A lot of my male friends enjoy doing chores around the house. They cook and clean the house, effortlessly, and leave me baffled with how flawlessly they break stereotypes. I feel that men today are more likely to embrace the idea of gender equality, but when it comes to the home front, traditional values still play a dominant role. Multiple surveys and studies have documented men’s changing attitudes toward women in recent years and even the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed to men to help women in household chores during the lockdown. Digging deeper, in today’s episode, I talk to three guests on their domestic value system and how doing dishes and laundry isn’t a gender centric arena.

Our featured music for today’s episode by a very talented young boy from Kashmir- Zeeshan Nabi.

Zeeshaan is a music producer, composer and singer-songwriter based in Kashmir. He completed his music education from the A.R. Rahman founded K.M. College of Music and Technology (Chennai) and did further specialisation from Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). Zeeshaan moved back to Kashmir in November 2017 and started building his studio, Meerakii which is one of its kind. Zeeshaan along with Ayan and Srinath formed his band Ramooz in 2019 and released their debut music video 'Aalav' in June, 2020. The band is currently working on their debut album.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq 

Travel enriches our soul, it is probably the only thing that gives us an experience that money can’t buy. It cannot be measured but only experienced. It infuses life into us, it helps us untangle ourselves from the many many bindings that the society wraps around us. It takes us closer to ourselves. In today’s episode, I talk to two guests on their travel experiences in Kashmir, their top recommendations fro us and also an insight into a woman traveller’s life in Kashmir. Towards the end we’ll play our episode’s featured music by very talented young boy Junaid Ehmad. 

Junaid is a singer/songwriter/producer based in Kashmir. The 23-year old, was a finalist in Himesh Reshammiya’s Big Golden Voice, specializes in Indian Classical and contemporary vocals. Besides, he is the music and vocal coach at the Alive Academy of Dance and Music. Junaid debuted in the independent music and production scene with his single ‘The Lost Shikara’ which was a cross-generic collaboration with the hip-hop artist Qafilah.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq

It is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness month and when better to talk about it than now?

In today’s episode I talk to a guest on her experience with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, her experience of growing up with it, stresses around it and how doctors have treated her. I also speak with a PCOS specialist on my show today, myths around PCOS and what she in her capacity has done differently in Kashmir to treat women with PCOS and the emphasis of lifestyle modification in managing PCOS. 

In today's featured music Fatima Shamim sings a Bollywood favourite, Roshey for us. Fatima is a medical student. Studying in her 4th year in Tbilisi, Georgia, she loves to write, sing and play her guitar whenever she gets the chance to. Fatima has been living outside of Kashmir most of her life, but what she has carried along with her are her roots, her sense of ethnic identity and her voice that sings melodious Kashmiri songs around the world.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq 

School memories are some of our most favourite ones. Mine are etched into my heart with a special seal. Sharpening my pencil near the class dustbin so I could talk to my best friend, running in the corridors and then getting scolded for it, raising my arm up to my shoulder to ask if I could go to the washroom, only to be told that I may go to the washroom. Growing with a wholesome learning environment and having a solid peer group enriched by educational experience.

In today’s episode I talk to two guest on a year of schools being shut. One is a supervisor and one is a young student, both from Pulwama. Towards the end, we bring to you our featured music by a young girl Nargis Khatoon. Nargis is a Srinagar based singer and songwriter. Singing since the age of 5, she has performed at multiple occasions. What makes Nargis unique is that she is a musician, a songwriter, a singer and a woman making her mark in music. With her viral videos all over social media, Nargis sure has made a niche for herself. She hopes to work with more female folk artists and help them bring their music to the foreground.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq

In today’s episode I talk to two guest on why they moved back to Kashmir after having studied and worked outside of Kashmir for quite a few years? What was the pull, what made them stay, where do they derive their resilience from and what are their next plans.

In today's episode we bring to you our featured music by two very talented brothers from South Kashmir who make music from their home. Numan baba and Furqan Baba, mostly make original songs or work in collaborations with local artists and independently released an album titled Soantkaal. This album contains their original songs with lyrics from either themselves or renowned Kashmiri poets and is available on major platforms like spotify, apple music, Jio saavan etc. Today they sing Hoshmatiye for us, written by the famous poet Rasul Mir.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq

In today’s episode I talk on the problem of a single story. I talk to two guests on what single stories have been associated with them and if they have tried to break away from it and why. Towards the end, we will play our episode’s featured music by a young Kashmiri artist. A self taught singer, songwriter and composer, Huzaif Nazar, a class 11 student, loves music.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq 

In today’s episode I talk on the history of Men’s grooming and the evolving idea of masculinity with the definition of macho standing completely changed. I will be talking to two guests on grooming, why they do it and how they do it and what is their idea of being a man. Towards the end, we will play our episode’s featured music by young Kashmiri artist with some crazy hair. Hashim Rather is a budding artist from Kashmir who composes music, plays various instruments and also just released his new single that we are playing for you today. ’Baalyaaro’ came out during the Coronavirus pandemic and was received very well over the internet.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq

In today’s episode, I will read out an anonymous letter, written by a girl to her partner on August 5. I will also talk to a friend on our constant longing for our loved ones in Kashmir and towards the end we will play our episode’s featured music by a young twenty year old Hospitality student Toyyibah who aims at becoming a Michelin starred chef.

Passionate about singing since the age of five, Toyyibah, a self trained singer, recently was part of the famous project ‘Hum Dekhenge’ that released across social media. Today, she sings for us Farida Khannum’s famous song Aaj Jaane ki Zidd na Karo.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq

2020 is in its second half and while people around the world are obsessively praying that the misery of this year ends, we in Kashmir are also dealing with the remnants of the traumatising experiences since August last year.

In today’s episode, I will be talking to two people who will be sharing their experience of the last one year dealing with the August 5 lockdown and the COVID pandemic lockdown that has held us in our homes since March 16. For some of us, memories of being home bound since the evening of August 4 has returned while for some waves of hope and hopelessness have engulfed all their dreams.

Towards the end of the podcast we will play our episode’s featured music. So do stay till the end of the podcast because it is by one of the speakers himself.

Title track by Adeeb Shafiq