Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast SBS Spice

In this episode of SBS Spice, host Dilpreet chats with Dhee, the voice behind Tamil cinema's viral hit 'Rowdy Baby' and the iconic 'Enjoy Enjaami', now making waves with her own independent music. Born to a Sri Lankan father and an Indian mother and raised in Western Sydney, Dhee’s latest single, 'I Wear My Roots Like a Medal', is an anthem of self-discovery, blending her cross-cultural experiences into a sound that’s entirely her own. From her beginnings in playback singing to crafting her unique musical identity, Dhee opens up about breaking expectations, creating music on her own terms, and navigating the complexities of social media. She also shares her hopeful vision for South Asian representation in the music industry—and why she believes now is a pivotal time for change. Listen to the episode on SBS Spice, available wherever you find your podcasts.

The ever-hilarious Dilruk Jayasinha joins Dilpreet Kaur Taggar for a chat about his journey on SBS’s latest show, Shaun Micallef’s Origin Odyssey. In this fresh new series, Dilruk heads back to Sri Lanka, reconnecting with family, revisiting his childhood stomping grounds, and peeling back the layers of his cultural identity for Australian audiences. When asked how he thinks viewers will react, Dilruk’s take is simple: he doesn’t care. For him, the win has already happened in getting to share a slice of his life and family with the world. Joining us from Melbourne, Dilruk goes beyond the laughs as we dive into the power of authenticity and how embracing our roots brings us closer together.

It’s not often that you come across someone who goes against the wind with such flair that a culture shift is bound to happen. Our guest for this episode, Megha Kapoor, is exactly that kind of a groundbreaker. An editor, stylist, writer, creative director, and former Head of Editorial Content at Vogue India, Megha sits down with SBS Spice to talk about her foray into fashion, her fervent belief in the power of critique, and why it's desperately needed in today's landscape. But in an era where product placements abound, how do editors maintain authenticity? Dilpreet Kaur Taggar hosts.

Musicals have opened up a new realm of expression for theatre enthusiasts, showcasing that South Asian talent on stage goes far beyond the Bollywood song sequences often associated with them. Vidya Makan, starring as Eliza Hamilton in the 2024 season of HAMILTON, Australia, exemplifies this diversity by adding her own Desi spin to the character. But, what does that look like? SBS Spice visits the rehearsal room to hear directly from her.

23-year-old Yusuf Chothia is set to go for gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, representing Australia in the men’s 51kg boxing division, and the only South Asian person to do so. Born in South Africa and based in Perth, Western Australia, the three-time national champion carries the legacy of his Indian ancestors close to him. Hosted by Suhayla Sharif, the gloves are off for this chat as Yusuf unravels the hits and misses of being a young sportsperson aiming to achieve.

Priya Sharma didn't realise how far her Hindi content would travel when she first tried it. "My Hindi is a bit childlike," she shares. Having a mother tongue that is not widely spoken outside of a small, intimate circle is a common thread among children of the diaspora. But it was embracing this exact aspect of her identity that inspired her to dream of a life beyond the binaries of a 9-5 job or a mortgage. SBS Spice visits Priya at her home to bring you this pro-dreamer episode. Hosted by Suhayla Sharif.

Thousands of Sri Lankan children were adopted illegally between the 1960s and 1980s, leaving many inter-country and inter-racial adoptees grappling with lost identities. Sri Lankan-Australian playwright, Chenturan Aran, uses dark humor to explore this painful history in his new production, 'Cut Chilli'. But how does one craft such a story in Australia, a country with its own history of stolen generation, while also renegotiating their cultural displacement as a child of the diaspora? Dilpreet hosts.

Nick Sharma and Carrie Ou Yeung met online, fell in love, and now create digital content together, making the internet both the heart of their love story and their workplace. Nick, who is Indian, and Carrie, from Hong Kong, navigate their relationship under the ever-watchful eyes of the Asian diaspora, both online and offline. But how does one continue to love amidst constant commentary topped with cultural and linguistic differences? Suhayla Sharif from SBS Spice finds out.

Indian films deeply influence the South Asian diaspora. We know now that an 'Appu' is undoable or a 'Raj Koothrapali' insufferable but even a lovable brown character is also laced with flaws. Where do we draw the line or should we even bother? SBS Spice's Dilpreet explores the complexities of migration and the power of films in enriching these narratives with one of India's most renowned film critics and experts, Sucharita Tyagi.

For centuries, dance has defined storytelling for South Asians. Emerging dancers in Australia continue to straddle two worlds while defying social expectations of gender and sensuality. SBS Spice's Suhayla Sharif invites Sivamsan Senthilvasan, Shyamla, and Anjana Chandran to explore how one body can hold multiple cultures and transcend borders.

Officially known as a mentalist, Suhani Shah is arguably one of modern India's most popular mind readers and magicians. Extensively covered and followed, SBS Spice hosts her virtually from India to explore what lies behind the ancient artform - especially given the digital world's consumption. But when something is done over and over again, how does the magic stay?

From packing food hampers to going on the road to regional areas, Amar Singh and the team at Turbans 4 Australia provide aid relief to people going through a crisis and communities recovering from natural disasters. SBS Spice visits Amar Singh at his warehouse in Sydney to see firsthand a Sunday relief drive run by the volunteers for a couple of hundred people in need. In a world where scarcity can stop us from lending a hand, where does abundance come from? Spice speaks with Amar in a one-on-one.

Shankari Chandran has always turned to storytelling for refuge. Now, with four novels and the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award to her name, the Tamil-Australian author has claimed her place in Australia’s literary world—but it wasn’t without a fight. Once dismissed for her work not being 'Australian enough,' Shankari now calls for a reckoning, demanding a reimagining of Australia’s narrative—one that refuses to silence diverse voices. How do we break through? SBS Spice host Suhayla Sharif sits down with Shankari to uncover the transformative stories that will define the future of South Asian Australian literature.

Sid Sriram has had a career that's spanned across countries, languages, and industries, yet it's his deeply grounded roots in his own identity that has made him a globally renowned artist. From his independent work where he walks listeners through his journey to his playback tracks in Indian films that make you feel at home, Sid continuously traverses two worlds. It's long time coming to shatter the box we're put in - but what happens once the box no longer exists? Sid Sriram joins SBS Spice in the studio.

Chancing upon his great grandfather’s letters in a shoebox while on a visit to Sri Lanka gave life to Shakthidharan's highly acclaimed theatre production, Counting and Cracking, which follows a Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations. Growing up in Western Sydney after his family left Sri Lanka, he says his mother barely spoke to him about the war that had broken her heart. And so, his journey of finding his legacy first began - but does a formula for discovering something we carry inherently even exist? Shakthi joins SBS Spice in the studios.

From singing Kirtan at her local Gurdwara to being in a girl band, hosting on radio, and entertaining with parody Bollywood songs online, Punjabi-Australian artist Avneesha Martins has never stopped dreaming. A strong believer in the mantra 'what's meant to happen, will happen,' she gets deep into what keeps her going, even when the algorithm isn't always our friend.

Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, also known as Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, is observed on May 18 each year. While the day is not officially recognised in Sri Lanka, the Tamil diaspora commemorates it internationally. Renuga Inpakumar began advocating for Eelam Tamil refugees at the age of 10. Now 21, she continues to use her voice to raise awareness not only about the Tamil Eelam genocide but also to share the stories of Eelam Tamil refugees in Australia.

May 14 is Girmit Day - a day that commemorates when the first indentured labourers arrived in Fiji from India in 1879 under British colonial rule. The term Girmit, or Girmityas, was used to refer to Indian indentured labourers as it was how they would pronounce the English word 'agreement'. SBS Spice's Suhayla Sharif speaks with six Indo-Fijian Australians to shed light on their enduring legacy.

What exactly is South Asian food? In fact, can South Asian food be exact? We are not a monolithic community but our food binds us so much more together. SBS Spice guest, and MasterChef Australia Season 13 finalist, Kishwar Chowdhury, helps us decode the DNA of South Asian food through her Indian-Bangladeshi heritage and shares how a humble rebellion against Daal & Rice kicked off her journey.

The female gaze of Netlix's latest Indian production, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, has viewers craving to be inside the mastermind Sanjay Leela Bhansali's jewelled universe. We speak with two lead actors of the show, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditi Rao Hydari, about how the show dissolves the binary of "good" or "bad" women and why history has erased some of India's most fearless freedom fighters.

A chance remark by an old friend in Sydney takes a woman back to her teenage years: living alone, by the sea in Chennai. And so begins the story of Nayika: A Dancing Girl, a theatre production mixing storytelling, live music and Bharatanatyam. We sat down with co-directors, Nithya Nagarajan and Liv Satchell, to flesh out how the journey of this performance began, what makes Nayika the "9th heroine" and how one woman's story is somewhere every woman's story.

There’s brown and then there’s eBrown. With the mic firmly in his grasp, the internet is sat for Goan-Australian content creator, Jeremy Franco, who is often seen imitating his mum online. But with the ever-changing algorithm, how much can we rely on culture to feel seen? And more importantly: is it necessary to always do brown focused content as a brown creator?

Is being South Asian all there is to a South Asian character on TV? Breaking beyond what is expected of brown faces on our screens, Ayesha Madon, lead of the Netflix hit 'Heartbreak High', speaks with SBS Spice about how doing a role that didn't center around her identity alone was game changing. She says there is no gatekeeper, one has to make their own gate. The question remains: where do we begin?

Qais Essar is hailed as a master of Afghanistan's national instrument, the Rabab. With a rich history spanning over 2,500 years, the Rabab has endured periods of silence, but Qais believes it is at its quietest today. How does an ancient instrument find its place in today’s world? In this episode, Qais joins SBS Spice host Suhayla Sharif from Northern Arizona to explore the art of blending the contemporary with the classic and how the Afghan-American artist is reinventing its sound to secure its legacy for future generations.

SBS Spice breaks new ground with English language content for young Australians of South Asian heritage. It's a fresh new look at pop culture, identity, food, sport, history and much more.

A luminary in contemporary Indian music, Prateek Kuhad is distinguished for his deeply personal and evocative soundscapes. Crafting music that feels like an intimate conversation, his niche but devoted fan base weaves a global tapestry. Often hailed as India’s biggest sonic export in recent years, Prateek joins Dilpreet in our Sydney studios amidst his Australian tour to explore why he continues to write music for himself before others, delve into his artistic process, and discuss the slow but evolving perceptions of Indian artists in the West.

Can you find your way back to someone you love after being apart for years? Set between India and Australia, SBS’s new original series 'Four Years Later' explores this dilemma in its eight-part journey, premiering on SBS on Demand on 2 October. Dilpreet from SBS Spice visits the set to speak with writer Mithila Gupta and lead actors Shahana Goswami and Akshay Ajit Singh, uncovering the intricacies of bringing this unique Indian-Australian romantic drama to life and find out if love can truly endure all.

Set in 16th century India, as the Taj Mahal is about to be unveiled after years of meticulous construction, two best friends stand guard at dawn and face an unimaginable task. This is the gripping premise of Guards at the Taj, directed by Bali Padda and written by Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Rajiv Joseph. Yet, at the heart of the play is neither the monument nor the era, but a profound friendship between two brown men. Bali Padda joins Dilpreet in the studio for an intimate conversation about the play's deeper themes and the bonds that drive it.

As we were baking banana bread and trying dalgona coffee during COVID, our guest was making music videos out of her garage. Rooted in her Indian heritage and Australian upbringing, Melbourne-based singer and songwriter, ASHWARYA, flourishes in the rich blend of her dual identity. She joins Suhayla Sharif as we explore not just the unboxing of South Asian talent, but also the urgency of breaking through identity labels to find the true sound of the Australian music industry.

Discovering a mislabeled book in a Broken Hill mosque set our guest on a path to unearth cultural encounters between South Asian and Aboriginal communities in the 19th-century Australia, culminating in her groundbreaking debut monograph, 'Australianama'. Dhaka-born, Australia-bred feminist and cultural historian, Dr Samia Khatun focuses on the experiences of colonised peoples across the British Empire. Joining Ria Pandey for this episode, she challenges us to rethink the very foundations of how we understand our past, engage with our present, and envision our future. Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that this program includes the name of a deceased person.

Anasuya Sengupta made history as the first Indian actor to snag the Best Actor award at Cannes. But she doesn't see it as her personal win: "It's a win for all of us," she says. Anasuya's heart never left acting, even during her years as a production designer. So when Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov came calling with 'The Shameless,' she didn't waste any time. Join host Dilpreet as Anasuya delves into the magic that happens when we allow life to shape us rather than over-strategising.

Sharon Johal didn’t just want to act. She wanted to be seen. The Punjabi-Australian actor left behind a career in law to fill a gap she’d long noticed on Australian screens: someone who looked like her. First seen on SBS’ Bollywood Star, Sharon has gone on to appear in the cult-classic Neighbours, The Block, and more — becoming both a familiar face and a vocal force for change. But visibility has come at a cost, with Sharon facing racial abuse off-screen and online. In this conversation with Suhayla Sharif at SBS Sydney, she reflects on 15 years in front of the camera and what it really means to take up space. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s not every day you hear qawwalis in Melbourne’s Fed Square. The centuries-old form of Sufi devotional music has long offered healing through rhythm, repetition and poetry. In Pakistan, the tradition has flourished, finding new life across generations. At Blockbuster, that sound arrives in the heart of the city. Zohaib Ali, one half of the duo Zain Zohaib, joins Dilpreet Kaur Taggar to reflect on carrying forward a sacred lineage and how it feels to bring it to Australian audiences for the very first time. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

Before taking to the stage, Yashith Fernando fell in love with musical theatre the same way most South Asians have— Bollywood. Now having found his rhythm, the Sri Lankan-Australian actor has performed for audiences Shakespeare to Smooth Criminal to the beat of his own tune. His latest role in MJ the Musical has him wielding a camera as Alejandro, but Suhayla Sharif turns the lens on Yashith in this chat at the Sydney Lyric Theatre that lifts the curtains on being South Asian under stage lights. Listen wherever you find your podcasts.

What do we call progress — and what do we lose when we pursue it blindly? In this episode of SBS Spice, Dilpreet Kaur Taggar speaks to the team behind The Wrong Gods — the new play by Counting and Cracking writer S. Shakthidharan, now premiering at Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre. Set in a rural Indian valley, The Wrong Gods is an intimate drama about a mother and daughter divided by belief, and a community forced to reckon with the promises and perils of modernisation. Featuring conversations with actors Nadie Kammallaweera and Radhika Mudaliyar, designer Keerthi Subramanyam, and Shakthidharan himself. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Bangalore-born comic Jo Gowda joins SBS Spice to talk about her new show Export Quality at the Sydney Comedy Festival — a sharp, funny take on the migrant experience in Australia. From navigating Brisbane’s eerie quiet to decoding how Aussies talk (and eat), Jo unpacks the layered reality of life as an outsider looking in. Offstage, she’s also raising a full-blown Aussie kid who loves Vegemite — and no, she still hasn’t made peace with it. Plus: a rapid-fire round as your favourite Bangalore dad. Listen wherever you find your podcasts.

Labor MP Cassandra Fernando has represented the seat of Holt in Victoria since 2022. As Labor seeks a second term in government, she makes the case for her party’s record and its promises to voters. In this episode of SBS Spice, she speaks to Suhayla Sharif about Labor’s plans to tackle the cost of living crisis, HECS debt, and the national housing shortage. Fernando, who migrated from Sri Lanka as a child, also discusses the role of representation in Australian politics and the challenges of connecting with an increasingly diverse electorate.

Singapore-based comedian Kumar has been pushing the boundaries of Asia's entertainment landscape for over three decades. Performing as a drag queen and comedic entertainer, his unfiltered yet effervescent humour has never bowed down to binaries and boxes. Just before taking to the stage for Sydney Comedy Festival, he sat down with Suhayla Sharif to explore how old school humour is shaping the future of being funny. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you find your podcasts.

Stand-up comedy royalty Prashasti Singh makes her Australian debut with Divine Feminine — a show delivered entirely in Hindi (with a little Hinglish). Ahead of her performance at the Sydney Comedy Festival, she joins Dilpreet Kaur Taggar on SBS Spice to open up about language, longing, and the layered experience of connecting with desis abroad. Together, they dive into age anxiety, algorithm-induced identity crises, and the unexpected comfort of finding “your tribe” far from home. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you find your podcasts.

Senator Fatima Payman quit Labor over Palestine. Now she’s leading her own party. In this episode of SBS Spice, she tells Suhayla Sharif why she walked, what it cost her, and how it led to the formation of Australia’s Voice. From HECS relief and supermarket price gouging to Gaza and foreign aid, she outlines her party’s vision—and what she believes young Australians should be pushing for at the ballot box in the upcoming federal election. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you find your podcasts.

Writer and digital creator Ruchi Page joins SBS Spice on the long, messy journey of making peace with your body. Growing up as a brown girl in a predominantly white town, Ruchi learned early on how body image is shaped not just by mirrors, but by the people we love, the cultures we come from, and the spaces we’re told we don’t belong in. In this conversation with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar, we talk about softness, shame, and the power of real storytelling — both online and in Butterfly Foundation’s new campaign The Changing Room, which Ruchi is part of. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

What makes a joke travel? Urooj Ashfaq and Anirban Dasgupta, two of India’s most distinctive comedy voices, are touring Australia and figuring that out in real time. From navigating diaspora nerves to resisting the pressure to “perform Indian-ness,” they talk about what lands, what doesn’t, and how the rules of the stage shift depending on where you are—and where you’re from. In the lead-up to their Sydney Comedy Festival show, they join Dilpreet Kaur Taggar on SBS Spice to unpack silence, self-censorship, and the strange freedom that comes with being funny far from home.

Not your aunty’s idea of stand-up. Daizy Maan and Niv Prakasam are carving out space on Australia’s biggest comedy stages with Brown Women Comedy—one sharp, subversive set at a time. They join Suhayla Sharif to chat about the politics of palatability, turning silence into laughter, and what happens when you take your story and make it the punchline (on your own terms).

Punjab is about to pulse through the heart of Melbourne, with Blockbuster — a one-day explosion of Pakistani music, art and identity at Fed Square. Dilpreet Kaur Taggar sits down with three music heavyweights performing in Australia for the very first time: Annural Khalid, Spotify Pakistan’s most-streamed woman artist of 2024; Xulfi, the iconic producer behind Coke Studio’s recent evolution; and Sherry Khattak, the frontman reigniting Pakistan’s rock scene. Art might be rooted in place, but it was always meant to travel. Listen to the conversation now, only on SBS Spice, wherever you find your podcasts.

A 13-year-old boy, a murder, and the internet—where does the blame begin? Suhayla Sharif and Dilpreet Kaur Taggar break down Adolescence, Netflix’s chilling dive into the manosphere, incel culture, and the online rabbit holes shaping young men. When ideology turns dangerous, who’s really in control?

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.