Dirty Brown

Kriti J

Dirty Brown is a feminist podcast unlearning patriarchy, one bold take at a time. Host Kriti J dives into the messiness of societal norms and cultural contradictions that shape South Asian women. From calling out the misogyny baked into media, to celebrating feminist books and unpacking patriarchal narratives dominating pop culture and tech, Dirty Brown is about sharp commentary, personal stories, and zero sanskaari filters This is a space for anyone who's ever been called too much, too loud, or too difficult — and decided to lean in anyway.

  1. May 6

    The Art Of Performing - Why I Chose To Be 'Unpalatable' To My Family ft. Reet German

    At age seven, Reet German was brought from India to Canada by a father she had never met, leaving her mother behind. In this episode of Dirty Brown, Reet joins host Kriti J to discuss how that moment of "shock" birthed a lifelong performance of being the "Good Girl" - and the radical, "besharam" choices she made to burn that script down. From checking herself into a hospital alone at her lowest point, to selling everything and world-schooling her daughter across 20 countries, Reet's story is what it actually looks like to stop performing and start living on your own terms. Connect with Dirty Brown: InstagramYouTube Connect with Reet German Chapters 00:00 Introduction: "I Was In Shock": Uprooted From India at 701:04 Meet Reet German: The Woman Behind Reignite with Reet01:24 Growing Up in Punjab: A Childhood Full of Love and Roots04:20 The Day Everything Changed: Brought to Canada by a Stranger07:38 "Someone Pulled the Rug Out": The Trauma of Displacement09:09 Learning the Art of Performing: The Good Girl is Born14:00 The Checklist Life: Marriage, House, Baby - and Emptiness21:00 Hitting Rock Bottom: Checking Herself Into Hospital Alone23:20 People Pleasing to Free: Selling Everything and Starting Over27:28 Going Back to India After 31 Years28:38 Trusting Her Gut: Finding Her Mother in a Punjab Village34:06 "It Didn't Happen TO Me. It Happened FOR Me."36:21 Closing: She Came With the Real Story

    37 min
  2. Apr 22

    She Raised Herself, Had A Kid Outside Marriage, & Has Zero Regrets ft. Manisha Solomon

    What does it actually cost a brown woman to choose herself - for decades? Manisha Solomon is an Indian woman in her 50s, unapologetic, and refuses to be invisible. In a culture that expects brown women to fade into the background after 50, Manisha has spent her entire life doing the opposite - and paying the price for it. In this episode of Dirty Brown, Manisha opens up about growing up with an emotionally absent mother, being forced to become independent at age 8, and writing a declaration at 12 that she would never get married. From cycling alone to Muay Thai to acting in her late 40s, she has never once asked for permission. We also get into: What it's like to be estranged from your mother as a brown womanHow she raised her son as the complete opposite of how she was raisedWhy she has never once felt invisible - even in her 50sKeeping her last name, having a child outside of marriage, and not caring what the community thinksThe Badchalan Energy Quiz - how her answers changed from her 20s to her 50sChapters: 00:00 Introduction: "Maybe I Just Am"00:25 Meet Manisha Solomon: The Brown Woman Who Refuses to Fade02:22 Forced to Grow Up at Eight: The Cost of a Broken Home05:04 Estranged From Her Mother: Why She Never Looked Back07:02 Grieving a Mother Who's Still Alive: The Kit Kat Theory10:32 Acting in Her Late 40s: A Brown Woman Choosing Visibility14:25 How She Dresses, How She Defies: Style as Rebellion at 5216:42 She Wrote a Declaration at 12: No Marriage, One Child17:58 Having a Kid Outside Marriage & Keeping Her Last Name20:46 The 12-Year-Old Who Wrote the Rest of Her Life22:04 Raising a Professional Archer Instead of a Doctor or Engineer24:00 The Badchalan Energy Quiz: Age 20 vs Age 5228:04 What She'd Tell Her Teenage Self About the Woman She Became30:55 Kriti's Closing Reflection: What Unlearning Actually Costs

    32 min

About

Dirty Brown is a feminist podcast unlearning patriarchy, one bold take at a time. Host Kriti J dives into the messiness of societal norms and cultural contradictions that shape South Asian women. From calling out the misogyny baked into media, to celebrating feminist books and unpacking patriarchal narratives dominating pop culture and tech, Dirty Brown is about sharp commentary, personal stories, and zero sanskaari filters This is a space for anyone who's ever been called too much, too loud, or too difficult — and decided to lean in anyway.