Kalki Presents: My Indian Life

Kalki Presents: My Indian Life episodes:

• 09.20.2023

  Special: Savita

  “I’m in love with the mountains.” Savita was an inspirational climber, who had scaled Mount Everest. At the age of 26, she was tragically killed in an avalanche in the Himalayas. She was interviewed by Kalki Koechlin before she died....

  
• 01.07.2023

  What happened next

  A male belly dancer, a theatre artist and the man who wants to go to Mars. It’s the My Indian Life reunion. They all appeared in previous episodes of My Indian Life - what happened next in their lives? Is...

  
• 12.31.2022

  River man

  Meet the river walker. Siddharth Agarwal wants to understand India’s rivers and the people who live along them. He has walked and cycled along thousands of kilometres, taking the time to talk, learn and help as he travels. He tells...

  
• 12.24.2022

  Climate warrior

  Her father said, “Give back to people”. Now, Archana Soreng is fighting climate change and representing her tribe and India on the world stage. She is one of seven members of the United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on...

  
• 12.17.2022

  The boy who fought back

  He was bullied at school and told to “be more masculine”. Now, Shubham Choudhary’s mission is to help others challenge gender stereotypes. After working with schools, he helps the LGBTQ+ community access health care, acting as a liaison with hospitals...

  
• 12.10.2022

  Myth breaker

  “I’m not against religion, only those who cause harm in the name of religion.” Suyash Toshinwal says he debunks myths and superstitions. He wants everyone to discover “rational thought”. #MyIndianLife

  
• 12.03.2022

  Power of song

  Singing for a casteless society – the rapper using the power of his voice and words. Arivu was shunned for his musical ideas as a schoolboy and then became a star. He says he is speaking out for generations of...

  
• 11.26.2022

  Bullseye

  A car crash changed the course of her life. Now Avani Lekhara is a gold medallist. “When I hold the rifle I’m in the zone” – the life of a Paralympic shooter. Avani discovered a new talent and a will...

  
• 11.19.2022

  Beauty and the body

  Bullied for being “big” – an actor’s journey to body positive influencer. “Why is it so shocking if a non-size-zero person wears a bikini?” How TV star Rytasha Rathore became a role model for other young women. #MyIndianLife

  
• 11.12.2022

  Totally online

  He’s the famous gamer with 33 million subscribers, but none of them know who he is. Total Gaming says he thinks he knows how Spider-Man feels - his identity is hidden from the world. #MyIndianLife

  
• 11.05.2022

  Everyone has a secret

  Her job is to “deliver bitter truths in the hope that they lead to better lives.” Tanya is a private detective. There was the student who she followed to an unexpected place, the fiancé who couldn’t give up his dream...

  
• 10.19.2022

  We’re back again! Season 3 preview

  We’re returning with our third season! Kalki Koechlin is back, meeting more young Indians with remarkable stories. New episodes will include the private detective who says everyone has a secret, and a famous gamer with 33 million subscribers, who has...

  
• 01.24.2020

  Dating special

  A listener emailed us about breaking-up. It was tough, so it’s time to talk about love. Students chat about relationships with Kalki and poet Priya Malik. This is the season finale and Kalki reveals how she has dealt with the relationship...

  
• 01.17.2020

  The boy who dreamt of space

  The first human on Mars - that’s Gadhadar Reddy’s goal, and he’s working on the technology to take him there. He launched a space tech company after people told him he could never do it. Now Gadhadar has made the...

  
• 01.10.2020

  The biggest brothel in Asia

  Sonagachi in Kolkata is a hub for sex trafficking. Leena Kejriwal wants to end the exploitation of young women. “It's all happening because nobody's doing anything about it.” Send us your stories: [email protected] And let us know what you think...

  
• 01.03.2020

  Saving the planet

  Two young Indians on a mission to make the world a better, cleaner place to live. Aarushi Majumder got her whole neighbourhood recycling in inner-city Mumbai. And Arun Krishnamurthy’s fight to clean waste from his village pond in rural Chennai...

  
• 12.28.2019

  New York to Shimla

  Ilma’s life was in the USA. Then a call to her mum made her decide to return home to India and find a new career - as a police officer. Ilma Afroz had attended the best universities, and was...

  
• 12.20.2019

  Saving Nagaland

  His brother died from an overdose. His dad was an alcoholic. Now Jenpu Rongmei is saving others from a similar fate. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a dropout – what matters is you are human”. Tell us your stories about...

  
• 12.13.2019

  Kalki in Parentland

  “I’m pregnant!” Attitudes to unmarried mothers, feeling overwhelmed and morning sickness - Kalki Koechlin is having a baby and she has lots of questions. “I feel this feeling that I don't belong to myself”. This special episode teams up with...

  
• 12.06.2019

  The drag king

  “I can be whoever I want to be.” Bidisha is a singer and she performs as a Persian prince called Badshah. “Drag is about breaking apart norms”, she says. And we catch-up with male belly dancer, Eshan Hilal (Season 1,...

  
• 11.29.2019

  Rapping Kashmir

  A voice from the Valley. Ahmer Javed grew up making music under curfew in Kashmir. Send us your stories: [email protected] And let us know what you think: #MyIndianLife

  
• 11.22.2019

  Rescued

  The baby left at the orphanage. She’s been spat at and told her ancestors must have “done something terribly wrong”. Nisha Lobo has a skin condition called ichthyosis and was adopted. This is her story. She says happiness is a...

  
• 11.11.2019

  We’re back! Season 2 preview

  Kalki Koechlin is back – with big news! We have ten new stories from across India. Season 2 begins on 23 November 2019. #MyIndianLife

  
• 05.07.2019

  Election special

  Schools, jobs, women’s rights: being young and Indian during the 2019 elections! At the Cuckoo Club in Mumbai, first time voters talk to Kalki about the issues that matter to them. #MyIndianLife

  
• 10.20.2018

  LIVE from Mumbai

  The big end of season show! Kalki is joined by guests Insia Dariwala, Rahul Sonpimple and Diskit Angmo at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai, where they talk to students about being a young adult and Indian in the 21st century....

  
• 10.13.2018

  LIVE from Delhi

  A special episode recorded with university students in Delhi. Singing, dancing and a whole bunch of questions with guests Eshan Hilal, Mallika Taneja and Aditya N at St Stephen's College. #MyIndianLife

  
• 10.06.2018

  India on Ice

  In a mostly tropical country, an ice hockey player has Olympic dreams. She converts frozen lakes into rinks, endures broken bones and apathy in a nation obsessed with cricket. How far would she go to fulfil her sporting ambition?...

  
• 09.29.2018

  The Sexpert

  Sex advice for the land of the Kama Sutra. This episode discusses sex in a detailed way. Kalki meets Dr Mahinder Watsa, the 94-year-old who writes the sex advice column in The Mumbai Mirror. #MyIndianLife

  
• 09.22.2018

  The Goddess of Big Things

  What happens when you don't feel comfortable in your own skin? This is the story of the transformation of a small-town boy into a diva who is setting the ramp on fire as a transgender, plus-size model. Kalki meets Mona...

  
• 09.15.2018

  A Question of Caste

  The man refusing to fit in with an ancient class hierarchy. From the bottom of the caste system to fighting for a more equal society - Kalki meets Dalit activist Rahul Sonpimple. Please tell us your stories of being young...

  
• 09.08.2018

  The Kids Are Not Alright

  India’s child sexual abuse problem. This episode discusses important but difficult issues. Insia Dariwala was sexually abused as a child and is now helping other children in India. If you need to talk about something that is affecting you, do...

  
• 09.01.2018

  Rocket Woman

  From India to Mars, how a leap of faith became a journey into space. Kalki meets rocket scientist BP Dakshayani, from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who programmed a satellite on its mission to the red planet. #MyIndianLife

  
• 08.25.2018

  Peace and protest

  She is a student activist who finds herself at the heart of the Kashmir dispute. Death threats on one side, support on the other. Kalki meets Gurmehar Kaur. #MyIndianLife

  
• 08.18.2018

  Singing to a different tune

  He struggles to speak but has found his voice. The story of a Bollywood singer, composer and music producer. Kalki meets Aditya N. #MyIndianLife

  
• 08.11.2018

  A body of protest

  Standing stark naked - a woman fights back. Kalki meets Mallika Taneja, who is using her own body in protest against gender inequality, sexual harassment and assault in India. #MyIndianLife Contact us: www.bbcworldservice.com/myindianlife

  
• 08.04.2018

  Dancing to his own beat

  “You’ve brought me shame”. The belly dancer’s story. Dreams threaten to tear a family apart. Kalki meets Eshan Hilal. #MyIndianLife www.bbcworldservice.com/myindianlife

  
• 07.18.2018

  Preview: Introducing My Indian Life

  Kalki Koechlin presents a new podcast aimed at young Indian adults. It's raw, it's painful, it's joyful. It's real-life India in the 21st century. Episode 1 will be available from 4 August 2018.