Pavement Conversations
Pavement Conversations, in its own humble ways, tries to bridge the understanding gap between women and men, because while we may belong to the same species and inhabit the same spaces, the fact is that we experience and see things in very different lights.
S1 E31 · Fri, December 13, 2024
Episode 31: Fighting Patriarchy
Mridula Menon is a successful woman by any standards. But she has had her own challenges to overcome. In this conversation, we dive into a variety of topics that affected her on her journey so far. The excitement of working for start-ups The magic of writing letters Growing up in a patriarchal family Navigating male-dominated spaces The importance of telling your story The challenges of being a single mother Message to male managers who have female team members Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sat, October 26, 2024
Episode 30: Ordinary lives, extraordinary moments
So often we take the extraordinary for granted because we see it every day. In this conversation with Limmy, we get to peer into one such life. At the outset, Limmy's life seems like a normal, every day life. But when we sit down and talk about it, we begin to see just how far from ordinary it is. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Related episodes: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/tcp8GE3aZNb https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/LPTfYk8aZNb
Sun, April 16, 2023
Episode 29: Relationships today
As young women find their feet in the world, they are also defining how they want to be viewed and treated. In this conversation, I speak with Shruthi, a smart, young woman who is confident about herself and demands the respect due to her as a person. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Related episodes: Chasing dreams Perception of women Single living Being a single woman in India
Sun, April 02, 2023
Episode 28: Pangs of loss
It is never easy losing a child. No matter what your age or the circumstances, it changes you. This week, I speak with Shailaja about loss and life. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Related episodes: A life less ordinary The price of loss
Sun, December 11, 2022
Episode 27: The marriage survey
I sent out a survey that was answered by 89 women on why did they or will they get married. In this episode, Lalitha and I discuss the results of the survey. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Episode art by: Limmy Susan Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, November 27, 2022
Episode 26: The value of little joys
In this conversation, I speak with Shreeja on what happiness is, the search for a life partner, how it was growing up in Bihar and so much more. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Episode art by: Limmy Susan Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, November 13, 2022
Episode 25: Chasing dreams
In this conversation, I speak with Neena who has consistently chased down her dreams and lived the life she chooses. Her clarity of thought has often led me to think in directions I never expected, and in this conversation, she doesn't disappoint. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Episode art by: Limmy Susan Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, October 30, 2022
Episode 24: A life less ordinary
In this conversation, I speak Shanti about a life that threw her curveballs one after another. What do you do when you suddenly find yourself a single mother of triplets? Well, you learn from life and we are fortunate to learn from her experiences. Shanti is one of the calmest people I know. She is someone who looked life in the eye and didn't back down. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Episode art by: Limmy Susan Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, October 16, 2022
Episode 23: Perception of Women
How do we perceive the women around us? Does a woman working in an office have to adjust her behavior to fit in to a male-dominated world? This and a lot more in this conversation with my guest in this episode. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Episode art by: Limmy Susan Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, October 02, 2022
Episode 22: The Price of Loss
Life is full of surprises. Some good and others not so good. Our guest this week lost her father as a young girl. Her mother and aunt took up the reins of running the home. How did they cope? How did she cope? Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Episode art by: Limmy Susan Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, September 18, 2022
Episode 22: Rewriting her happily ever after with Ranjani Rao
Ranjani on Insta Buy Rewriting my happily ever after by Ranjani Rao Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, September 04, 2022
Episode 21: Marriage, is it past its sell-by date
Does marriage have any use any more? Sirisha and I discuss this subject in this episode. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Wed, August 24, 2022
Episode 20: Woman as the property of man
A freewheeling conversation with Lalitha on women being treated as the property of man. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, August 07, 2022
Episode 19: The First Anniversary
Pavement Conversations is 1....Yay! In this episode, I reached out to guests who appeared on the show over the last year and asked them what rule, spoken or unspoken, that applied to girls but not to boys they would like to change. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, July 24, 2022
Episode 18: Being Different with Anusha
In this episode I speak to Anusha about being herself in a world that constantly wants her to conform. In this episode, we take a walk through her life, her choices, and the reactions to her many individual choices. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, July 10, 2022
Episode 17: Return to work with Prachi S
In this episode I speak to Prachi about her experience of getting back to work after her maternity break. We also go into her experience of caring for a new born baby while she had COVID. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, June 26, 2022
Episode 16: Taking a break
...and we have our first male guest on the show! In this episode Preveeth and I go into how he decided to take a sabbatical from work. We talk about how to listen to our bodies and respond to it, how to go about having the conversations around taking a break, and much more. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, October 31, 2021
Episode 15: Friendships between the sexes
In this episode Srilakshmi and I go into how friendships between the sexes evolves and changes. We take interesting detours to discuss how married women perceive their unmarried women friends and whether a feminine girl is seen differently from a more tomboyish one. Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, October 24, 2021
Episode 14: Single Living with Sirisha
In this episode, I talk to Sirisha about how it is for a young woman to leave her home and move to a new city to start a career and a life on her own. During the conversation we go into what a bachelorette pad looks like, how much time do young women spend talking about men, what should a young woman look out for as she navigates a world made for men. Sirisha's LinkedIn profile Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Sun, October 17, 2021
Episode 13: Cycling with Niha
In this episode, I talk to Niha about how she took to long-distance cycling. We talk about her early struggles to get acceptance and her achievements as a randonners. Niha's Strava profile Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Sun, October 10, 2021
Episode 12: Mentoring Women with Lalitha V
In this episode, I talk to Lalitha Vaidyanath about her work with the Thrive with Mentoring initiative. This group of experience women take younger, less experienced women under their wing and mentor them through their careers. Lalitha's Linkedin profile Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Sun, October 03, 2021
Episode 11: Ride for the Children
A very different format this time. Instead of me asking my guest questions, Srilakshmi asks me about my Ride for the Children initiative where I do a 450-km ride over three days to raise funds for underprivileged children. This year I am riding for the Missing Link trust who work to prevent sex trafficking among the most vulnerable populations. Click here to contribute. Missing Link Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Sun, September 26, 2021
Episode 10: Lockdown experiences with Leena K
In this episode, I talk to Leena Kejriwal about how she navigated the lockdown in a new city. Leena's website Missing Link Trust Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Sun, September 19, 2021
Episode 9:Lockdown Blues with Mariam
In this episode, I talk to Mariam about her life under the lockdown. One of the earliest shows I recorded, you can hear how much fun we had recording it as we going through the variety of experiences she had in the last year and half. Mariam's Insta page: Zulfyina Mariam's Book: Amber in his eyes Mariam's short story in the Bombay Review: Blue, Red Green Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Sun, September 12, 2021
Episode 8:Solo Traveling with Shruti
In this episode, I talk to Shruti, who takes up solo travels to explore the country. Her experiences, insights, and tips form the core of this conversation. Shruti's Insta page: ghumakkadshruu Websites Shruti uses: Zostel CouchSurfing HostelWorld Thrillophilia - to find out about things to do at a given place Music by Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com) Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap
Sun, September 05, 2021
Episode 7: Lalitha Vaidyanath on Menstrual Leave
In this episode, I talk to Lalitha Vaidyanath, who is a creative director in advertising, about menstruation, menstrual leave and all the misinformation and confusion around it.
Sun, August 29, 2021
Episode 6: Being a Single Woman in India
In this episode, I talk about what it means to be a single woman in India. My guest has chosen to stay anonymous and so we do not identify her in the show. Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, August 22, 2021
Episode 5: COVID Experiences - Lavanya
Contact Lavi: Strong is the new pretty Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, August 15, 2021
Episode 4: Menstrual Leave with Nischali
Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, August 08, 2021
Episode 3: Dr. Kuiljeit Uppaal
Kuiljeit is the world's first Image Scientist. I am in conversation with her about image science, the lockdown, and Amar Chitra Katha comics. Contact Kuiljeit on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook Contact me on Twitter @vinayjap Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Sun, August 01, 2021
Ep002: Covid Experiences: Sreelakshmi
Contact Vinay on Twitter @vinayjap Music by: Varun Sanmitra (varunsanmitra@gmail.com)
Wed, July 28, 2021
Introduction
Hi and welcome to Pavement Conversations, a podcast that in its own humble ways tries to bridge the understanding gap between women and men. While we may belong to the same species and inhabit the same spaces, the fact is that we experience and see things in very different lights. For example, a man rushing towards an elevator in which there are five women may not think twice about getting into the elevator. On the other hand, a woman approaching an elevator that has five men in it would immediately calculate the danger she is in.
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