Diaspora Dialogues

Times of India
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What does it really mean to build a life between worlds? Diaspora Dialogues is a Times of India podcast hosted by Sujatha Padmanabhan. A conversation series for the millions of South Asians living between cultures and building new lives while carrying the old ones forward. We sit down with innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and changemakers from across the South Asian diaspora and ask the questions that don't usually make the headlines. What shaped them. What guides them. And what pulls them back. Honest conversations about identity, ambition, belonging, and the quiet responsibility so many of us feel to give back. New episodes every two weeks. Stream on your favorite podcast platform. Diaspora Dialogues is sponsored by Laxmi Basmati, the most consistent Basmati - click here to know more and Sistar Mortgage, offering tailored mortgage solutions - click here to know more

Episodes

  1. Amit Tandon on Why Passion Needs Financial Security | Diaspora Dialogues

    MAY 13

    Amit Tandon on Why Passion Needs Financial Security | Diaspora Dialogues

    30 trial shows. 6 months of writing. One finished set. What looks effortless on stage is anything but. Sujatha Padmanabhan speaks with Amit Tandon about the unseen side of comedy. This is a conversation about the constant rewriting, the failed jokes, and the discipline behind every performance. From recording every set to rebuilding material night after night, Amit walks us through how a single hour of comedy is actually created. All of this, and more, on this episode of Diaspora Dialogues. Timestamps: 00:00 - Opening 3:52 - Early Days 6:12 - Following Passion vs A Safe Career 9:50 - Amit’s Views on the Indian Stand-Up Comedy Scene 11:57 - Amit Tandon on ‘Clean Comedy’ 14:30 - Finding Humour in the Indian Family Situation  16:12 - Pressures of Staying Relevant 18:43 - Amit Tandon on Writing Jokes on his Wife 19:53 - Family Support in the Early Years of Amit’s Career 25:08 - Indian Audience vs Diaspora Audience 28:37 - Feedback Mechanism for Jokes 29:50 - Is Social Change a Comedian’s Responsibility?  31:36 - Meeting Johnny Lever 32:47 - Amit Tandon’s Favourite Comedians 34:05 - Should Comedians be Mindful of What They Say? 36:29 - Amit Tandon on Finding his ‘Real Calling’ 40:00 - Amit’s Kapil Sharma Story 41:08 - What’s Next for Amit Tandon 📸 Follow us: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/diasporadialoguesshow/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563158002784 Diaspora Dialogues is a video-first podcast by the Times of India. We bring you unfiltered conversations with the people redefining culture, business, and creativity across the global South Asian diaspora. Subscribe for more conversations with Indian-American artists, musicians, chefs, and achievers from all walks of life shaping the NRI experience. Are you part of the Indian diaspora? Drop your story in the comments - we read every one. Diaspora Dialogues is sponsored by Laxmi Basmati, the most consistent Basmati - https://tinyurl.com/27zfrp3f and Sistar Mortgage, offering tailored mortgage solutions - https://sistarmortgage.com/

    44 min
  2. Vidya Vox on Identity Crisis, Family Trauma & YouTube Success| Indian American Story| Diaspora Dialogues

    APR 29

    Vidya Vox on Identity Crisis, Family Trauma & YouTube Success| Indian American Story| Diaspora Dialogues

    Vidya Vox sits down with us for an honest, unfiltered conversation about growing up Indian in America, navigating her desi identity, and building a global music career — entirely on her own terms. From Chennai to California, Vidya's journey is one of the most inspiring Indian American stories on the internet. In this episode, she opens up about the moments that shaped her sound, her viral mashups, and what it really means to be a brown girl chasing a dream in the West. What We Cover: • Growing up between two cultures and finding her own identity • How she built her audience without a label or industry backing • The making of her most iconic Vidya Vox songs and mashups • Navigating desi family expectations while pursuing music • Her advice for Indian American artists starting out today ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 03:59 - Vidya’s Message on Passion vs Education 07:11 - Growing Up Between Two Cultures 14:38 - Vidya’s Troubled Childhood 19:46 - On Shankar Tucker, Returning to Music, and Moving to India 25:39 - How Music Helps Express Vidya’s Identity  30:51 - Deleting Videos Worth 200 Million Views 37:20 - Singing in Multiple Languages and Collabs 42:36 - The Economics of Music 49:16 - What’s Next for Vidya Vox 📸 Follow us: Instagram : ⁠https://www.instagram.com/diasporadialoguesshow/⁠ Facebook : ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563158002784⁠ Subscribe for more conversations with Indian-American artists, musicians, chefs, and achievers from all walks of life shaping the NRI experience. Are you part of the Indian diaspora? Drop your story in the comments - we read every one. Diaspora Dialogues is sponsored by Laxmi Basmati, the most consistent Basmati and Sistar Mortgage, offering tailored mortgage solutions. ⁠https://tinyurl.com/45vvtebh⁠ | ⁠https://sistarmortgage.com/⁠

    52 min
  3. Introducing Diaspora Dialogues

    TRAILER

    Introducing Diaspora Dialogues

    Not everyone who leaves, leaves completely. Diaspora Dialogues is a podcast about the South Asian experience abroad. The identity, the memory, the ambition, and the quiet pull of where one came from.  Hosted by Sujatha Padmanabhan from The Times of India, each episode is a conversation with someone who has built a life between places. Innovators, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, and changemakers from across the South Asian diaspora.  This isn’t about the highlights, but about what sits beneath them. What shaped the choices. What gets carried forward. What never quite lets go. Honest, unfiltered, and without easy answers. Stay tuned for the first episode!

    2 min

Trailer

About

What does it really mean to build a life between worlds? Diaspora Dialogues is a Times of India podcast hosted by Sujatha Padmanabhan. A conversation series for the millions of South Asians living between cultures and building new lives while carrying the old ones forward. We sit down with innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and changemakers from across the South Asian diaspora and ask the questions that don't usually make the headlines. What shaped them. What guides them. And what pulls them back. Honest conversations about identity, ambition, belonging, and the quiet responsibility so many of us feel to give back. New episodes every two weeks. Stream on your favorite podcast platform. Diaspora Dialogues is sponsored by Laxmi Basmati, the most consistent Basmati - click here to know more and Sistar Mortgage, offering tailored mortgage solutions - click here to know more

Information

  • Creator
    Times of India
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3