Cultured, or Nah?

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 @culturedornah

Host: 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-77559481

Disclaimers: 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 Hameed
Music: 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 Rajagopalan
Music: AnAkkiN on Soundcloud: 
https://m.soundcloud.com/user-77559481