Love Matters With Leeza Mangaldas

Dating might look fun for everybody else, but in reality, it’s tough for pretty much everyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation. But when you’re part of the queer community in India, you also face a unique set of challenges on top of the nervousness that comes with putting yourself out there. In this episode, we chat to influencer, writer and renaissance-man Aniruddha Mahale about dating myths, finding community, and owning your desires.

Show notes:

Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: @evelyn_sharma

Aniruddha Mahale’s Instagram: @akneerude

Aniruddha’s book: https://harpercollins.co.in/product/get-out/

Produced by: Jennifer Collins, Charli Shield
Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi
Sound Engineer: Jonas Josten
Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler
Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi
Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

As just about anyone who has ever been in love knows, heartbreak hurts. A lot. But it can also help you grow, if you really take the time to process the pain. In this episode, psychiatrist and author Dr. Shyam Bhat talks to Evelyn about what happens when your heart breaks, and how you can emerge from the experience a stronger and more empathetic person.

Show notes:
Evelyn Sharma's Instagram
Shyam Bhat’s Instagram

Produced by: Axel Scheele, Sally McGrane
Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi
Sound Engineer: Gerd Georgii
Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler
Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi
Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

What do you do when you fall for someone who really fits the bill, but comes from a whole different part of the world? How do you decide where and how to live together? In this episode, Evelyn, who is German-Indian, talks to French-Indian actress Kalki Koechlin about the highs and lows of merging different cultures, traditions, dreams and languages to make love work with their international partners.

Show notes:
Evelyn Sharma's Instagram
Kalki Koechlin’s Instagram

Produced by: Jennifer Collins, Charli Shield
Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi
Sound Engineer: Gerd Georgii
Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler
Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi
Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

We all spend a lot of time at work. So it’s not inconceivable that, if you’re single, you might just find yourself having feelings for a colleague. This can be tricky terrain, as corporate inclusion expert Pallavi Pareek explains. From how an office flirt could affect your career to when it’s time to talk to HR, this episode helps us understand how we can make romance work, at work – and when it might be better just to walk away.

Show notes:
Ungender: https://www.ungender.in/
Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/
Pallavi Pareek’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pareek.pallavi/?hl=de

Produced by: Sally McGrane, Axel Scheele
Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi
Sound Engineer: Gerd Georgii
Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler
Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi
Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

While the Love Matters team takes a short break at the end of the year, we’re playing one of our favorite episodes from Season 1 about the controversial topic of interfaith relationships in India. Such unions are rare: Less than 2% of couples who tie the knot are from interfaith backgrounds. Inter-religious relationships are often shunned, and those who are vocal about celebrating their love publicly can face a backlash.

Evelyn speaks to actor Shruti Seth and her director husband Danish Aslam about the social media trolling they've faced for their interfaith marriage, as well as the importance of celebrating love in the face of hate and why their daughter gives them hope for the future.

Show notes:

Evelyn Sharma's Instagram

Shruti Seth’s Instagram

Danish Aslam’s Instagram

Produced by: Jennifer Collins, Nicolas Martin
Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi
Sound Engineer: Thomas Schmidt
Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi
Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

If it's not bringing in the money, lifting heavy things and never shedding a tear, what does it mean to be a 'man' in India today? For many men, this is an increasingly hard question to answer. As we move away from the harmful gender stereotypes that restrict what girls and women can and cannot do, more and more men are realizing that they too suffer from patriarchal ideas about how they should lead their lives.

In this episode, Evelyn chats to writer and creator of the 'Boyish' newsletter Rajat Mittal about what holds men back from opening up, feeling their emotions and bonding with each other. And how becoming a father gave Rajat the courage to feel and speak about things he never had before.

Show notes:

Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/
Boyish newsletter: https://boyish.in/

Rajat Mittal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeinafolder/?hl=en


Produced by: Jennifer Collins, Charli Shield

Sound Engineer: Robin Funke

Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler

Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi

Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

What’s life like in a ‘throuple’? That’s just one of the questions this episode dedicated to polyamory explores. Our guests Tanisha RK and Shweta Sangtani are in a committed relationship with each other and a third partner—who they also run a business with. They open up about common misconceptions -- like the idea that a polyamorous relationship involves less commitment than a monogamous one. They also share some of the best parts about being poly, which for them includes a focus on communication, emotional honesty, and taking time for yourself.

Get in touch with your relationship questions or thoughts on this week's show on [email protected]. And if you like what you hear, help others find the podcast by liking, reviewing, subscribing and sharing our episodes!



Show notes:

Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/

Sangya Project Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sangyaproject/

Tanisha RK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharkhootery/?hl=en

Sangya Project: https://sangyaproject.com/


Produced by: Jennifer Collins, Sally McGrane, Axel Scheele, Charli Shield

Sound Engineer: Gerd Georgii

Project Manager: Sonja Kaun

Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi

Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

In our first new episode since Love Matters' return, we dive into dating as a 20-something-year-old in India. There are a lot of assumptions out there about how young people are lovin' up on each other in today's era of hyperconnectivity and mobility. That they don't know how to meet people in person anymore, aren't serious about love and expect too much are just a few. So why not ask a couple of them what it's actually like and whether there's any truth to these notions? In this episode, Evelyn chats about love, dating and everything in between with the fun-loving and wise-beyond-their-years Gen Z social media personalities Kareema Barry and Agasthya Shah.

Get in touch with your relationship questions or thoughts on this week's show on [email protected]. And if you like what you hear, help others find the podcast by liking, reviewing, subscribing and sharing our episodes!


Show notes:

Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/

Kareema Barry's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kareemabarry/

Agasthya Shah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agasthya.shah/



Produced by: Charli Shield, Jennifer Collins

Sound Engineer: Gerd Georgii

Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler

Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Anant Nath Sharma, Khyati Rajvanshi

Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style

What's it like being in a polyamorous relationship? How can you make your international love story last? What are some dating red flags to look out for? Love Matters with Evelyn Sharma is here to help you navigate the ups and downs of love — with the help of celebrities, experts, influencers and friends.

Bollywood actress, entrepreneur, and new mother Evelyn Sharma talks matters of the heart with fabulous guests, who open up about their relationship experiences and share their insights with listeners.

The podcast provides a space to talk about the love and relationship topics that are important to young Indians. Tune in! And if you have a burning relationship question that you would like featured, email us at [email protected].

In the season finale of Love Matters, we return to the controversial topic of interfaith relationships in India. Such unions are rare: Less than 2% of couples who tie the knot are from interfaith backgrounds. Inter-religious relationships are often shunned, and those who are vocal about celebrating their love publicly can face a backlash — like our listener this week, Krutika Lele. Krutika is Hindu and her husband Tamir is Muslim and they're in a band called Interfaith. The musician says they have dealt with online harassment, prejudice and that she sometimes fears for their lives when they travel around the country. Evelyn speaks to actor Shruti Seth and her director husband Danish Aslam about the social media trolling they've faced for their interfaith marriage, as well as the importance of celebrating love in the face of hate and why their daughter gives them hope for the future.
Get in touch with your relationship questions or thoughts on this week's show on [email protected]. Help others find the podcast by liking, reviewing, subscribing and sharing our episodes!

Show notes:

Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/
Shruti Seth's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shru2kill/
Danish Aslam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontpanic79/

Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Department Life & Style
Lead Producer: Jennifer Collins
Producer and Lead Research: Sana Rizvi
Assistant Producers: Nicolas Martin, Charli Shield
DW Format and Product Development: Laura Döing
Sound Engineer: Thomas Schmidt
Editorial Support: Snigdha Sharma, Anant Nath Sharma, Shashank Bhargava