Maharani Talks

It's not easy to reveal to the world that you're a sexual minority. Now imagine you're an Indian. The stakes are that much higher. Dr. Varuna Srinivasan's decision to come out as a bisexual woman shows that she is not afraid to take a stand & voice her opinion. Her inability to find safe spaces to open up made her become a gender justice advocate and also build an online community to do just that - to be a safe space for others to address their sexual health concerns.

She was named 'Woman of Courage' by Serena Williams in Vogue Magazine for her work in promoting gender issues in South Asian communities. Not an easy feat.

After completing medicine, Dr. Varuna studied public health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School and went on to work as public health researcher. She has also worked for Doctors without Borders and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and is currently a researcher at Yale University.

We discuss many pertinent topics regarding sexual and gender issues, and the LGBTQ community.

You can reach Dr. Varuna on her Instagram page

https://www.instagram.com/drvarunasrinivasan/?hl=en

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It's been a year since work from home became a norm across all companies. A recent survey by Microsoft revealed that 40% of global workers are considering leaving their employers this year based on how leaders managed this new challenge.

The pandemic has completely overhauled our idea of work culture. In this special episode, I discuss with Anitha M Lakshmi, a Human Resources advisor, what are employees looking for as the pandemic shows no abatement. What is the work culture going to look like? Will women get back their jobs? And more.

As founder and director of Artifex HR, Anitha has over 15 years of experience advising start ups and growing companies in building a diverse team, with clients in industries such as tech, fashion, retail, healthcare etc. You can reach Anitha M Lakshmi on LinkedIn.

Check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

Coffee culture is a big part of our lives. But most of us know it as either instant, espresso or filter coffee. Step in: cold brew - the art of steeping ground coffee beans in cold temperature, bringing out a more intense flavour.

And this is where Arman Sood and his two co-founders, Ashwajeet Singh and Ajai Thandi, decided to step in with their company, Sleepy Owl Coffee, one of the first movers in the cold brew coffee market.

What started in a two bedroom apartment in Delhi, Sleepy Owl has now managed to carve a niche space for itself in the coffee market, among bigger players like Starbucks, Nestlè and Amul.

So how did they manage to do that? Listen to the episode to find out more.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/maharanitalks/

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As a parent, you're always in search of heartfelt books that you can uncover for your children. For me, that search has also been to balance the storytelling not just by international authors, but equally by Indian authors. It's this curiosity that has led me to have this wonderful conversation with one of the noted authors of children's literature in India.

In a decade long career, Natasha Sharma has written and published 21 books for children. After quitting a corporate job, her decision to become an author has seen many books of hers like Icky, Yucky, Mucky!, Rooster Raga, Squiggly Takes a Walk, Vikram and the Vampire, and History Mystery series have become hugely popular among children.

Bonkers! won Natasha the 2014 Crystal Kite Award for Asia and the Middle East, given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her book Kaka and Munni is on the CBSE recommended reading list for schools.

In this podcast, Natasha talks about how she develops the idea behind the book, her favourite writing style, the problem of discoverability in India and much more.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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By now, most of you would've heard, if not read already, this lovely book called Ikigai by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia. What was initially thought to be a book that might interest a certain section of people caught the attention of the world.

Ikigai has gone on to sell millions of copies, stood #1 in non fiction categories and translated into many other languages, including Indian languages.

But much before Ikigai the book happened, the award winning author Francesc has always lived in the pursuit of his Ikigai - following his heart's desire. From studying journalism, working as a waiter, a primary school teacher, travelling, writing, bringing out a music album to becoming an editor and now helping others find their Ikigai.

But Francesc also talks about the period between finding his next passion, which he refers to as a 'desert crossing' and how he stayed hopeful during that phase.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Did you know that about 50% of all Indian women take a break within three years of starting work. And 80% of them cannot find a way back to work.That's an alarming drain of women talent in the workforce right?

It's exactly this issue that I have a chat with Neha Bagaria, who started JobsForHer with the sole aim of getting women, especially mothers, to realise their potential. According to the United Nations Global Compact India study, raising women's participation in the labour force to the same level as men can boost India's GDP by 27%. ⠀

It was Neha's own break from her career when she became a mother that got Neha thinking about the need to fill this gap. Since its inception in 2015, JobsForHer has worked with over two million women and 7,500 companies. ⠀

A Wharton graduate, Neha has been listed in Forbes India's 2018 W-Power Trailblazers and 'Ten Most Impactful Women in Tech 2020' by Analytics Insight.

Check out JobsForHer at www.jobsforher.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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It's been about two weeks since India rolled out its Covid vaccination drive against the ongoing pandemic. While the current priority is to provide these vaccines to health professionals and other front line workers, many regular folk are either awaiting to take the shot or would like to delay it.

And the questions over the administering of Covaxin vaccine (by Bharath Biotech) to the general public before completing it's Phase III clinical trial has added to this confusion and anxiety. The other vaccine available is Covishield (by Serum Institute of India), which has completed all the three phases of clinical trials.

In this special episode, I discuss with Dr. Pavithra Venkatagopalan, a virologist whose specialisation has been in the field of coronoviruses and has spent many years studying the virus. She is also the director of Care Health Diagnostic Lab. Dr. Pavithra outlines the differences between both the vaccines, the ongoing concerns over Covaxin and the doubts people often have before getting the shot.

This interview was recorded on January 29th, 2021.

The content in this episode is for informational purpose only. Please consult an authorised medical professional for any queries concerning the vaccines.

You can reach Dr. Pavithra on Instagram @pavithravenkatagopalan

You can check out Maharani Talks on Instagram @maharanitalks

When we want to catch up on news, there are countless sources at our disposal. But what about those who're visually impaired? India is home to over 20% of the world's blind population, yet other than the radio, there are no newspapers or magazines that can inform them about current affairs.

It's this troubling thought that made Upasana Makati launch White Print, India's first lifestyle magazine in Braille, in May 2013.

White Print became such a novel innovation that companies such as Coco Cola, Raymond, Tata Group, Mahindra ₹ Mahindra and others learnt how to advertise in Braille. For her remarkable feat, Upasana was presented the First Lady Award by the Women & Child Development Ministry of India (2018), and made it to Fortune India 40 Under 40 and Forbes India 30 Under 30 lists.

For more information about White Print, check out www.whiteprint.in

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Meet Ram Devineni, the creator of India's first female superhero - Priya's Shakti. When Ram published the first comic book in 2014 at the Mumbai Comic Con, he didn't expect his protagonist - a gangrape survivor, who overcomes her fear and stigma, to become such a viral hit, not just in India but globally as well.

The poignant image of Priya riding bravely on her tiger and friend, Saahas ended up denoting a symbolic crusader against gender violence.

Since then, Priya's Shakti has been honoured by UN Women as a 'Gender Equality Champion', and has been covered in countless international and national publications such as The Huffington Post, Forbes, The Guardian etc. The subsequent comic series tackled equally pressing issues like acid attacks and sex trafficking.

The latest one, Priya's Mask, released this month highlights the issue of children coping through this pandemic. Along with an animated short film with actors Vidya Balan and Mrunal Thakur voicing the characters.

As a documentary filmmaker, Ram had, through his company, Rattapallax produced The Russian Woodpecker, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and later directed The Karma Killings, based on the horrific Nithari murders.

To find out more about Priya and Saahas, please visit www.priyashakti.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Shazia Iqbal was one of the lead production designers of Emmy nominated and India's first original Netflix series, Sacred Games and Emmy nominated mini-series Lust Stories. Sacred Games is also the only Indian series to feature in The New York Times list of 'The 30 Best International TV Shows of the Decade.'⠀

Her powerful short movie, "Bebaak' that discusses religious and patriarchal preoccupation over women's bodies, won many awards including Best Debut Director, International and Audience Choice award at the 35th Sao Paulo International Shorts Film festival and Filmfare Best Short Film.

Bebaak was produced by Anurag Kashyap and features actors Sarah Hashmi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

In this episode, I sit down with Shazia Iqbal to discuss:⠀

▪Working on Sacred Games⠀

▪Her transition from a production designer to a director⠀

▪Her powerful short movie, "Bebaak' that discusses religious and patriarchal preoccupation over women's bodies⠀

▪Stereotyping of movies directed by women

You can watch Bebaak streaming on Mubi.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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