The Masala Podcast

Sangeeta Pillai is a talented podcaster who is full of surprises. The show is a contradiction in terms, yet wonderfully vibrant and so rule-breaking. I love it.

Her show, Masala Podcast, smashes conventions, the patriarchy, and women’s roles in society, and is unafraid to dissolve the tropes we live by.

However, that disruption of societal norms is achieved by Sangeeta Pillai, who speaks in measured, soothing tones rather than the boisterous howls of a rebel.

Appropriately, the show is subtitled: The South Asian Feminist by Soul Sutras.

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, and more. Considered the biggest South Asian feminist podcast representing the voices and 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 India, and more.

In 2023, Sangetta was interviewed in PodBible. She was asked when she first learned about podcasts. Here’s her answer:

“I had to Google what a podcast was, that’s how little I knew. I entered a competition called Spotify SoundUp in Nov 2018 and won it. They gave me some money to start my podcast in 2019. From there, I went on to create what is the biggest South Asian feminist podcast in the world today. As an immigrant who moved to the UK in 2005, I had no contacts or connections in the media and also no technical skills, so it felt very daunting when I started. But I stuck to it and taught myself everything about podcasting.”

Sangetta tells us: “The reason I started Masala Podcast was because there are no spaces for South Asian women like me. British media is still dominated by middle-class white folks, while the podcasting world is dominated by men like Joe Rogan.”

Sangetta continues: “The responses I get to the Masala Podcast from South Asian women are mind-blowing: they tell me it makes them feel less alone, they tell me it gives them the courage to go after their dreams. One listener wanted to meet me in person (I did!), and she told me that my podcast gave her the courage to leave an abusive marriage and move to another city! So that’s the sort of impact my podcast has.”

Sangetta notes: “I have to keep reminding myself of my ‘why’ in this current podcasting landscape, which is just big bucks and big companies and fewer and fewer podcasters like me.”

The podcast is in a video format, and, unlike some video shows, is nicely staged, with Sangeeta presenting a comfortable, reassuring presence.

I especially enjoyed the live show at the London Podcast Festival about Tantra and Kamasutra in December, when Sangetta explained Tantra and Kamasutra secrets — plus Three Interactive Meditations to activate the audience’s sensuality. On the episode, guests — Tantra Sexuality Shaman Amba Kahly and Kamasutra Expert Seema Anand — explained ancient Indian pleasure secrets and how to use your sacred sexuality to enrich every area of life.

Masala Podcast contains episodes that exemplify Sangeeta’s convictions. My favorites include Good Daughter or Bad Daughter, Who are You, and a short episode that I so enjoyed that asks:

“Can I be a feminist and ask a man to get rid of mice?” It’s a fun, light-hearted episode asking questions about feminism. And mice infestations.

A breakthrough episode happened in December 2023 with “Why Do We Need This Podcast?”

In this extra-special episode, Sangeeta Pillai becomes the guest. She is interviewed by Hollywood actor and 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 spaces like Masala Podcast. And why will she keep being a South Asian feminist and activist until her last breath.

You can understand the angst of Sangeeta Pillai when you learn of her background. Sangeeta grew up in a Mumbai slum, fighting for her rights — and found her feminism early on. Her father was a violent man, and her mother was murdered.

Known as “Chief Bad Daughter & Founder, Soul Sutras®,”

Sangeeta Pillai is a feminist activist and writer, and the founder of South Asian feminist network Soul Sutras.

Today, she is recognized as a leading voice for South Asian feminism globally.

Sangeeta’s work challenges many cultural taboos: from sex, sexuality, periods, shame, mental health, menopause, and more. While celebrating many life-enhancing aspects of her South Asian culture: from Kamasutra, Tantra, Ayurveda, Bollywood and beyond.

Sangeeta’s Masala Podcast has won six British Podcast Awards, an Audio Production Award, and the Spotify SoundUp 2018 award.

Sangeeta and Masala Podcast have been on giant billboards in New York, London, Dublin, Cardiff, and Glasgow.

Sangeeta is also the creator of the Masala Monologues series of writing workshops, theater shows in the U.K. and the U.S.

Sangeeta is a regular speaker at WOW Festival, Shameless Festival, Primadonna Festival, as well as being a regular speaker on innumerable panels and podcasts.

In August, Sangeeta released a book, Bad Daughter, about her life and learnings.

Let me end with Sangeeta expounding on her beliefs, values, and goals: “Podcasting is THE most intimate medium, in my opinion. You’re literally talking into someone’s ear. I love how podcasts allow space for difficult and delicate conversations. With Masala Podcast, I’ve been able to connect with other South Asian women, discussing taboo topics like sex, sexuality, periods, and even nipple hair! These are topics that would otherwise have been really tough to talk about. As a creator, I also love how democratic podcasts are. You don’t need to have an Oxbridge accent to be a presenter. You don’t need millions to create a podcast. All you need is a strong concept and hard work — and your audio masterpiece can be out in the world right alongside content created by big-name media houses.”

You can find Sangeeta and her show at:

ABOUT SANGEETA:

https://www.soulsutras.co.uk/about-sangeeta-pillai/

ABOUT MASALA PODCAST:

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

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For more podcast reporting, check out Ear Worthy on Forbes magazine.

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