After a long 5 month hiatus...we are back with an update! 

We've been acquired!

That Desi Spark has been acquired by Prince Bhojwani of Asana Voices (AV), and TDS and AV have entered a strategic partnership. What does that mean? Annika stays on as host, Nita Bhojwani joins as CEO, and this episode covers all of Annika's thoughts on TDS' latest move. As for the rest, listen and find out! We're up to big things over here. We can't wait to see you along for the ride.

In the mean time, check out The Greatest Hits, a selection of the most listened-to episodes of TDS through its first 8 seasons...and stay tuned for the 9th!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!

Raja Kumari is a force - a Grammy-nominated artist who has collaborated with Fall Out Boy, Gwen Stefani, and more, the face of Mac Cosmetics, nominated three times for the MTV European Music Awards for Best India Act, and made her own label album debut with The Bridge. Speaking to TDS about her career, she jumped into her South Indian roost, what it took to succeed, and how South Asians are having more than a moment. 

Listen now to this interview with Raja Kumari conducted during Season 8.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan shot to fame as lead Devi Vishwakumar on Netflix' Never Have I Ever. Season 4, the final season of the show, aired in May of 2023. Maitreyi joined TDS for an interview that ran over time (sorry, Netflix!) discussing representation, how she coped with the haters, the love she had for the show, and what she hoped to achieve out of her career. 

Listen now to this interview with Maitreyi from Season 8.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!

Divya Robin's mental health advice on Instagram has been a blessing. And her conversation and thoughtful consideration around drawing boundaries with South Asian families was a hit. From baby steps to huge changes, she dove into alllll the considerations around drawing lines in your life for your mental health and made this episode one for the books.

Listen now to this interview with Divya conducted during Season 7. 

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits! 

Ramya Chunduri, LMSW, has been a social worker, counselor, advocate, and founder of Saurya Media. Her extensive work in the South Asian community and with women's centers produced a wealth of knowledge about domestic violence and gender-based violence, particularly during the pandemic. Diving into signs most people don't realize and hidden elements of these situations that we can learn about, she provided all of us with the knowledge that could save a life. Though the pandemic is over, many of the issues discussed in this episode are still relevant, leading it to remain one of the most listened-to shows even in 2024.

Listen now to this interview with Ramya, conducted during Season 6 (then The Woke Desi).

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits! 

Jasvinder Sanghera came home from school at the age of 14 to find out she was promised to be married. Running away at great personal risk, she was supported by her sister, who herself was married young and died by suicide after suffering from abuse. These experiences led to the founding of Karma Nirvana, an organization in the UK that has helped over 30,000 people, most of whom are of South Asian descent, escape from honor-based violence, forced marriage, and domestic abuse situations.

Listen now to this interview with Jasvinder, conducted during Season 3 (then The Woke Desi). 

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits!

Richa Moorjani has lit up television screens since her attention-grabbing role as Kamala, cousin of Devi, on Netflix' groundbreaking series, Never Have I Ever. Since then, she's gone onto work on Fargo, and is a proud advocate of veganism and humanitarian causes. She remains one of this show's favorite interiews.

Listen now to this interview with Richa Moorjani, conducted during Season 3 (then The Woke Desi).

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Relive some of the highest-rated, most listened-to episodes of That Desi Spark on The Greatest Hits! 

Brown Girl Therapy, created by Sahaj Kohli, has become synonymous with immigrant mental health. Sahaj offers compassion, understanding, and validation for hundreds of thousands of South Asians on Instagram, through her workshops, conversations, events, and with her new book, "But What Will People Say?" which came out in May of 2024. In fact, the Amazon blurb of her book offered a near-perfect description of her work: "Sahaj offers advice and tools for everything from navigating generational trauma, guilt, and boundaries, to breaking down stigmas around therapy and celebrating cultural duality. Democratizing and decolonizing the way we think about mental health and self-help, Sahaj’s incredible work is nothing short of a revolution." 

Listen now to this interview with Sahaj, conducted during Season 4 (then The Woke Desi). 

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

It's the last episode of That Desi Spark with Nehal as a host - but keep your eyes on TDS as it moves forward with Annika. Big things are coming!

5 years. 8 seasons. 130+ episodes. 140+ guests. 
The end of an era. And the beginning of another.

As of January, Nehal will be leaving That Desi Spark to chase her passion of becoming an entertainment-focused content creator, a passion she discovered on TDS.

When we met on a Facebook group, started a podcast, and built a business, lightning struck in a way that changed our lives. We created a lifelong sisterhood, a community that we are so grateful to be a part of, and friendships across the South Asian sphere that we cherish. We never saw it coming. And we can’t thank you enough for supporting us through our life changes - from situationships to babies! - and being a part of the community that we never dreamed would reach these heights. 

We hope you’ll continue to support Annika as she takes That Desi Spark forward on her own, and follow Nehal’s journey as doors continue to open for her as a content creator. New episodes and projects drop soon - and until then, keep lighting That Desi Spark.

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!

Kanika Chadda Gupta, host of That's Total Mom Sense (a hit podcast with guests like Chelsea Clinton!), joins TDS to talk through the career balance, deciding how to approach parenthood, and all the inspirational stories of incredible mothers across our diaspora and beyond.

You can hear her podcast here, and follow her on Instagram!

Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Amazon!

Follow TDS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and catch up with the hosts, Annika and Asana Voices on IG. Until next time, keep lighting That Desi Spark!