former colleague Kailash joins us to share her incredible story of getting to be a filmmaker, story teller and narrative weaver against the worst odds. It is filled with delightful anecdotes of navigating new worlds, etching an identity in a society that refuses to see you, and reclaiming space. Within it is etched the lovely story of how she and Arundhati became friends, and how they - together with Deepa - tried to recreate some of the magical subversion of power that can happen when young women use cameras to tell stories. અમારા નવા એપિસોડમાં અમારી ખાસ બેનપણી કૈલાશ અમારી સાથે એના કેમેરા સાથે ના પ્રેરક સફર ની વાત કરવા જોડાઈ. કેમેરો હાથમાં આવવાથી તેનુ જીવન કઈ રીતે બદલ્યું, તેણે કેમેરા પાછળ રહીને કયા પ્રકાર ની દુનિયા જોઈ, અને છોકરીઓના હાથમાં કેમેરા આવવાથી સામાજિક સત્તા ના ઢાંચા કઈ રીતે બદલાઈ જાય છે - આ તમામ બાબતો સાથે હસતા - રમતા સમય ક્યાં નીકળી ગયો તેનો ખ્યાલ જ ના રહ્યો. આવો, તમે પણ સાંભળો!

Does our feminism get in the way of enjoying Bollywood?Sneha leads us on a filmy romp of an episode, traversing nostalgia, relationships, celebrity encounters and why Bollywood is such a cornerstone in each of our lives. We examine why this love became reluctant for a while, why performative feminism often comes in the way of experiencing pleasure in all its messiness, and the classist undertones in gatekeeping taste. Its an episode chock full of laughter, anecdotes, filmy film recommendations, and acceptance. Write to us about the films that you were too afraid to admit to loving - chances are Sneha will have watched it in the theatre 58745 times! 

Harshali, a first generation learner, has secured admission to do an MSc in Election, Campaign and Democracy from Royal Holloway at the University of London. She is now raising funds to be able to support her fees and living expenses. This is her story.Link to her fundraiser: https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-harshali-3Details from her fundraiser: As a first generation learner and a member of the downtrodden section of the indian society, me and my family have faced multitudes of socio-economic and cultural discriminations.I recognise that this opportunity will not only help me individually but also through my personal trajectory, present ways to integrate underrepresented communities in the social and economic mainstream.Despite low family income, my father who is a retired mill worker and my mother who is a homemaker were committed to provide the best education for me that they could afford. I completed my graduation in Physics from Fergusson College, Pune. My degree in Science encouraged a sense of scientific and rational enquiry in me. However, it also allowed me to participate in programs like NSS and work for ‘Science For All' foundation which gave me an insight into how even in educational spaces structures of oppression, marginalisation continue to be reinforced through everyday practices of administration. This steered me towards a degree in Social Sciences at Tata Institute of Social Science Mumbai, as I wanted to employ my academic training to build a significant impact in supporting the educational goals of the most deprived students. I completed my Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai. My educational experiences exposed me to different realities of society and expanded my world view.Despite my grit and my family's unconditional support, our financial condition continued to pose a challenge in achieving my educational goals. It was only through government scholarships and fellowships that I could manage my  fees. These aids also gave me a chance to work with children, women, and other minority groups.Pursuing education has always been a struggle for me. Currently, my family is financially dependent on me and cannot support my higher education. Moreover, the pandemic has aggravated the situation further. Due to the pandemic, many funding institutions have frozen their scholarships and funding opportunities. Therefore, self-funding my higher education becomes a critical roadblock at this juncture.I plan to fund my tuition fees through partial loans and living expenses through part-time jobs. But, due to the high amount of tuition fee, I need your help to achieve my dream of attaining this prestigious degree.

Is anxiety individual or structural? And what's gender got to do with it?In this episode, we bond with Vihaan over feelings of uneasiness and irritability,  overthinking and dysphoria, and deep dive into our journeys with anxiety. We dissect a word that often gets used casually, and how big a part of our lives are entirely consumed in recognizing it, fighting it, and living with it. We zoom out to mental health as a whole, coming to terms with 'needing help', and relive the tragi-comedies that are the search for a therapist who is 'the one'. All this while discussing caste, class, gender and other hegemonic structural causes and enablers of mental health issues (because dismantling oppressive structures might be our favourite hobby). Come tell us your stories.हमने इस हफ्ते बातें करीं  विहान के साथ उन लम्हों की जब दिमाग ख्यालों मे जकड़ जाता है, कुछ उलझन सी होती है और नींद उड़ जाती है, भूख नहीं लगती, दिल की धड़कने बढ़ जाती हैं और आँखों के सामने कभी कभी अंधेरा सा भी छा जाता है। रोमांटिक फिल्मों की माने तो ये प्यार होने के लक्षण हैं :D पर हमारे अनुभव में हम इसे एंगज़ाइटी कहते हैं! जाती, वर्ग व जेन्डर के वर्चस्ववादी ढांचों पर प्रश्न उठाते हुए हमने कुछ चटखरी कहानिया भी साझा करीं ! मानसिक स्वास्थ्य के उलझे सवालों में उलझ कर कुछ घंटों के लिए हमने अपनी उलझन और घबराहट जाने किस तरह शांत कर लिया!  घबराहट भरी हमारी ज़िंदगी में हमारी नाव जो थेरपिस्ट बने उनको ढूँढने की जद्दोजहद को भी हमने खोल कर रखा है इस धारावाहिक में। सुनकर हमें बताइए क्या आपको भी 'कुछ कुछ होता है' ! शायद हमे समझ नहीं सकते लेकिन कोशिश जरूर करेंगे :)

With our mobility itself being so fraught with fear, why is travelling alone as women so exhilarating?We're joined by Kavya this week in a happy little time capsule to when travel was something we were imbibing, negotiating, and claiming. We speak about how feminist upbringing set us on a path of seeking everything travel offered: the trepidation, the novelty, the quiet revolution. As solo journeys shed baggage but solidified fear, we also speak about how travel has acted as an unexpected intergenerational glue and brought us closer to the women in our lives. ऐसे समय में जब दिहलीजों में बंध जाना आम जिंदगी का अटूट हिस्सा बन गया है, नींद खफा हो जाती है सफर के सपनों से। कुछ पहाड़ों का, नदियों का , समंदर में उठती लहरों का ; कुछ सड़कों का , सहगीरों का, अंधेरी गलियों का, खुले आसमानों का वृतांत इस धारावाहिक में काव्या से मिल कर हमने साझा किए। महिला होने का एक बहुत बाद मापदंड होता है सामाजिक दहलीज को जानना और अपने दायरे समझना- जब उस दायरे को तोड़ जब एक महिला आवारा, अकेली, आज़ाद तफरी मारती है तो दुनिया थोड़ी सी निरापद, थोड़ी सुंदर, हो जाती है । हमारी जैसी और  आवारा औरतों की कहानियाँ सुनने के लिए हम भी बेताब हैं तो हमें जरूर से लिखें fursatfeminism@gmail.com पर । Join us in our conversations! Write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com if you have ideas of your own on what and who should be on this podcast. Feel free to nominate yourself too! More the merrier :)

TW: Sexual and emotional abuseIn the light of the Tarun Tejpal acquittal and it's deeply triggering wording, Neha joins us to share her story of repeated abuse that sits at odds with the framing of the 'the perfect victim', of how we must look, feel and act during and around abuse. We trace around our own stories of internalising shame and how they affected our ability to believe ourselves and others, the inability to relate to the word 'victim', and the many reasons why calling out is the last resort. We try to consciously move from analysing victim behaviour and delve deeper into abuser behaviour. The stories dig at the heart of why we struggle to see cis men who are popular or woke as abusers, how the idea of the 'evil abuser' is also mired in deep caste-class socialisation.  This episode is a special call to our male listeners to reflect on and systematically break down their own role in perpetuating abuse.अबला नारी के ढांचों को तोड़ने की लड़ाई में क्या हम कहीं अपने सारे जख्म किसी पोटली मे बांध छोड़ आते हैं? क्या हम खुद से ही एक हारी हुई जंग छेड़ लेते हैं ? इस एपिसोड में हमने हिंसा की परतें खोलने की एक कोशिश की है। हिंसक कौन होता है क्या वो हमारे बीच चलता-फ़िरता , सबका प्रिय, सभ्य आदमी हो सकता है ? क्या एक सशक्त महिला victim हो सकती है? किन पेमानों पे victim या abuser की परिभाषा, वेश-भूषा, चाल ढाल तय की जाती है? और क्या संभव है ऐसे पेमाने तय कर पाना? हिंसक पुरुष को बेनकाब करने की कोशिश में हमारे साथ नेहा ने कुछ बहुत आंतरिक, निजी घटनाएं साझा की हैं। खासकर आशा है, कि हमारे पुरुष साथी, नारीवादी संवेदनाओ के साथ इस पूरी चर्चा को सुनेंगे और, और  कुछ नहीं तो शायद हिंसा, हिंसक ओर हिंसित के पहलुओं पर मंथन करेंगे.

With Kaveri in our corner this week, we finally gave in and scratched the hitch itch. What were our first encounters with the institution of marriage? How have we navigated it? Can marriages be feminist? Why are marriages generally so difficult to talk about?  From three completely different vantage points, there were some disagreements, many agreements, and a tonne of heavy sighing.  Listen in and tell us about all the stuff we definitely forgot to talk about!People who want to come join us on the podcast, please listen intently all the way to the end :) You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, DM us on instagram @fursatfeminism. We put out episodes every Friday.

Recorded before the building avalanche of grief broke down around us, Bhavana joins us on this episode to talk about all of our entry points into shame, (contested) femininity and - eventually - feminism: our bodies. As the vessels that have carried us, to the objects of our own ridicule and dissection, to aspirational symbols of the 'normal' and 'able', to also the holders of joy and validation - our bodies have been witnesses to, and collateral damage from, every part of our lives, the narratives that surround us, and our own privilege. We talk about all this and some more. हमने कहा था, कुछ कहानियां होती हैं जो कागज़ो में नहीं जिस्म जहन जज़्बातों में छपी होती हैं। इस धारावाहिक में हमारे साथ भावना ने ऐसी ही कुछ कहानियों को टटोला है। सक्षम, सुडौल, सुंदर काया के ढांचे को तोड़ लंबी नाक, छोटे पांव, थुलथुली कमर के ढांचो में चटपटी कहानियां गढ़ी हैं। मन की  तो नहीं लेकिन तन- बदन की बातें करी हैं। तो इस महामारी के बीच थोड़ा कायाकल्प कर लेने का मन हो तो हमें सुने और अपनी तन की बात हमसे साझा करें।You can also join the conversation! Write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com if you'd like to join us on the podcast. More the merrier :)

Swati joins us on our most vulnerable conversation yet, where we finally address the pandemic-sized elephant in the room. In a time of dealing with grief, isolation, and abject failure of the state, the episode centers itself on care: the giving of it, the accepting of it, and the messy, confusing in-betweens. We confront parental mortality, break down, and build ourselves up again with a conversation that itself starts to resembles care. The episode, and its candor, scratches away at our own discomfort with the word and all its loaded meanings, along the way - as ever - stumbling on some feminist epiphanies.कुछ कहते हुए सन्नाटे में गुम हो जाना आम हो गया है आजकल। शोर में शब्दों का गायब हो जाना आम हो गया है आजकल। एक झपक में वाष्प हो गए हैं कई रिश्ते या संबंधों का कायापलट हो गया है। और इन सभी ऊहापोह में हमने एकदम ही कमान संभाल ली है।  सरकारी महकमों से जुंझने से लेकर पारिवारिक रिश्तों को संभालने के बीच क्या नारीवाद कहीं ताक पर रख आते हैं हम या इस तकलीफ़ दा हकीक़त ने परवाह करने की नारीवादी पहलुओं को विशिष्टता दी है।इस महामारी ने किन मायनों में हमें परवाह करने पर मजबूर किया है या हमारी परवाह जनक पहलू को उजागर किया है उसके कई सारे सवाल लिए स्वाति हमारे साथ जुड़ी इस धारावाहिक में। हमारी ऊहापोह में अगर कुछ जवाब आपको मिले तो हमसे भी साझा करें। क्या पता! रिश्तों को संभालने का संघर्ष साझा करने से कुछ नए रिश्ते बन जाएं!TW: Death, coping

Dedicated researcher and a dear friend Manavi joined us in this episode and took us on an excavation of our sense of belongingness. From the cities that we have belonged to, to the perpetual anxiety of not being the 'insider', to questioning 'blood relationships' and how language orders belongingness, to institutionalized collectives, the three of us meandered through a conversation that felt both familiar and completely not. Give us a listen and share with us your stories of belonging and un-belonging on fursatfeminism@gmail.com"पनाह मिल जाए रूह को जिसका हाथ छूकर, उसकी हथेली पर घर बना लो!" शहरों की बुनियाद पर इंसानों के जोड़ बना विचारों के छत डाल कई आशियाने बनाए हैं हमने और उन्हीं आशियानों की यादें टटोलने हमारे साथ मानवी इस धारावाहिक में जुड़ी हैं। हमने अपनेपन के कई सारे पहलुओं को खुरच कर अपनी जिंदगी की परतें खोली हैं। तो आइए सैर कर आएं कुछ पुराने शहरों में, अकेली गलियों में, याराना रातों में और खुद को समेट आएं ।Note: This episode was recorded before the second wave of COVID-19 hit India. We continue to publish these episodes in the hope that someone might find a moment of distraction or respite in them.

In the ongoing whirlwind of loss and pain, this week we had a healing, comforting and joyful conversation with Sravanthi about - *wait for it* - break-ups! Right from The Big Break-up, to friend break-ups to the ones that could've been, we traverse the whole landscape to land on the truth that is truly of the times: that grief must be processed, and healing is not linear. And also that we need to put the cool girl trope to rest for our own sakes. That heartbreaks  and loss were our portal of choice for escaping the bleak reality of this pandemic is an indicator of macabre humour we're all relying on.  If you're up to it, give us a listen, share a laugh, and invest some stock in Sravanthi's brilliant new business idea before it blows up: The Break-up Company ;)दिल टूटना काफ़ी आम है और काफ़ी खास भी। अब वो प्यार में टूटा हो, दोस्ती में टूटा हो या बस यूंही - टूटे दिल की दास्तानों से कई दिल जुड़ जाते हैं और इसी कोशिश के साथ इस धारावाहिक में  स्रावंथी और हम अपने टूटे दिलों के तार आपके साथ जोड़ रहे हैं। सुनिए और अपनी भी खट्टी-मीठी यादों से भरी ब्रेक-अप की कहानियां हमें भेजें - fursatfeminism@gmail.com

रूमानियत की खुशबू लपेट इस धारावाहिक में रोशनी हमारे साथ इश्क के कई पहलुओं को सहलाती हुईं कई सारी यादें ताज़ा कर गई! रोमांस की परतें खोलते-खोलते अपनी छोटी सी हसीन दुनिया बुनी है तो आइए उस दुनिया की सैर करा  लाएँ आपको।। अपनी रूमानियत वाले पहलुओं को हमारे साथ भी साझा करें fursatfeminism@gmail.com पर। Our dearest friend, colleague, co-dreamer Roshni joins us for our first episode in Hindi, as we romance the idea of romance. With so much bleakness in the world, this is a happy little permission to love hard and romance harder, as we pepper the space with our little stories of love with partners, friends, strangers, inanimate things and most of all ourselves. You can write to us at fursatfemnism@gmail.com, where all mail is gleefully received :)

[Trigger warning: This episode contains references to abuse]Sumedha joins us on our most intimate episode yet, as we slowly, tentatively chip away at our histories and relationships with sex. From trying to define it, to acknowledging how it has defined us - the journey has been rocky, lonely and dissonant, but the wins have been doubly sweet. From information, to conversations, to hotel rooms - we discuss how much remains obfuscated and difficult to access when it comes to sex, and land on how truly liberating broken silences and safe spaces can be for the pleasure experience.  You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, or get in touch via instagram @fursatfeminism. Arundhati's Instagram handle is @patakha_guddiii and Deepa's is @rebel_with_nocause. Sumedha can be reached at @sumraysarkar. Our producer is N Manoj.

With Prerna, our guest this week, we sort through the many many layers of feelings and discomforts we associate with the kitchen. A site of exclusion and bonding, of the weight of expectations and the lightness of joy, the place we have all rejected and embraced at the same time. The conversation meanders through our childhoods, makes pit-stops at friendships, romance, and making home - and leaves us all a little more comfortable with the contradictions inherent to finding joy in cooking.मुट्ठी भर यादों में, एक चम्मच नरिवाद का डाल, चुटकी भर झल्लाहट, प्यार की चाशनी में डूबो कर चटपटी कहानियाँ परोस रहें हैं इस धारावाहिक में! हमारे साथ चटकारे लगा कर सुनिए इन कहानियों को और हमें भी बताइए अपनी चटपटी, बासी, ताजा यादगार कहानियाँ। You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, or get in touch via instagram @fursatfeminism. Arundhati's Instagram handle is @patakha_guddiii and Deepa's is @rebel_with_nocause. Prerna can be reached at @prernaayo. Our producer is N Manoj.

With our first guest, Suveera Venkatesh, at her reflective best, we deep dive into female friendships in the latest podcast. From cliques in school, to class silos, to the greatest love affairs of our lives - we explore what it has meant for us to seek and to offer friendship, along the way stumbling on some exhilarating and uncomfortable truths.तेरे जैसा यार कहाँ ? कहाँ ऐसा याराना? - ये बड़े ही उलझाने वाला प्रश्न है जिसे सुलझाने हमारे साथ सुवीरा वेंकटेश आयी हैं, इस धारावाहिक में| चलते चलते यूँही जो तार  जुड़ गए और जिन रिश्तों को जोड़ने मे दिलों-जान लगा दिए उन सभी की कई कहानियाँ हमने साझा की और सुनी। दोस्ती के बदलते पहलू और मायनों के समंदर में गोते लगाती तीन सहेलियाँ टेढ़े मेढ़े याराना रास्तों से गुजर रहीं हैं और उसमें अपनी यारी-दोस्ती सुलझा रही हैं| सुनिए और हमे बताइए आपकी हसीन, रंगीन, बेहतरीन, इश्क़िया यारियों की कहानियाँ।You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, or get in touch via instagram @fursatfeminism. Arundhati's Instagram handle is @patakha_guddiii and Deepa's is @rebel_with_nocause. Suveera can be reached at @suveera11. Our producer is N Manoj.

In an episode that sets the tone for the rest of the series, we talk about our own tumultuous, embarrassing, privileged journeys to and with feminism, how we met each other, and how we created amongst ourselves a space that inspired the podcast. We also get into the sticky details of what the podcast itself is going to be about, who is likely to be on it, what we are wary of, and generally convey the giddy excitement our stomachs are churning out every step of the way.हम मिले, हमारे दिल मिले, खूब सारी बातें हुईं और इस पॉडकास्ट की शुरुआत हुई| पहले धारावाहिक (एपिसोड) में हमने सोचा  शुरुआत करते हैं अपनी कहानियों से; थोड़ा अपना परिचय, थोड़ा फ़ुरसत फेमिनिज़म का परिचय दिया जाए ; क्या, क्यूँ, कहाँ, कब  जैसे सवालों से जूझा जाए | खुद पर लगातार प्रश्न करने वाली दो महिलाएं खुद से इश्क करना सीख रही हैं, खुद के अधिकार और विशेषाधिकार पर प्रश्न उठा रही हैं और अपनी कहानियाँ सबके साथ साझा कर रही हैं इस आशा के साथ कि इस पॉडकास्ट के ज़रिए हम -अपने जैसी, अपने से अलग - और कई महिलाओं से जुड़ पाएंगे और शायद कभी उनकी कहानियों को भी यहाँ तक ला पाएंगे... तो फ़ुरसत से हमे सुनिए और अगर आपकी भी कोई फेमिनिस्ट कहानी है तो हमे बताइए| आप  fursatfeminism@gmail.com  पर अपने खट्टे मीठे विचार और कहानियाँ  हमे लिख सकते हैं या बस यूँही हमे याद कर सकते हैं|You can write to us at fursatfeminism@gmail.com, or get in touch via instagram @fursatfeminism. Arundhati's Instagram handle is @patakha_guddiii and Deepa's is @rebel_with_nocause. Our producer is N Manoj.

Arundhati and Deepa - two feminists, friends, partners-in-crime - bring you a podcast full of stories and conversations that make sense of the everyday through a fun, fierce, feminist gaze. This is a bite-sized teaser of what's to come every Friday...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fursatfeminism/Email: fursatfeminism@gmail.com