HKWS

Her Kajal Won't Smudge

Society EN ↓ 30 episodes

Her Kajal Won't Smudge is a podcast about South Asian women who are pushing back on desi social norms through art, content, dance, music, film, and more. We ask every guest: What does feminism mean to you? In South Asian spaces, the word “feminist” is still linked to promiscuity, selfishness or a rejection of family values. We want to unpack that. Our guests remind us that feminism isn’t one thing. It’s a way to be your fuller self, have voice, choice, and power in a culture obsessed with “what will people say?”Social norms aren’t fixed. We create them, which means we can rewrite them too.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.maedinindia.in

Author

HKWS

Episodes

Sheema Kermani : "I will keep dancing no matter what. Who has the right to tell me not to dance?” 12.11.2023 29:36

In this episode, Shana is in conversation with Sheema Kermani. You may know Sheema as the dancer in the hit Coke Studios video of Pasoori but, for Sheema, dance is more than an artform. For her, it is also an act of defiance. A classically trained Bharatnatyam dancer, Sheema took on the Pakistani military dictator Zia-ul-Haq when he abolished public dancing. Since then, Sheema has steadfastly def...

Leeza Mangaldas : "Women's pleasure has been systematically ignored for so long" 05.11.2023 36:56

Leeza Mangaldas is a sex educator with 2 million YouTube subscribers and Instagram followers. GQ has named Leeza one of the most influential young Indians. She is also the author of The Sex Book. In this episode, Leeza talks to Shana about why the Glossary of her book has words like “patriarchy” and “casteism” and “internalised oppression”. They also discuss orgasms and female sexuality, the socia...

Sabah Bano Malik: “ You basically stop women from being their own people so that they can be married off to someone and they decide what she'd become” 29.10.2023 42:24

In this episode, Shana is in conversation with Sabah Bano Malik, a radio jockey and a founding member of a Pakistani comedians' collective called Aurat Nak. Shana asks Sabah what has surprised her and what she struggles with as a Pakistani American who moved to Pakistan as an adult. Sabah talks about her online presence, comedy as a way to reflect on society, body-shaming, toxic rishta culture, th...

Radhika Vaz: “Let’s take marriage and get rid of it” 22.10.2023 35:54

In this episode, Shana is in conversation with comedian, actor and writer Radhika Vaz. We learn about Radhika’s journey to comedy and why she mines the desi female experience as a source for her material. Radhika is one half of the team behind Shugs and Fats, a Youtube series about two curious Muslim women who are navigating life in liberal Brooklyn. We talk about script-writing episodes in which...

Trailer 10.10.2023 2:27

Women from South Asia (and the global diaspora) are challenging patriarchal social norms and expectations by taking to the streets and using the bullhorn of social media to be heard. Join Shana, our host, as she talks to social media influencers, street protestors, artists and film-makers who are making change happen. With millions of followers and supporters and numbers that keep growing, Her Ka...