SBS Spice

Twenty-five years ago, Dil Chahta Hai brought Aamir Khan, Preity Zinta, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti to Sydney for a 45-day shoot. There were helicopters, packed streets, late-night takes, missed shots, and a crew working in a way Anupam Sharma says Indian cinema hadn’t seen before. He takes us back to the making of the film’s Australian scenes, and why Sydney became such a big part of the film. Watch the interview on YouTube.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

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Swati Sachdeva is one of the few women in Indian comedy openly talking about being bisexual, but she has no interest in letting that define her work. In Australia for her first tour, Swati speaks with Dilpreet Taggar about being a woman in Indian stand-up, being boxed in after going viral, and the unexpected sense of kinship she finds among South Asians overseas. And before she leaves, we put her Australian slang to the test. Watch the full interview on SBS Spice on YouTube.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

#sbsaudiopodcast

For Raghav Handa, Sydney is a city of show-offs, daredevils, storytellers and people who know how to make a scene. Naturally, he loves it. The Australian-Indian choreographer’s new work, One Song, premieres with Sydney Dance Company and draws on the city that shaped him. But why do South Asians love dance and music while hesitating to see them as real careers? And why shouldn’t loving your culture also mean questioning it? This and lots more in this episode of SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app.

#sbsaudiopodcast

SBS Spice stepped into a night of big wins and even bigger pride at the Australian Sikh Awards of Excellence 2026. Across eight categories, Sikh Australians were celebrated for building businesses, advancing agriculture, serving communities, excelling in sport and the arts, and uplifting women and young people. With the community contributing an estimated $15.5 billion to Australia, Bali Padda, Maneet Singh, Bijinder Dugal OAM, Amar Singh and Stephen Kamper reflected on the value behind it all: seva, or selfless service. Listen now, on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

For four seasons, SBS’s Logie-nominated survival series ‘Alone Australia’ has asked contestants what it means to be truly alone, with $250,000 on the line. Now casting its next group of survivors, executive producer Riima Daher tells Suhayla Sharif what it takes to join the hit series, where nature is both protagonist and antagonist. Do you have what it takes to survive? Find out in this episode of SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Shamik Chakrabarti has quietly become one of India's most distinctive English-language comedians, and while on his Australian tour, he dropped into SBS Spice. Unfortunately for him, Dilpreet Taggar had bigger priorities than comedy. Like astrology, of course. Somehow they do find time to discuss comedy writing, Aussie slang, Indian parents, whale watching, and omelettes. Not necessarily in that order. You can also watch this interview on YouTube.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Australia's very own Shabana Azeez has missed the sourdough slices and local coffees since making her mark in American television with 'The Pitt'. She also hasn't forgotten how being on-screen brings new hurdles for South Asian actors. As she prepared for SBS's latest drama 'The Airport Chaplain' to take off, she sat down with Suhayla Sharif to unpack her life between flights. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

SBS’s biggest new drama is ready for departure. At the heart of one of Australia’s busiest international airports, 'The Airport Chaplain' brings together the people, languages and lives that keep the country moving. Actor Arka Das joins Dilpreet Taggar to talk about bringing the ambitious series to life and why this story could only be told by SBS. Listen now, on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode.

Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Are journalists storytellers? Or are they just agents for storytelling? ABC News presenter Jeremy Fernandez and photojournalist Mridula Amin have broken and captured some of the most powerful stories in Australian media. In this chat with Dilpreet Taggar, they discuss the weight diversity carries in news reporting, both in front of and behind the camera. Listen and watch now, only on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode.


Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Amongst the black and white of hard journalism, Marc Fennell is magnetised by the grey. Starting as "that movie guy" on SBS to 'Stuff The British Stole' across its many mediums, Marc has built his career on turning stories into adventures. The 'Mastermind' host joins SBS Spice's Suhayla Sharif to discuss some of the most compelling topics of our time— curly haircare, "baddies" and skinny jeans. Listen and watch now, only on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode.

Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

A movement that began as internet satire has exploded into one of the biggest youth-led challenges to Narendra Modi's government in years. Reporting from Delhi, SBS Asia Correspondent Aaron Fernandes joins SBS Spice's Dilpreet Taggar to explain the rise of the Cockroach Janta Party, the NEET exam leak that ignited the protests, Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike, the police response, and why the movement has struck a chord with young Indians frustrated by unemployment, the rising cost of living and a lack of opportunity. Watch or listen on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode.

Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

As Indians become Australia’s largest migrant community, what conversations are we still avoiding? Growing up, Dalit-Australian artist Kirtika Kain hid her caste. Today, she’s one of the few artists in Australia placing it at the centre of her work. Kain joins SBS Spice’s Dilpreet Taggar to discuss why reading Dr B.R. Ambedkar in a community, thousands of kilometres from India, still gives her the strength to continue the fight her ancestors would have wanted her to. Watch on YouTube or listen here.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode.

Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

The West loves simple stories about India. Leena Yadav doesn’t. The acclaimed filmmaker behind Parched (2015) and House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (2021) joins Dilpreet Taggar to dissect where India’s bold feminist cinema has gone and why one of the world’s most complex countries refuses to fit a single story.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode.

Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

As Indians become Australia’s largest migrant community, SBS Spice’s Dilpreet Taggar sits down with Indian music star and innovator Ritviz ahead of his Kurta Saree Dance Party, where you must turn up in kurtas and sarees to celebrate music and South Asian culture. For many young South Asians, wearing traditional clothing once came with self-consciousness. Today, it can be an act of pride. Watch the chat on YouTube or listen on SBS Spice.

Ritviz is bringing his Kurta Saree Dance Party to Liberty Hall in Sydney and to 170 Russell in Melbourne. SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Drawn from real life testimonies from the Sri Lankan civil war, theatre production 'The Jungle and the Sea' brings one family’s story to Australian stages. Dilpreet speaks with writer and director S. Shakthidharan, and actors Prakash Belawadi and Nadie Kammallaweera, about memory, identity and why people are always more than the worst thing that’s happened to them.

The Jungle and the Sea will be showing at Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney, Melbourne Theatre Company in Melbourne, and Canberra Theatre Centre in Canberra across July, August and September 2026.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Australia is part of the Asia-Pacific, so why do we still look to Europe and North America for cultural validation? Dilpreet Taggar sits down with Asia TOPA Creative Director Jeff Khan to discuss Australia's cultural identity and what it would take to truly embrace our place in the region. They also look ahead to Asia TOPA's return in 2028, following a 2025 festival that brought together more than 410 artists from 17 countries and attracted over 750,000 visitors.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

We tried interviewing Kanan Gill. He had other plans. One of India’s finest comedians spends most of this interview doing everything except answering Dilpreet’s questions. Somehow, they still end up talking about why life is weird and whether anyone ever really figures it out. Kanan is bringing his latest stand-up show, Not This Again, to Australia. We talk about that too. Promise. Watch on YouTube or listen on any podcast app.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Would you know what to do if someone told you to chuck a U-ey, grab your thongs and head to the servo? Australian is a language all of its own. More than a decade after the YouTube series 'How To Talk Australians' went viral, creator Tony Rogers has revived it as a feature film. Stars Robert Santiago, Ria Patel and Rohan Ganju join Suhayla Sharif for a crash course in Aussie lingo, cultural quirks and bringing the cult comedy to the big screen. Listen now on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Australia is debating multiculturalism. The Socceroos are living it. The SBS Spice girls invite SBS Sport’s soccer guru Seth Jayalth to break down the FIFA World Cup, politics in sport, Australia’s growing obsession with soccer and the legend of “Sex Before Soccer”. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on SBS Spice's YouTube.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Instapoetry marks a renaissance in the literary world— social media becoming a writer's new pen and paper. Author Nikita Gill has embraced this new chapter whilst also confronting how digital spheres can misconstrue meaningful commentary. As Greek mythology has opened Nikita up to a realm of boundless creativity, she unpacks for Suhayla Sharif 'Hekate', how she embodies her words and the goddess within. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Indira Naidoo was one of the first South Asian faces Suhayla Sharif saw on Australian television. Decades later, the two sit down for a conversation about identity, journalism, and the changing role of media in an increasingly fragmented world. A pioneering voice across SBS and the ABC, Indira reflects on her family's journey from apartheid-era South Africa to Australia, reporting on some of the world's biggest conflicts, and a career spent helping Australians make sense of the world. Watch on YouTube or listen on your favourite podcast app.

Watch the full interview on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/nMteOLtQ5A0?si=Y06FskJ8Cn1_EKC6
SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Long before migration dominated political debate, Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European Nobel laureate in Literature, was writing about belonging. More than 130 years later, New Zealand's Indian Ink Theatre Company is bringing his beloved 'Kabuliwala' to the Sydney Opera House and Wollongong through 'Balloon Dog'. Co-founder Jacob Rajan speaks to Suhayla Sharif about why it still feels ripped from the headlines and reimagining the classic story for today. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

With billions of streams and views to her name, Dhee has become one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary Tamil music. Growing up in Sydney before finding a global audience, the artist behind Enjoy Enjaami and Rowdy Baby Dilpreet Taggar to discuss her latest single, Vari Vari, filming in Sri Lanka and the stories, memories and experiences that continue to shape her work.

Watch the full interview on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/uEtG71pbSiU?si=yUCNzVK7p5WDxG2C
SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTubeand the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

Any excerpts of Dhee’s music used in this episode is for the purpose of review, criticism and commentary. All music remains the property of its respective copyright holders and is used here under fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 (Australia).

Growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, Nashen Moodley learned early that great stories could come from anywhere. As Festival Director of Sydney Film Festival, he has spent the past fifteen years bringing incredibly compelling cinema to Australians. The festival is back, so Suhayla Sharif sat down with Moodley to discuss why, in an age of endless content, meaningful stories matter more than ever.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

A Tamil Sri Lankan woman clones herself so the younger version can live out the acting career she never had. Years later, they finally meet. Chenturan Aran’s 'The Supposed To Be' spirals through migrant memory, failed desire, dead mothers, OnlyFans and the fantasy of becoming someone else, ahead of its Melbourne season at RISING. Listen, only on SBS Spice.

SBS Spice is your go-to for South Asian Australian culture, exploring what makes us tick—or ick. Catch us on your favourite podcast platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and the SBS Audio app. Or tap the audio player to listen to the full episode. Follow SBS Spice on Instagram @SBSSpice and never miss an update.

To be Indo-Fijian is to carry one of the most extraordinary origin stories in the South Asian diaspora. 147 years ago, Indians were taken to Fiji under Girmit, a British system of indentured labour that severed families and reshaped generations. In this special Girmit Day episode, Suhayla Sharif invites five Indo-Fijian Australians to confess what that legacy means to them today. There is black magic, caste, music, poetry, migration and a love story that crossed religion and class. Listen, only on SBS Spice.

Satinder Sartaaj is more than a singer to many Punjabi Australians. He is a poet, philosopher and a reminder of home. Fresh off the viral success of his song “Jaiye Sajana” from 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge', Dilpreet Kaur Taggar met Sartaaj backstage before his Heritage Tour concert in Sydney for this interview. Why Gen Z is connecting with his work, how solitude shapes the Punjab he sings about, plus a compliment he couldn't stop gushing about. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

Some things are easier to keep to yourself. Comedians Sashi Perera and Urvi Majumdar don’t. And we're so glad. Ahead of the Sydney Comedy Festival, they join Dilpreet Kaur Taggar to talk about their shows, 'Pear Tree' and 'Miss!'. From identity and family to bad dates and classrooms, this is about figuring it out in public. Australian comedy is better for it.

He served two armies before 25. Now his wife marches for him. Born in Punjab in 1948, Sergeant Major Kuldip Singh served both the Indian and Australian armies, marching in Sydney from 2007 until his passing in 2020. His story sits within a longer, often overlooked history of Sikh service in Australia. Ahead of her fourth march, Suhayla Sharif visits Ravinder Kaur Singh at home, where his absence is felt and the march continues. Listen now on SBS Spice.

Comedian Abby Govindan is asking big questions through stand-up: why is dating so broken, what has the internet done to intimacy, and why does tech keep pushing manosphere content? Fresh off a sold-out worldwide tour, she brings 'Pushing 30' to the Sydney Comedy Festival and stops by for an unexpectedly intimate conversation about the pressure South Asian women face to be desirable, marriageable and less themselves. Listen only on SBS Spice.

As SBS Spice turns two, we are reflecting on the legacy we stand on. And so, we had to speak to Manpreet Kaur Singh — a Walkley-nominated, multi-award winning journalist who has spent over three decades shaping South Asian media in Australia, from SBS Punjabi in 1993 to now leading SBS South Asian. She’s also our boss, so we’re on our best behaviour… for once. She might be the spiciest one in the room. Listen now.

There’s a gap within the South Asian community in Australia. We don’t talk about it enough. In this episode, Dilpreet and Suhayla unpack the divide between second gen South Asians and new migrants. Why do we love the culture but keep our distance from the people? Who gets included. Who gets ignored. And what “community” actually means in practice. Listen on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

The sari has never stood still. From the Indian independence movement to the Met Gala, it has carried politics, power and reinvention across generations. As 'The Offbeat Sari', a global exhibition exploring the contemporary sari, arrives in Australia curator Priya Khanchandani joins Suhayla Sharif to unpack the histories and wearers of one of South Asia's most enduring and the world's oldest garments.

The year is 2079. India survives only in memory. Digital artist Avinash Kumar (Thiruda) and sound designer Sri Rama Murthy (Murthovic) invite you into a one-night simulation to rebuild it. Would you step in? ‘Elsewhere In India’ drops Australian clubgoers into a collision of electronica, Indian classical sound, AI art and 3D worldbuilding. The duo behind the experience speak to Suhayla Sharif about the global pull of Indofuturism. Listen on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

From Kolhapuris on global runways to Indian craft shaping luxury, fashion is looking to India. But is it understanding it? Sanjay Garg has reimagined the sari through his label Raw Mango, moving beyond ornament and towards intention. Currently touring Australia, he speaks with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar about handloom as rarity and why respecting weavers is the only way. Plus, when migration can freeze a version of “home,” is the diaspora keeping up? Listen on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Aditya Gautam was addicted to porn. As Australia rolls out new laws requiring age checks to access online adult content, the India-born comedian speaks to Dilpreet Taggar about how porn became his sex education and how digital desire reshaped his expectations of intimacy, relationships and masculinity. Can new laws change behaviour, or has porn already changed a generation? Listen, only on SBS Spice.

Shocking new research suggests one in three Gen Z men believe wives should obey their husbands. Are we moving forward or quietly going backwards? Dilpreet Kaur Taggar and Suhayla Sharif unpack feminism, financial independence and the battles a single International Women’s Day cannot fix.

Thaikkudam Bridge doesn’t do neat genres. A band like no other, it moves between soulful ragas, roaring rock riffs and flashes of metal, all powered by a fifteen-member lineup. Ahead of their Australian tour, founding member Govind Vasantha and vocalist Anish Gopalkrishnan join Suhayla Sharif to talk creative clashes, big arrangements and how a band this large keeps its edge.

In a world that rewards neat labels, identity can start to behave like currency. In this episode, Dilpreet and Suhayla get into the tension between being seen and being flattened: the pressure to clap for “brown wins” no matter the craft, the fear of disagreeing within community, and the way “firsts” can become a marketing strategy instead of a milestone. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

Bhumi means land in Sanskrit. Boodja means land in Noongar. The BhuMeJha Project brings both into the same space and it’s coming to Perth Festival. It unpacks the Indian concept of rasa, immersion over spectacle, and what it means to practise custodianship rather than ownership on this land. Suhayla Sharif speaks with creative producer Kamal Thurairajah and dance mentor Sukhi Shetty Krishnan about their collaboration between South Asian, Malaysian and First Nations performance traditions.

We’ve gone feral for the new Netflix India slate. Thrillers in foggy Punjab. Sex-ed chaos in rural villages. Family feuds. Lust. Politics. Mess. Dilpreet and Suhayla share the shows they’re queueing immediately and why Indian storytelling finally feels brave again. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

When did dating stop being romantic? Between Hinge prompts and gym-obsessed bios, the meet-cute feels extinct. On this episode of SBS Spice, Dilpreet and Suhayla unpack the male gaze on apps, and get honest about body image, first kisses, sex, and when “I love you” should actually mean something. If everyone’s lonely, why is nobody willing to risk their heart? Listen, only on SBS Spice.

Tales of songbirds, or Bulbuls, have inspired South Asian storytellers for centuries. British dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra's latest work 'Songs of the Bulbul' intertwines Kathak dance, Indian classical music and Sufi storytelling to harmoniously trace a songbird's journey through love, enlightenment and freedom. As the performance tours Australia, Aakash opens up to Suhayla Sharif about boundless stages, the duty of dancers and the next steps for Indian classical dance. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

Passion, ghosting and heartbreak— all part of Danish Sheikh's intimate yet toxic relationship with the law. The lawyer-activist and theatre-maker is now deep in his creative era after witnessing how judicial systems have both turned their back on and embraced LGBTQIA+ communities. From navigating Section 377 in India to celebrating his sexuality in the streets of Melbourne, Danish shares with Suhayla Sharif how his experiences have formed his understanding of acceptance. They also unpack how authentic stories and Taylor Swift helped shape his show 'Much to do with Law, but More to do with Love' at Midsumma Festival 2026. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

"Australia Day", January 26, is often framed as a day of belonging— but belonging for whom? A good yarn can unsettle that idea. Suhayla Sharif is joined by John-Paul Janke, Karen Mundine and Giridharan Sivaraman to question how migrants engage with this date, and what listening to First Nations voices really demands of us.

Conflict is found in every corner of our world and within, yet lingers silently as many refuse to acknowledge it. 'Conflictorium' aims to instead shed light on dissent, inviting viewers from all works of life to consider how they wrestle with the ideas and experiences that challenge them. Founded in 2013, the participatory museum has already been housed twice in India but has now made its way to Australia for Sydney Festival 2026. Artistic Director YSK Prerana and Project Associate Gargi Verma unpack the sensory installation, spice dabbas and the power of reflection with Suhayla Sharif. Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

As social media spirals into remembering the year that was 2016, SBS Spice asks why then and why now? From the flower crown filter to fluorescent sneakers, we reminisce on the good, the bad and the spicy that defined a formative year for many Gen Z and Millennials. Get your eyebrows "on fleek" and listen to this "lit" conversation, only on SBS Spice.

Writing brown characters isn’t just creative. It’s political. From brown villains to badly researched accents to the pressure to be “positive,” this episode asks who gets to be complex, messy and wrong on screen in 2026. Dilpreet Taggar is joined by Urvi Majumdar, Nicole Reddy and Sunanda Sachatrakul to talk about work that refuses neat ideas of representation.

When will South Asian stories stop being “emerging”? In this spicy roundtable, Dilpreet Taggar sits down with Arka Das, Arundati Thandur and Renny Wijeyamohan to talk craft, compromise and the quiet politics of working as South Asian actors, writers and directors in Australian film and TV. Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen wherever you get your fix.

It’s our first chat of 2026, and we’re keeping it real. Messy. Honest. Very girly-pop, and not built around perfect resolutions. Just two women reflecting on the year that was, slowing things down, paying attention and figuring it out in real time. Listen on SBS Spice.

This final episode of Rethinking South Asian Philosophy asks what philosophy looks like when we take caste, gender and lived experience seriously. Host Bhanuraj Kashyap speaks with Dr Supriya Subramani, Dr Swati Arora and Dr Samiksha Goyal about everyday indignities, Dalit feminist thought, Gandhian ideas of truth, and the limits of Anglophone philosophy, in Australia and beyond. Listen now, on your favourite podcast app.

Across South Asia, philosophers have asked two enduring questions: What is consciousness? And what shapes the world we live in? In this episode, Bhanuraj Kashyap speaks with Dr Miri Albahari about enlightenment and the claim that pure consciousness is the ground of reality, and with Dr Yarran Hominh and Dr Supriya Subramani on caste, graded inequality and how our social identities are formed. If you’ve ever wondered how metaphysics meets the everyday, this episode is just for you. Tap to listen.

Australia is set to ban social media accounts for under-16s. It’s a world first. And yes, it’s causing a little panic. Will it keep teens safer or just push them into new loopholes and unregulated spaces? Dilpreet and Suhayla aren’t too convinced. They talk through the safety, the scepticism and the likely chaos that’s coming. Tap to listen.

How does meditation generate psychological benefits, and can deep meditative experiences open new philosophical insight? In this episode, Associate Professor Bronwyn Finnigan (ANU) and Dr Leesa Davis (Deakin) explore Buddhist approaches to meditation, non-dual philosophies, and the aesthetic and contemplative language of Japanese dry gardens. We also talk about the joy of teaching non-Western philosophy to undergraduates and how it can help revive the philosophical imagination in Australian universities.

How do perspectives on the world formed thousands of years ago still shape our worldviews today? In this episode of 'Rethinking South Asian Philosophy', host Bhanuraj Kashyap sits down with Professor Monima Chadha (University of Oxford) and Distinguished Professor Graham Priest (CUNY and University of Melbourne) for a wide-ranging and mind-boggling chat about Ancient Indian philosophy. We discuss the Buddhist denial of the self, how Buddhist philosophy can reshape moral responsibility and some strange puzzles in logic that have captivated philosophers for centuries. Along the way, we also reflect on the barriers that persist between Indian and Western philosophical traditions and share stories about the value of engaging in cross-cultural philosophy. Listen now, only on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to 'Rethinking South Asian Philosophy', a journey through the world of philosophy and where South Asian philosophy and philosophers currently stand in this complex academic space. In our opening episode, we sit down with Dr. Bryan Mukandi (UOW), Assoc. Prof. Karen Jones (University of Melbourne), and Dr. Helen Ngo (Deakin University) to discuss with them diversity issues within Australian academic philosophy and why non-Western perspectives our underrepresented in our curriculum. We swap stories about loneliness among minority students, why non-Western philosophy gets overlooked, the financial pressure the University sector is facing, and how exclusion in academic philosophy functions. Beyond all of this, we try to work out what to do to bring about meaningful change. Listen now, only on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

How does a 17th century Shakespearean tragedy hold a mirror to present hierarchies? Actor Raj Labade believes that this reflection is both a point of connection to a rich literary past and how pathways for other South Asian theatre artists can continue to be paved. As he steps into the shoes of Edmund in Belvoir St Theatre's 'The True History Of The Life And Death Of King Lear & His Three Daughters' he sits down with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar to explore the evolution of theatrical tales and representation on stage. Listen now, only on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

The Partition of British India in 1947 that formed the countries of India and Pakistani also resulted in one of the largest instances of forced migration ever documented. Tearing apart families, communities and histories, the fallout lingers in countless lenses on the world 78 years later, including that of filmmaker Sparsh Ahuja. Co-founder of reconciliation initiative 'Project Dastaan', he explores with Suhayla Sharif the partition's deafening silence, the power of art and the potential of virtual reality. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

In 2024, artist Sulochana Dissanayake, her husband Dinuka Liyanawatte and their two children moved from Sri Lanka to Australia seeking stability and a spark in the arts landscape. A year on, Sulochana and Dinuka's experiences settling as skilled migrants have inspired their latest artistic collaboration 'Free-doom Down Under' that explores the negotiations new migrants silently confront. The theatre creator unravels with Suhayla Sharif how art has anchored her career and nourishing South Asian cultural health in Australia. SBS Spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.

In a world growing louder with borders, Sufi music still whispers the same truth: love is the only thing worth returning to. In Adelaide, Farhan Shah leads SufiOz, a band of musicians from Pakistan, India, Japan, Chile and Nepal. With Dilpreet Kaur Taggar, Farhan reflects on what it means to keep the Sufi alive, to sing for union when everything around you asks to be divided. SBS Spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.

At the heart of Adelaide’s spring season is OzAsia Festival, a celebration of stories that cross borders. Senior producer Sonal Patel joins SBS Spice’s Suhayla Sharif to talk about curating 200 artists, championing Asian-Australian voices, and producing a festival built on connection and care. SBS spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.

Artist Rakini Devi reimagines faith as feminist revolt. Inspired by the myths of Pope Joan and the goddess Kali, her performance 'The Female Pope' transforms sacred iconography into a visceral protest against global misogyny. In conversation with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar, she reflects on how ritual, dance and visual art converge in her practice, from the temples of Kolkata to the colonial stages of Australia. SBS Spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.

Meet Sid Pattni: Archibald Prize finalist, painter and one of the most exciting South Asian artists in Australia today. He’s known for faceless self-portraits, a choice born from survival, identity and a belief that audiences should see themselves too. Honest, funny and fresh, Sid tells Dilpreet Kaur Taggar how he rejected his 'Indianness' growing up, why “multiculturalism” can feel hollow, and what he wants from the Australian art world now. If you love artists who break rules beautifully, this one’s for you. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch the interview on YouTube.

Diwali isn’t just India’s story. In Sydney’s Bangladeshi community, the festival of lights takes on new meaning, shaped by migration, memory and the divine feminine. SBS Spice's Munasib Hamid joins Ritu and her family to explore how faith and tradition evolve far from home, from dawn pujas to khichuri feasts and the quiet strength of the goddesses they honour. Watch the full video on YouTube or listen only on SBS Spice.

What do you do when you’re brown, Muslim and not meant to party? You start early! Set in 1990s London, 'Daytime Deewane' follows the secret daytime raves where South Asian kids, shut out of white nightclubs and watched by their parents, built their own world of bhangra, bass and borrowed freedom. Actor Ashan Kumar joins Dilpreet Kaur Taggar to talk about why joy can be the biggest rebellion. 'Daytime Deewane' is currently on at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta.

He’s Indian. She’s from Hong Kong. They just got engaged and this Diwali, they’re bringing all the love (and all the snacks) to the pod. Nick & Carrie join Dilpreet & Suhayla for a ‘Party in the Pod’ packed with samosas, gol gappe, mithai and some seriously sweet confessions. They tell us which Indian sweet they’d pick for each other, how they celebrate across cultures, and what Diwali means when love lights the room. Watch the full video on YouTube or listen only on SBS Spice.

Caste doesn’t just decide where you live or who you marry. It decides what you eat and who you eat with. In 'Come Eat With Me', Indian artist Sri Vamsi Matta turns a communal meal into an act of resistance. Through shared eating, he challenges centuries-old ideas of purity and pollution and rehumanises the Dalit experience beyond pity or pain. Can a meal break caste? Vamsi sits down with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar in our Sydney studios to unpack. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.

Lives of ’90s South Asian kids are incomplete without a Lucky Ali memory. For some, it was the first crush, for others the first campfire, and for many, the first road trip. A Lucky Ali song usually made everything better. The legendary singer-songwriter is in Australia with his 'Journey Through the Decades' tour and sits down with Dilpreet ahead of the shows. He admits he doesn’t like Bollywood and that might be the least surprising thing about him. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.

Born in the 1980s on dancefloors built by people of colour, house music has always been about belonging. In 2022, Armaan Gupta (Kahani) and Kunal Merchant asked: where is that space for South Asian house? From that question came 'Indo Warehouse', a collective and label bringing the pulse of the subcontinent into global electronica. Ahead of their second Australian tour, they sit down with Suhayla Sharif to talk about why nostalgia hits harder on the dancefloor and the set their fans dubbed "Indochella", a nickname that may hint at where this movement is heading. Listen now on SBS Spice.

In 2022, when ordinary bakers became banana bread connoisseurs, Anirban Chanda took his lifelong passion for baking online. Five years later, his sweet experiments have risen to new heights: a spot on season 8 of ‘The Great Australian Bake Off’ and a growing business, ‘Another Whisk’. In this episode, he joins Suhayla Sharif to talk about blending native Australian flavours with his Bengali sweet tooth. Warning: this chat will make you hungry. Listen now on SBS Spice.

Aryan Khan makes his directorial debut with 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood', a sharp satire on fame and chaos in the film industry. In this SBS Spice episode, Dilpreet speaks with Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh and Sahher Bambba about villains, managers, “nepo kids” and everything in between. From legacies to behind-the-scenes madness, the cast explain why Aryan’s first series feels dangerously close to reality. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch the interview on YouTube.

“And what will people say?”... For too many South Asian survivors of domestic violence, it’s the question that keeps them silent. Theatre-maker Kersherka Sivakumaran flips that silence into art with her new work 'And What Will People Say?' at Sydney Fringe Festival. Merging her frontline volunteering with her love for Bharatanatyam and performance, she uses theatre to confront stigma head-on. In conversation with Suhayla Sharif, Kersherka shares how clarity of intent and artistic storytelling can turn shame into dialogue. Listen only on SBS Spice.

We love girl dads. And Saesha's dad fits the bill a little too perfectly. For this Father's Day, she bribes him with a Yo-Chi to jump on the pod and spill his secret to surviving three women in the house. It's a little scary, he admits. Dr Sanjaya Senanayake is one of Australia's most recognised health experts who has often embarrassed his family on national TV with his "jokes". We're certain he is a big deal but for this episode, he is just a dad (and also our official Spice Girl). Listen now, only on SBS Spice.

For Shabana Azeez, being the first to represent her roots is only the beginning. The Adelaide-born actor once faced a choice between a drama school acceptance and her Indo-Fijian family’s support. Today, with screen credits spanning genres and borders, she’s opening doors in an industry she once risked entering. As she builds her character Victoria Javadi in the medical drama 'The Pitt', Shabana speaks with Suhayla Sharif about humble beginnings, the lessons of failure, and turning competition into community. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

At just 12, Melbourne-based musician Meghna uploaded her first song to YouTube. More than a decade on, her fusion of alt-pop and unflinching storytelling has built a catalogue earning recognition from Rolling Stone Australia and national broadcaster Rage, while connecting her to a growing global audience. With Tamil and Bengali roots grounding her, Meghna speaks to Suhayla Sharif about channelling fury into music, the power of staying authentic, and her new EP ‘A World Full of Idiots’.

Can obsessive, all-or-nothing love still hold Bollywood’s box office? Suhayla and Dilpreet ask if the success of 'Saiyaara' signals a comeback for Indian cinema’s big, messy love stories. And maybe what Bollywood really needs to feel alive again are the very clichés we once rolled our eyes at: the slow-mo shots, the airport chases, the kind of drama only Bollywood can pull off and we secretly never stopped loving.

When Rohan Kanawade returned to his family’s village to mourn his father, he carried more than grief. He carried a story. That story became Cactus Pears, the first Marathi-language film to premiere at Sundance and now making its Australian debut at the Melbourne International Film Festival. In this conversation, Rohan speaks to SBS Spice about finding tenderness between men without cliché, resisting the urge to define characters by their sexuality, and why rooting a film deeply in the soil it comes from can make it universal. Listen on SBS Spice.

Content warning: This story contains references to domestic violence. In Australia, 1 in 6 women are survivors of domestic violence. For migrant women, that rises to 1 in 3. In South Asian communities, shame and taboo can bury these stories even deeper, silencing survivors of physical, emotional and financial abuse. In this episode, host Saesha Senanayake hears from Emma*, trauma-informed counsellor Shalina Lodhia, human rights lawyer Lokesh Kashyap, and sexual health and forensic medicine specialist Dr Vanita Parekh on the cultural, legal and medical supports needed to break that silence. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Keg de Souza, an architecturally trained artist of Goan ancestry, sees plants as living witnesses whose roots trace journeys of migration, displacement and survival. From the colonial spread of eucalyptus to the politics embedded in everyday landscapes, her work asks us to look closer. In her latest project 'Plant Trials', a residency with the Melbourne Arts Precinct and the University of Melbourne, she turns a rooftop garden into a living laboratory investigating which plants can thrive in a changing climate to shape resilient urban landscapes. Listen on SBS Spice.

Leela Varghese was once told there weren’t any roles for her on Australian screens. So she stopped chasing auditions and picked up a camera instead. Now her films, including 'Lesbian Space Princess' and 'I'm The Most Racist Person I Know' (screening at MIFF this year), are crashing festivals around the world. In this episode, the Lebanese-Indian filmmaker speaks with Suhayla Sharif about growing up brown in Queensland, making space for queer South Asian stories, and why confronting internalised prejudice starts with gentle honesty. Listen now on SBS Spice.

Masala is the backbone of South Asian cooking, and for Kashmiri-Australian author Sarina Kamini, understanding it has established her as a scholar of spice. In her new book 'What We Call Masala', she unpacks the layered alchemy of Indian food and invites readers to explore its transportive power. Sarina joins Suhayla Sharif to share the magic of a masala dabba, why eating with your hands is the only way, and how Indian recipes carry generations of resilience. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast episodes are planned. This one wasn’t. Expect practice kisses, podcast fails, almost-texts to your ex’s new girlfriend and a few emotional curveballs. Dilpreet and Suhayla go rogue in this no-topic-but-all-the-topics episode of SBS Spice. But what starts as pure banter lands somewhere surprisingly tender. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

What do you get when a millennial and a Gen Z walk into a podcast? A bit of chaos, a bit of cringe, and some surprisingly common ground. In this spicy episode, Dilpreet (1994) and Suhayla (2002) roast each other’s quirks, compare internet childhoods, and ask whether dreaming big was a millennial curse or just a bad idea. They dive into cancel culture, low-rise jeans, therapy-speak, and why Gen Alpha already scares them both. It’s fast, funny and a tiny bit existential. Perfect for anyone who’s ever scrolled past bedtime. Listen on SBS Spice.

For queer South Asians in Sydney, Bar Bombay is more than a party. It’s a space to be seen, to move freely, and to celebrate identity without compromise. Run by Trikone Australia, a grassroots collective supporting LGBTQIA+ South Asians, Bar Bombay is where drag meets desi beats, and community turns into chosen family. In this episode, dancer, choreographer and Trikone Chair Zahra Babuji joins Dilpreet Kaur Taggar to talk joy, resistance and taking up space. What does it mean to finally see yourself, not just in the crowd, but centre stage?

If you have darker skin, you're more likely to be misdiagnosed, untreated, or ignored. Even when it comes to something as serious as skin cancer. SBS Spice hosts Saesha Senanayake & Suhayla Sharif cut through the noise and ask why the medical and skincare industries still fail people of colour. Dermatologist Dr Leona Yip breaks down the blind spots. Cosmetic physicians Dr Sanamdeep Dhillon and Dr Gobinder Kashmirian explain why they built a brand for skin that's always been an afterthought. And Sara Chaturvedi shares what it’s like living with chronic eczema, and getting advice from everyone except the people who can actually help. Listen on SBS Spice.

Taught by her father at just four years old, Gayathri Krishnan began her musical life steeped in Carnatic tradition: its scales, its rigour, its reverence. Today, the LA-based singer carries that inheritance into a sound that folds seamlessly into neo-soul and R&B, creating something both ancient and entirely her own. In this episode of SBS Spice, Gayathri joins Dilpreet Kaur Taggar in studio ahead of her first-ever Australian performance at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. They speak about learning to trust your voice in a world of streaming stats, making music from instinct not formula, and why her song “Made It” became a quiet declaration of self-worth. Listen only on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Prada Kolhapuris are trending. But why does something rooted in South Asian culture only become “fashionable” once it hits a Western runway? And when did basmati rice bags become designer? Dilpreet and Suhayla unpack the mixed feelings around cultural validation, from luxury takes on everyday items to oil massages rebranded as TikTok wellness rituals. Is it appreciation, appropriation or just capitalism? Plus, why Ed Sheeran’s Sapphire feels like collaboration done right, and why Coldplay and Beyoncé didn’t get the same love.

Ever heard a bansuri drop into a bassline? That’s exactly the kind of sonic alchemy Indian electronica duo Tech Panda (Rupinder Nanda) and Kenzani (Kedar Santwani) are known for. Ahead of their debut Australian tour, the pair are bringing a bold new sound to the stage — blending classical Indian textures with deep, hypnotic electronic rhythms. From 'Saawariya' to 'Dilbar', their tracks have lit up social media. But virality is just the surface. Suhayla Sharif sits down with the duo to unpack how they’re reshaping India’s musical heritage into something deeply rooted and radically new.

Rattan Virk is contesting the seat of Greenway for the Liberal Party ahead of the 2025 Australian federal election, campaigning on cost of living relief, small business support, and strengthening trade ties with India as key priorities. She speaks with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar about what she believes matters most to Western Sydney voters. Please note: This conversation was recorded before recent developments involving the candidate. Due to availability issues, SBS Spice was unable to secure a follow-up response regarding the Liberal Party’s proposed cap on international student numbers.

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.

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.

As Sydney’s nights cool down, VIVID’s Fire Kitchen turns up the heat. SBS Spice’s Suhayla Sharif and Dilpreet Kaur Taggar followed the scent of the subcontinent to Darling Harbour, where South Asian-inspired vendors — Pocket Rocketz, Ogni, and Spice Zen — brought the fire, quite literally. From reimagined Aussie snacks to the roots of the humble masala dabba, hear how these makers are keeping flavour, flame, and tradition alive. In a festival of light, fire and spectacle — what role does culture play on the plate? Full episode now playing.

Zaeden was a DJ. Then he got personal. And now, he’s making his Australian debut at Vivid Sydney. He’s played Tomorrowland, opened for global heavyweights like Justin Bieber, Post Malone, and Maroon 5, and racked up over 500 million streams. But he’s since shifted toward something more grounded: Hindi pop that’s personal, polished, and proudly independent. He joins Dilpreet to talk about putting Indian pop on the global map, performing for South Asian Australian audiences, and why choosing to write in Hindi felt like a homecoming. Listen now on SBS Spice, wherever you get your podcasts.

Onella Muralidharan was seven when she told her parents she no longer wanted to hide her Vitiligo—the skin condition that removes pigment from different areas of the body. Unwavered by off-key comments and advice, Onella is now on runways and representing major brands, such as Mecca, Bonds and Lululemon, to counter outdated and ill-informed beauty standards. The Sri Lankan-Australian model, content creator and advocate unravels with Suhayla Sharif living with Vitiligo, pushing boundaries in the beauty industry, finding her voice online and being featured in Vogue Australia. Listen to the full episode now— wherever you find your podcasts.

Māori-Indian R&B artist PANIA is done waiting for permission. Raised in West Melbourne on a steady diet of Missy Elliott, Tupac and early-2000s R&B, she’s part of a new wave reshaping what Australian music sounds and looks like. As she prepares to perform at VIVID 2025, PANIA joins Suhayla Sharif on SBS Spice to talk about chasing a career no one around her imagined — and why her songs don’t need to “represent” anyone but herself. From singing with Coldplay to filming Pity Party at her family’s marae, she’s making space on her own terms and inviting others to do the same. Full episode now streaming, wherever you get your podcasts.

SAHXL began making music in his Western Sydney bedroom at just 12 — and within a year, he’d caught the ear of Grammy-winning producer Khaled Rohaim. Now 21, the Hip-Hop and R&B artist is signed to legendary label Def Jam Recordings and rising fast, bringing the stories of his community to the world. Ahead of his Sydney Opera House debut for VIVID 2025, he joins Suhayla Sharif to talk lived experience, Indo-Fijian roots, and redefining the sound of Western Sydney. Listen now on SBS Spice — wherever you get your podcasts.

In his show, The Mind Field, Arj Barker turns grief and neuroscience into stand-up that asks the big questions — about existence, consciousness, and what we’ll probably never figure out. He joins SBS Spice host Dilpreet Kaur Taggar to talk about how the sudden loss of a friend pushed those questions to the surface, and why some jokes are best retired to a peaceful farm. Also on the table: why AI can’t touch live comedy, why cancel culture isn’t keeping him up at night, and why bread metaphors always rise to the top. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

We’re having sex, getting married, getting divorced — so why are we still not talking about it? Author Saman Shad joins Suhayla Sharif to talk about what happens when we finally do. Her new novel The Sex Lives of Married Women lays bare the weight of being good daughters, model migrants, and women taught to want less. From 90s rom-com nostalgia to the strength of female friendships, Shad unpacks how colonialism and patriarchy have shaped how we think (or don't) about pleasure. A brave, funny, and moving conversation about intimacy, friendship, and the freedom to want. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.