SBS Spice

Shamita Sivabalan has always been a force in the spotlight—dancer, choreographer, actor. In TV series 'Good Cop/Bad Cop', they break away from typical roles, playing Sarika Ray, a Marine-turned-cop. Shamita talks with SBS Spice’s Suhayla Sharif about casting challenges in Australia, addressing labels like “too brown” and “too queer,” and what it means for South Asian Australian visibility. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

At just 13, Poorna Malavath became the youngest woman to summit Mount Everest in 2014. But that was only the beginning. Since then, she has conquered the highest peaks across all seven continents. Now, she’s turning her focus closer to home—hoping to inspire young girls in India to pursue sports climbing. Poorna speaks to Suhayla Sharif about finding new peaks by staying grounded. Listen now, only on SBS Spice—wherever you get your podcasts.

The South Asian Australian community is rapidly growing as more migrants from the region choose to call Australia home. A second generation of South Asian immigrants, the children of at least one foreign-born parent, are tasked with finding belonging in social circles that often question the validity of their Australian or South Asian identities. Spice girls Saesha Senanayake and Suhayla Sharif examine the bricks of their 'in-between' identity and what has shaped their understanding of acceptance in multicultural Australia. Listen to the full episode— only on SBS Spice.

Dabba Cartel is the Indian Netflix series plating up a fresh take on crime drama. When a Mumbai-based food delivery service unexpectedly turns into a drug cartel, five women are caught in a tangled web of cooking, crime and chaos. Magnifying the hustle and hardships of women in India's working class, Dilpreet Kaur Taggar lifts the lid on the series with director Hitesh Bhatia and co-creator Shibani Akhtar. Listen now on SBS Spice— available wherever you find your podcasts.

Pallavi Sharda has established an acting career over several continents, embodying a range of characters and contexts. From tasting success in India's cinema landscape to finding her feet in Hollywood, she now has her sights set back on where it all began— Australia. Her latest role in Jonathan Teplitzky's 'Spit' pays homage to her roots in the suburbs whilst also reclaiming the rights to her own representation. Pallavi shares how she hopes to shift South Asian narratives on screen with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar- listen now wherever you find your podcasts.

My Melbourne is the 2025 anthology film that unites Indian directors Onir, Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das and Kabir Khan to explore the depths of Australian city's diversity. The pillars of sexuality, disability, gender and race are cemented through four stories set in Melbourne, Victoria- home to 36% of Australia's Indian migrants. Suhayla Sharif explores bridge building with filmmaking in conversation with My Melbourne's producer Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM and writers Shivangi Bhowmick, Monique Nair and Nazifa Amiri. Listen now, only on SBS Spice, wherever you find your podcasts.

The rent’s too high, the planet’s on fire, and your HECS debt is growing while you sleep—so what now? With federal election around the corner, Dilpreet Kaur Taggar sits down with Senator Mehreen Faruqi—Deputy Leader of the Greens—to dive into the big debates shaping Australia’s future. Why is a trip to the dentist a luxury, why does homeownership feel further out of reach, and can any party truly challenge a system dominated by the same two players? From climate action to the fight against racism, Mehreen lays out the battles ahead. Listen now, only on SBS Spice, wherever you find your podcasts.

What’s it like to report on South Asia’s most urgent stories? Former ABC South Asia Correspondent Avani Dias takes us inside the job—covering Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, Pakistan’s political landscape, and the treatment of minority groups in India. She unpacks global media’s misrepresentation of the region, the emotional toll of reporting, and the stark contrast between Australia’s quiet newsrooms and India’s media frenzy. This episode is a look into the stories that matter and the journalists who tell them—listen only on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

What happens when you don’t speak, read, or make eye contact for 10 whole days? SBS Spice girl Dilpreet Kaur Taggar went full monk mode at a Vipassana retreat, and Suhayla Sharif is here to ask the questions—Was it peaceful or just painful? Did she reach enlightenment or just realise she might be the problem? In this intimate chat, we unpack mindfulness, solitude, and the fine line between self-awareness and toxic positivity. Because sometimes, 'good vibes only' just isn’t enough. Listen only on SBS Spice—wherever you get your podcasts.

Inside Australia’s multi-billion-dollar wedding industry, where do South Asian weddings stand? Known for their grandeur, these weddings balance tradition, family expectations, and modern realities. In this episode, we speak to a couple who went all in, another who eloped to escape the spectacle, a wedding planner and a fashion expert shaping the dream—exploring how cultural expectations, personal desires, and the price of love are redefining the Desi wedding scene in Australia.