In this episode, we sit down with Samina Mishra—acclaimed documentary filmmaker, writer, educator, and co-founder of the Magic Key Centre for the Arts & Childhood. What unfolds is a deeply personal and insightful conversation on parenting, creative identity, co-parenting after separation, and the profound (and often imperfect) joys of raising a child.

Samina opens up about raising her son Imran, now 23, with a rare mix of vulnerability and warmth. From their post-separation co-parenting journey to their mutual love for Chinese food and movies, every anecdote gently illuminates how parenting can be a site of rediscovery and creativity—if we allow it.

We also explore the overlap between her professional work with children and her personal journey as a mother, her commitment to preserving cultural identity, and how adulthood didn’t signal an end to creative contribution but perhaps a re-beginning.

🎧 Why You Should Listen

• You're a parent, educator, or caregiver navigating modern parenting challenges.
• You’re interested in raising thoughtful, creative, socially conscious children.
• You’re exploring the idea of co-parenting or single parenting with empathy.
• You're a fan of Samina Mishra’s work or the wider intersection of childhood, creativity, and identity.
• You’re in search of quiet wisdom and poetic truth in a noisy parenting world.

💬 Notable Quotes from Samina

• "Looking for wonder and enchantment and joy is important, I think, in life… because the difficult stuff… we need to go the distance."
• "Parenting is that time where you rediscover the world… with someone seeing it for the first time."
• "Sometimes… you can’t fix it. And you have to accept that."
• "Your child is important. But your child needs to know there are many other kinds of childhoods."
• "Children are not just the responsibility of the parent... we need to think about how to be a good world, a good society."

👩🏽‍🎨 About the Guest

Samina Mishra is a Delhi-based writer, filmmaker, educator, and arts curator whose work centres on childhood, identity, and social justice. She tells stories across books, films, and creative initiatives, foregrounding the voices of children in contemporary India. Samina's work gently bridges the personal and political, foregrounding children’s voices and resilience. Her books and films are widely used in classrooms, libraries, and community initiatives to spark conversations on empathy, diversity, and social change.

Major Books

• Jamlo Walks
• Nida Finds a Way
• Hina in the Old City (also published as Hina in Purani Dilli)
• My Sweetest Mango
• Shabana and the Baby Goat
• The House on the Hill
• The Sweet Shop Wars
• My Friends in the City
• Where Does It Hurt?
• Happiness Class
• Editor of Stories of Courage and Compassion, The ABCs of Art

Documentary Films

• The Teacher and the World
• Two Lives
• Jagriti Yatra
• The House on Gulmohar Avenue
• Stories of Girlhood
• Happiness Class
• Jamlo Walks (also adapted as a children’s book)

Educational & Artistic Initiatives

• Teaches at Jamia Millia Islamia
• Runs the Magic Key Centre for the Arts & Childhood
• Regularly curates and facilitates workshops and storytelling festivals for children and educators

Samina’s Instagram: A beautiful collection of personal reflections, books, films, and wonders.

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