Kalki Presents: My Indian Life
Life for young Indian adults in the 21st Century explored by Bollywood actor Kalki Koechlin. Real stories from India - sometimes raw, often uplifting.
Fri, March 21, 2025
Kalki is interviewed on Dear Daughter!
Kalki Koechlin, Bollywood star and host of My Indian Life, joins the Dear Daughter podcast to read the letter she has written for her young daughter. She chooses to pass on advice for navigating beauty standards, after her daughter came to her admitting that she didn’t feel pretty. Kalki discusses the expectations on women to conform to a certain appearance, particularly as they age, and the pressures she has faced in her acting career to remain youthful. What advice can she give her daughter for navigating a world obsessed with beauty? Dear Daughter is an award-winning podcast from the BBC World Service about love, life, family, and raising children. It is the brainchild of Namulanta Kombo, a mother on a quest to create a ‘handbook to life’ for her daughter, through the advice of parents from all over the world. Each episode, a guest reads a letter they’ve written to their children (or their future children, or the children they never had) with the advice, life lessons, and personal stories they’d like to pass on. Expect extraordinary true stories, inspirational advice for parents, and moving accounts of families, relationships and raising daughters. In the current season, Dear Daughter: Stars, Namulanta hears from parents who are all ‘stars’ in their field. Why did TikTokker Mama Seebz go from telling her children to stop scrolling to becoming a content creator herself? What can The Receipts podcaster Audrey Akande teach her daughter about friendship break-ups? And why exactly did Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh lurk around building sites while pregnant? For more episodes like this one, search for ‘Dear Daughter’ wherever you get your BBC podcasts or go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter
Wed, September 20, 2023
Special: Savita
“I’m in love with the mountains.” Savita was an inspirational climber, who had scaled Mount Everest. At the age of 26, she was tragically killed in an avalanche in the Himalayas. She was interviewed by Kalki Koechlin before she died. This special episode tells Savita Kanswal’s story – of the girl who had to hike to and from school, who realised her dream of climbing the world’s highest mountain. #MyIndianLife
Sat, January 07, 2023
What happened next
A male belly dancer, a theatre artist and the man who wants to go to Mars. It’s the My Indian Life reunion. They all appeared in previous episodes of My Indian Life - what happened next in their lives? Is Gadhadar Reddy any closer to reaching Mars? Is Mallika Taneja returning to the stage with Thoda Dhyan Se, or Be Careful? And how has Eshan Hilal’s career progressed? How did they all cope with the Covid pandemic? They all join Kalki and talk about their plans for the future. #MyIndianLife
Sat, December 31, 2022
River man
Meet the river walker. Siddharth Agarwal wants to understand India’s rivers and the people who live along them. He has walked and cycled along thousands of kilometres, taking the time to talk, learn and help as he travels. He tells Kalki: “I told my friend that I want to do this a lot more and I told him I want to walk!” #MyIndianLife
Sat, December 24, 2022
Climate warrior
Her father said, “Give back to people”. Now, Archana Soreng is fighting climate change and representing her tribe and India on the world stage. She is one of seven members of the United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Archana, who belongs to the Kharia tribe, was raised respecting the forest and living sustainably. She vowed to carry on her father’s work to make a difference for their indigenous community. #MyIndianLife
Sat, December 17, 2022
The boy who fought back
He was bullied at school and told to “be more masculine”. Now, Shubham Choudhary’s mission is to help others challenge gender stereotypes. After working with schools, he helps the LGBTQ+ community access health care, acting as a liaison with hospitals and doctors. #MyIndianLife
Sat, December 10, 2022
Myth breaker
“I’m not against religion, only those who cause harm in the name of religion.” Suyash Toshinwal says he debunks myths and superstitions. He wants everyone to discover “rational thought”. #MyIndianLife
Sat, December 03, 2022
Power of song
Singing for a casteless society – the rapper using the power of his voice and words. Arivu was shunned for his musical ideas as a schoolboy and then became a star. He says he is speaking out for generations of oppressed Dalits. #MyIndianLife
Sat, November 26, 2022
Bullseye
A car crash changed the course of her life. Now Avani Lekhara is a gold medallist. “When I hold the rifle I’m in the zone” – the life of a Paralympic shooter. Avani discovered a new talent and a will to win. #MyIndianLife
Sat, November 19, 2022
Beauty and the body
Bullied for being “big” – an actor’s journey to body positive influencer. “Why is it so shocking if a non-size-zero person wears a bikini?” How TV star Rytasha Rathore became a role model for other young women. #MyIndianLife
Sat, November 12, 2022
Totally online
He’s the famous gamer with 33 million subscribers, but none of them know who he is. Total Gaming says he thinks he knows how Spider-Man feels - his identity is hidden from the world. #MyIndianLife
Sat, November 05, 2022
Everyone has a secret
Her job is to “deliver bitter truths in the hope that they lead to better lives.” Tanya is a private detective. There was the student who she followed to an unexpected place, the fiancé who couldn’t give up his dream and the husband whose affair had potentially put his life at risk. #MyIndianLife
Wed, October 19, 2022
We’re back again! Season 3 preview
We’re returning with our third season! Kalki Koechlin is back, meeting more young Indians with remarkable stories. New episodes will include the private detective who says everyone has a secret, and a famous gamer with 33 million subscribers, who has a secret of his own. There’s also the Paralympic gold medallist, Avani Lekhara. After a car crash changed the course of her life, she discovered a new talent and a will to win. What’s it like to be young and Indian in the 21st century? Season 3 begins on 5 November 2022. #MyIndianLife
Fri, January 24, 2020
Dating special
A listener emailed us about breaking-up. It was tough, so it’s time to talk about love. Students chat about relationships with Kalki and poet Priya Malik. This is the season finale and Kalki reveals how she has dealt with the relationship rollercoaster. Please send us your stories for future episodes: myindianlife@bbc.com And let us know what you think. #MyIndianLife
Fri, January 17, 2020
The boy who dreamt of space
The first human on Mars - that’s Gadhadar Reddy’s goal, and he’s working on the technology to take him there. He launched a space tech company after people told him he could never do it. Now Gadhadar has made the Red Planet his next mission. “If you set a goal, say something audacious, the universe finds a way to make things happen.” Send us your stories: myindianlife@bbc.com Let us know what you think of our podcast. #MyIndianLife
Fri, January 10, 2020
The biggest brothel in Asia
Sonagachi in Kolkata is a hub for sex trafficking. Leena Kejriwal wants to end the exploitation of young women. “It's all happening because nobody's doing anything about it.” Send us your stories: myindianlife@bbc.com And let us know what you think of the podcast. #MyIndianLife
Fri, January 03, 2020
Saving the planet
Two young Indians on a mission to make the world a better, cleaner place to live. Aarushi Majumder got her whole neighbourhood recycling in inner-city Mumbai. And Arun Krishnamurthy’s fight to clean waste from his village pond in rural Chennai kick-started a national campaign for cleaner water. #MyIndianLife Send us your stories: myindianlife@bbc.com And let us know what you think: #MyIndianLife
Sat, December 28, 2019
New York to Shimla
Ilma’s life was in the USA. Then a call to her mum made her decide to return home to India and find a new career - as a police officer. Ilma Afroz had attended the best universities, and was building an international career in the Big Apple, but she wanted India to benefit from her experience. “My talent, my education and my whole self is for my country,” she says. Send us your stories: myindianlife@bbc.com And let us know what you think #MyIndianLife
Fri, December 20, 2019
Saving Nagaland
His brother died from an overdose. His dad was an alcoholic. Now Jenpu Rongmei is saving others from a similar fate. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a dropout – what matters is you are human”. Tell us your stories about being young and Indian in the 21st Century: myindianlife@bbc.com And let us know what you think of the podcast. #MyIndianLife
Fri, December 13, 2019
Kalki in Parentland
“I’m pregnant!” Attitudes to unmarried mothers, feeling overwhelmed and morning sickness - Kalki Koechlin is having a baby and she has lots of questions. “I feel this feeling that I don't belong to myself”. This special episode teams up with Mercy Haruna from our Parentland podcast. Send us your stories: myindianlife@bbc.com And come to Parentland: www.bbcworldservice.com/parentland #MyIndianLife #Parentland
Fri, December 06, 2019
The drag king
“I can be whoever I want to be.” Bidisha is a singer and she performs as a Persian prince called Badshah. “Drag is about breaking apart norms”, she says. And we catch-up with male belly dancer, Eshan Hilal (Season 1, Episode 1). Bidisha Mohanta and Eshan talk about sexuality and attitudes to being gay in India. Send us your stories: myindianlife@bbc.com Let us know what you think: #MyIndianLife Watch our video of Eshan: https://bbc.in/2RreFqv
Fri, November 29, 2019
Rapping Kashmir
A voice from the Valley. Ahmer Javed grew up making music under curfew in Kashmir. Send us your stories: myindianlife@bbc.com And let us know what you think: #MyIndianLife
Fri, November 22, 2019
Rescued
The baby left at the orphanage. She’s been spat at and told her ancestors must have “done something terribly wrong”. Nisha Lobo has a skin condition called ichthyosis and was adopted. This is her story. She says happiness is a mindset. #MyIndianLife
Mon, November 11, 2019
We’re back! Season 2 preview
Kalki Koechlin is back – with big news! We have ten new stories from across India. Season 2 begins on 23 November 2019. #MyIndianLife
Tue, May 07, 2019
Election special
Schools, jobs, women’s rights: being young and Indian during the 2019 elections! At the Cuckoo Club in Mumbai, first time voters talk to Kalki about the issues that matter to them. #MyIndianLife
Sat, October 20, 2018
LIVE from Mumbai
The big end of season show! Kalki is joined by guests Insia Dariwala, Rahul Sonpimple and Diskit Angmo at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai, where they talk to students about being a young adult and Indian in the 21st century. Includes some difficult issues. #MyIndianLife The My Indian Life team: Presenter: Kalki Koechlin Senior Producer: Geeta Pandey Producer: Medhavi Arora Music: Aditya N Audio Mixing: Prabhjit Bains Live Events: Jim Frank and Aashish Yadav Editorial Advice: Cathy Derrick Series Editor: Jasper Corbett Podcast Editor: Jon Manel Video and Digital Team: Katherine Campbell Rajni Boddington D8 Anna Doble - Digital Editor
Sat, October 13, 2018
LIVE from Delhi
A special episode recorded with university students in Delhi. Singing, dancing and a whole bunch of questions with guests Eshan Hilal, Mallika Taneja and Aditya N at St Stephen's College. #MyIndianLife
Sat, October 06, 2018
India on Ice
In a mostly tropical country, an ice hockey player has Olympic dreams. She converts frozen lakes into rinks, endures broken bones and apathy in a nation obsessed with cricket. How far would she go to fulfil her sporting ambition? Kalki meets Diskit Angmo. #MyIndianLife
Sat, September 29, 2018
The Sexpert
Sex advice for the land of the Kama Sutra. This episode discusses sex in a detailed way. Kalki meets Dr Mahinder Watsa, the 94-year-old who writes the sex advice column in The Mumbai Mirror. #MyIndianLife
Sat, September 22, 2018
The Goddess of Big Things
What happens when you don't feel comfortable in your own skin? This is the story of the transformation of a small-town boy into a diva who is setting the ramp on fire as a transgender, plus-size model. Kalki meets Mona Varonica Campbell. #MyIndianLife
Sat, September 15, 2018
A Question of Caste
The man refusing to fit in with an ancient class hierarchy. From the bottom of the caste system to fighting for a more equal society - Kalki meets Dalit activist Rahul Sonpimple. Please tell us your stories of being young and Indian in the 21st century – head here to leave us your message https://bbc.in/2OmbcoK
Sat, September 08, 2018
The Kids Are Not Alright
India’s child sexual abuse problem. This episode discusses important but difficult issues. Insia Dariwala was sexually abused as a child and is now helping other children in India. If you need to talk about something that is affecting you, do speak to someone you trust or find a recognised organisation that is there to help.
Sat, September 01, 2018
Rocket Woman
From India to Mars, how a leap of faith became a journey into space. Kalki meets rocket scientist BP Dakshayani, from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who programmed a satellite on its mission to the red planet. #MyIndianLife
Sat, August 25, 2018
Peace and protest
She is a student activist who finds herself at the heart of the Kashmir dispute. Death threats on one side, support on the other. Kalki meets Gurmehar Kaur. #MyIndianLife
Sat, August 18, 2018
Singing to a different tune
He struggles to speak but has found his voice. The story of a Bollywood singer, composer and music producer. Kalki meets Aditya N. #MyIndianLife
Sat, August 11, 2018
A body of protest
Standing stark naked - a woman fights back. Kalki meets Mallika Taneja, who is using her own body in protest against gender inequality, sexual harassment and assault in India. #MyIndianLife Contact us: www.bbcworldservice.com/myindianlife
Sat, August 04, 2018
Dancing to his own beat
“You’ve brought me shame”. The belly dancer’s story. Dreams threaten to tear a family apart. Kalki meets Eshan Hilal. #MyIndianLife www.bbcworldservice.com/myindianlife
Wed, July 18, 2018
Preview: Introducing My Indian Life
Kalki Koechlin presents a new podcast aimed at young Indian adults. It's raw, it's painful, it's joyful. It's real-life India in the 21st century. Episode 1 will be available from 4 August 2018.
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