Kalki Presents: My Indian Life

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 press...

“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. #...

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 th...

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

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...

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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

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 ne...

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

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...

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

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

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: myindianli...

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

“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...

“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 Wa...

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

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

Kalki Koechlin is back – with big news! We have ten new stories from across India. Season 2 begins on 23 November 2019. #MyIndianLife

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