Sangeeta Pillai talks Masala Podcast, Feminism & Expansion

The Masala Podcast is a trailblazing voice within South Asian feminism, celebrating unfiltered dialogue and exploring uncharted territories.

The powerful ode to the experiences of South Asian women is hosted by the dynamic Sangeeta Pillai.

For four transformative seasons, the Masala Podcast has fearlessly delved into topics that often exist on the fringes of conversation.

Sex, sexuality, periods, menopause, porn, mental health, shame, and sexual harassment – nothing is off-limits for this groundbreaking podcast.

With each episode, it has empowered its audience, shattered societal norms, and enriched the discourse surrounding issues that resonate with South Asians and other communities.

The impact of the Masala Podcast extends far beyond its digital airwaves.

With an impressive array of awards, including six British Podcast Awards, this platform has earned its place as a media powerhouse.

It has been featured in major outlets such as The Guardian and Cosmopolitan, further cementing its reputation as a formidable advocate for South Asian feminism.

Now, the Masala Podcast is preparing to take the United States by storm.

Season five is poised to delve deep into American South Asian identity and its complexities.

With exclusive interviews featuring South Asian women who have carved their paths in Hollywood, music, and fashion, the season promises rich conversations.

In an exclusive interview with DESIblitz, we spoke with Sangeeta Pillai about the Masala Podcast, its importance and this new venture in the US. 

What inspired you to create the Masala Podcast?

Masala Podcast was born from my personal struggles. I experienced traumatic domestic violence in my family as a child.

I saw how badly women were treated around me. And this shaped my feminism early on.

Like so many other South Asian women, I grew up surrounded by shame and taboo.

Particularly, shame around my body, my sexual self, periods….the list was exhausting.

This inspired me to create my feminist platform Soul Sutras and my Masala Podcast.

In November 2018, I entered a Spotify competition to find more women of colour podcasters with a pitch for Masala Podcast, exactly as it is now.

Among 750 people who applied, I was one of ten chosen for the competition – which I went on to win!

That’s how Masala Podcast started life in November 2019.

Now after four years, five seasons, six British Podcast Awards, one Audio Production Award, and innumerable press features, it has evolved into the top South Asian feminist podcast.

The best bit is not the awards and accolades, it’s the hundreds of messages I get almost weekly from my listeners.

They tell me how much my Masala Podcast has helped them in their own lives – and sometimes dramatically changed their lives too.

What motivated you to expand to the United States?

Over my first four seasons, I interviewed so many amazing South Asian women.

Famous icons like musician Anoushka Shankar, comedian Shazia Mirza and TV presenter Anita Rani.

But also feminist activists working within mental health, sexuality, menopause and so on in the UK.

I also interviewed incredible Indian feminists in India like writer Shobha De, sexuality expert Leeza Mangaldas, anti-FGM activist Aarefa Johari and so on.

So, I started thinking about doing a US-focused season because I was keen to understand the American South Asian feminist experience.

I wanted to see if it was any different than the South Asian feminist experience here in the UK or in India.

“I wanted to share some of these amazing American South Asian women and their stories.”

There have been so many memorable moments on the podcast.

One was talking to the pornstar Sahara Knite and she told me about her mum calling in the middle of her “session” on the sofa at Babestation.

I also helped organise the first-ever live lesbian marriage proposal on the Masala Podcast. I could go on and on.

What qualities do you look for in your guests?

I’ve interviewed some well-known and influential South Asian women.

But to me, it almost doesn’t matter how famous they are or not.

I’m looking for women who will be vulnerable and honest in an interview, women who are not afraid to talk about their pain as well as their power.

The Masala Podcast isn’t some PR plug for famous women, it’s a space to be real and authentic – so you can inspire the hundreds of thousands of women listening.

Can you elaborate on the key insights from your interviews?

This American season of Masala Podcast has been such a learning and humbling experience for me.

I went in thinking: I’ve interviewed so many South Asian women around the world and I’m expecting similar themes and conversations.

What I found instead was a group of women who are so comfortable with their dual identity: being American and being South Asian.

“I’ve interviewed 11 South Asian women, from Hollywood stars to music icons.”

What surprised me is that none of them had that identity conflict I’ve seen in the UK. They are as comfortable rocking up in a sari as a ball gown.

They are as happy talking about eating Namkeen as eating a fancy meal in a restaurant.

It struck me that the usual angst I’ve heard about from my other interviewees in the UK seemed non-existent among the American South Asian women.

How do you believe intersectional feminism is evolving?

Intersectional feminism is definitely becoming more common than it used to be.

However most Western media talks about feminism from a non-woman of colour lens.

South Asian women are rarely represented in British media, in all their beautiful complexity.

The only time you see South Asian women are in ads or on soaps – rarely front and centre in feminist debates and discourses.

My work with the Masala Podcast and my platform Soul Sutras is to get South Asian female voices heard louder and clearer.

When we look at the staggering number of South Asian women in the world, our share of voice in the world and the media is practically non-existent.

Here are some figures about the number of South Asian women worldwide from the UK Office for National Statistics:

• 2.75 million South Asian women in the UK (where South Asians are the largest ethnic minority)
• Approx 493,020 South Asian origin women in Australia – South Asians are one of the largest ethnic demographics in Australia
• Approx 33,127 South Asian origin women in New Zealand – South Asians are the second largest ethnic demographic in New Zealand
• Around 1 billion women in South Asian countries which include India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives
• 2.7 million South Asian women in the US
• 1.28 million South Asian women in Canada

How do you ensure that the podcast represents the experiences of South Asian women?

South Asian feminism is a broad field.

I try and represent as many points of view as possible by interviewing a range of South Asian women: from celebrities to everyday activists.

I also try and interview South Asian women from various countries like the UK, India and now the US.

“I also want to do Masala Podcast Specials in other countries like Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.”

Basically, anywhere there are South Asian women, Masala Podcast plans to be there talking to them.

Can you share the challenges and rewards of having such varied guests?

I feel really blessed to have had such a diverse and influential group of guests for the US Special Season Five.

I mean, we’ve got the who’s who of influential South Asian American women here.

Music icon Raveena Aurora, Teen Vogue Editor Versha Sharma, sex educator Dr. Varuna Srinivasan, Hollywood celebrity Melanie Chandra, and so on.

The challenge was to make sure each interview was unique and I did that by really researching each guest – and making my questions as deep as I could.

Also with interviewees who are so influential, they get interviewed a LOT. So my challenge was also to ask unexpected questions.

For example, I asked Versha Sharma about her favourite Namkeen. She was so thrilled and told me: ‘I get interviewed a lot and no one has ever asked me this!’

The reward obviously is a fantastic podcast season, with each interview being so compelling.

It’s reflected in the download numbers too.

As soon as I launch an episode, it’s literally being listened to in the thousands, and that is sweet music to my podcaster ears!

Can you tell us more about your personal reflections in Season Five?

I talk a lot about my own personal reflections and growth in Season Five of the Masala Podcast.

I discuss my own memories of growing up in India, about the South Asian beauty rituals like hair oiling or wearing kajal.

Also, I talk about learning to become comfortable with my own dual identity: being South Asian and then becoming British when I moved to the UK 18 years ago.

“I guess my own understanding of South Asian feminism has changed through my own podcast.”

When I was younger, I rejected most South Asian ideas because they didn’t allow me to be my own fierce feminist self.

Now doing so many episodes of this podcast and being on my own growth journey, I’ve actually embraced so many parts of my South Asian culture.

I wear saris a lot more, I celebrate festivals a lot more, and I also understand the power of some of our rituals.

I guess I’ve learnt to integrate my feminist identity with my South Asian identity – and it’s been such a beautiful journey.

How do you balance the artistic aspects of podcasting with addressing social issues?

The Masala Podcast is and always will be about addressing important social issues faced by South Asian women.

But what most people don’t realise is that the social is the personal and the personal is social.

So I will continue to tackle so-called taboos in our culture: from sex, sexuality, periods, porn, menopause and mental health.

And I will do so creatively and authentically through the medium of podcasting.

I think this drive for authenticity and truth for my community of South Asian women – that’s what has won me all these awards and accolades.

What unique contribution do you believe Masala Podcast has had?

The Masala Podcast is totally unique in the podcasting landscape.

When I pick up an award or am invited to be a judge on podcasting awards or attend podcasting industry events, I see how few South Asians there are in podcasting.

And as for South Asian women, the numbers are minuscule.

So just by its very presence, the Masala Podcast helps change the media landscape which is still primarily white.

“The impact Masala Podcast has on its community is quite incredible.”

I get emails, messages, and DMs almost every week telling me how thanks to this podcast, women feel less alone.

Women feel like they have the courage to ask for what they need from their partners and families.

A woman even told me the Masala Podcast gave her the courage to leave an abusive marriage. So when I say the Masala Podcast is life-changing, it literally is.

How do you plan to explore complexities in future seasons?

I will continue to tackle cultural taboos.

And as we know, we South Asians have more than our fair share of taboos to work through.

Also as we grow and learn, we come across new challenges as South Asians.

I also plan to broaden the podcast to include the points of view of South Asian women from all over the world.

As I said before, wherever there are South Asian women, the Masala Podcast plans to be there talking to them.

With Season Five, the Masala Podcast embarks on a new chapter, diving deep into American South Asian identity, a narrative that’s as rich and diverse as the cultures it encompasses.

The remarkable women featured in this season are emblematic of the resilience, passion, and power of South Asian feminists.

From Hollywood stars and fashion influencers to authors, illustrators, and entrepreneurs, these voices pave the way for important conversations about identity, diversity, and empowerment.

Sangeeta Pillai, the creative force behind Masala Podcast, has masterfully curated a season that offers profound insights.

With her thought-provoking interviews and personal reflections, Sangeeta continues to break the silence on topics that matter.

Listen to the Masala Podcast here.