Love Matters With Leeza Mangaldas

What’s it like dating as a gay man? And how does it compare to loving men as a cis-hetero woman? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas is comparing notes on “loving men” with writer, translator and co-founder of Pink List India, Anish Gawande. From meeting potential partners to power structures within relationships and their personal red flags when dating men. What are the differen...

Being a mother often seems to be the inevitable and most desirable role a woman can have in India. The question is never if, but when and how many children a woman will have. But why is this considered the “natural” destiny and the one and only true fulfillment of a woman’s life? How can there be a choice for - or against - motherhood? And what are the challenges for those who do not want to have...

Dear Listeners, Love Matters is going on a short break and the next episode featuring the incredible Amrita Nandy will be available on the 6th of January. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between The Indian Express and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasia https://www.dw.co...

What determines who we love and desire? Is it just down to personal preference? Or isn’t it rather ingrained in our minds through what we learn and see growing up and through pop culture all around us? And when it comes to love and relationships in India: aren’t societal forces shaping the way we love much more than we’d like to think? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas explores...

Public discourse around sexual consent is often rigidly configured around “Yes” and “No”. But how can we go beyond just this basic binary framework to make room for the more complex and nuanced emotions we may experience in our sexual lives? Can we create an environment of such radical kindness that we can make room for maybe, so we can explore our desires as they unfold instead of having to alway...

Why is it so important that we continue to nurture meaningful friendships and carve out time for fun and play, even as adults? Despite busy schedules, marriage and kids, and changing priorities, how can we ensure we make and keep friendships thriving throughout our lives? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas explores all this and more with Comedian and Writer, Rohan Joshi, who sha...

What does it mean to be Desi and kinky? What can we learn about consent from the kink community, and what unique possibilities for self-expression and self-discovery does kink afford its practitioners? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas discusses all this and more with Jaya Sharma, founding member of The Kinky Collective. Jaya is a kinky queer feminist activist and writer who's...

Why was homosexuality a crime in India till 2018? Why is it that marital rape is still legal, while gay marriage is not yet legal? How does the legal system continue to shape our sexual rights, particularly for women and queer people's lives? Is constant vigilance the true price of liberty? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas explores the impacts of patriarchy, laws, norms and th...

Is love truly free, or do those old caste boundaries still play a role in influencing whom we love? Can we challenge these age-old norms and create love stories that break the mold? How is the 'Bollywoodization' of weddings impacting society? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas delves into the intricacies of contemporary love, addressing one question at a time. Joined by Anurag M...

Do you feel comfortable talking about what goes on in your bedroom? Why is it still such a taboo to speak about sexual health and well-being? Evelyn explores all this and more, with the help of a “Millennial Doctor” who has made it her mission to speak to the next generation about sex and health openly – both in her practice and on her incredibly popular Instagram account, @dr_cuterus. Evelyn Shar...

When you’re married, you’re a team. But what happens if you decide to take your duo professional – and start a business together? In this episode, Evelyn talks to Nidhi Singh and Shikhar Singh, a couple who decided to quit their biotech jobs and go into business together – founding a hugely successful chain of samosa restaurants. She gets down to the nitty-gritty of what it’s like to work with you...

When it comes to a couple living together without being married, India has seen a lot of change. What used to be taboo is now gaining more acceptance, especially with Gen Z. In this episode, Evelyn talks to actress Ashlesha Savant, and her partner, actor Sandeep Baswana, who have been living-in for fifteen years. They talk about why they decided to go the live-in route, and how it’s shaped their l...

This week we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from Season One, in which Evelyn Sharma speaks to sex positivity influencer Leeza Mangaldas about sexual pleasure, women’s bodies, and how to talk about the stuff that is usually swept under the rug. Show notes: Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: @evelyn_sharma Leeza Mangaldas’s Instagram: @leezamangaldas Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi...

Everyone wants connection. But not everyone is welcome in the online spaces we create for people to connect. In this episode, Evelyn chats to Nidhi Goyal about how we can remedy that (spoiler: it’s not hard!), and they reminisce on some hilarious, dubious encounters with dating apps, plus how Nidhi built a relationship with her partner. Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: @evelyn_sharma Nidhi Goyal’s Insta...

Do you find talking about money in your relationships unbearably awkward? Well, you’re not alone. But luckily for us, one couple has made it their mission to help us tackle this topic – together – for happier, healthier relationships. Today, we talk to Shivani and Pawan Agarwal about when, where and how to have these tricky conversations. Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn...

Having a baby is exciting. But for some moms, it can trigger post-partum depression. Today’s guest, the actress, writer, producer, and model Chhavi Mittal, talks to Evelyn about her own experience with PPD, how new moms can get through post-partum depression, and what a loving partner can do to help. Evelyn Sharma's Instagram Chhavi Mittal`s Instagram Produced by: Axel Scheele, Sally McGrane Resea...

Whether it’s just a flicker of red in the distance, or it’s suddenly waving violently in your face, the dreaded "red flag" of modern dating is not always easy to spot. In this episode, Evelyn chats to relationship expert Shahzeen Shivdasani about what a red flag actually is, what it isn’t, and how understanding the difference will help you date better, love deeper and have important conversations...

Online dating apps tend to get a bad rap. But today’s guest Surbhi Bagga takes just the opposite point of view: She thinks online apps are great for finding love. In fact, the stand-up comic, TV writer and podcast host met her current partner on not one, but two different dating apps. So whether you‘re already looking for love on Tinder, Bumble or OkCupid, or you‘re considering signing up, this is...

When you finally decide to tie the knot, you hope it’s going to be forever. But sometimes, things just don’t work out. So what happens if you find yourself a single parent who wants to get back out there and start dating? Today’s guest is a blogger, influencer, entrepreneur and single mom. She’s been using her platforms to talk about some of the challenges single parents in India face when they de...

Today, we talk to a young fashion creator about learning to love yourself -- something society doesn’t always make easy, to say the least. While still in high school, Sriram Y started posting self-portraits on Instagram, and came to see himself very differently, as a result. His message of self-love and self-acceptance has resonated with tens of thousands of followers, and even international brand...

Love. Intimacy. Fulfilling sex. For a lot of people, these things can feel like they’re in pretty short supply. Luckily, sex coach and “sexpert” Pallavi Barnwal is here to talk to us about how to go about improving our intimate lives. So, whether you’re single or in a couple (or even a throuple!), if you want to take your ability to connect in the bedroom to the next level, this is an episode you...

Dating is fun, they tell you. Go out and meet someone, they say! Whether you’re dating for kicks or looking for love, putting yourself out there takes guts. Fear, discomfort and anxiety are all part of the dating job-description. So how can we embrace these scary feelings to find the connections we crave? In this episode, Evelyn talks to psychotherapist and author Sonali Gupta about healthy anxiet...

Dating might look fun for everybody else, but in reality, it’s tough for pretty much everyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation. But when you’re part of the queer community in India, you also face a unique set of challenges on top of the nervousness that comes with putting yourself out there. In this episode, we chat to influencer, writer and renaissance-man Aniruddha Mahale about dating...

As just about anyone who has ever been in love knows, heartbreak hurts. A lot. But it can also help you grow, if you really take the time to process the pain. In this episode, psychiatrist and author Dr. Shyam Bhat talks to Evelyn about what happens when your heart breaks, and how you can emerge from the experience a stronger and more empathetic person. Show notes: Evelyn Sharma's Instagram Shyam...

What do you do when you fall for someone who really fits the bill, but comes from a whole different part of the world? How do you decide where and how to live together? In this episode, Evelyn, who is German-Indian, talks to French-Indian actress Kalki Koechlin about the highs and lows of merging different cultures, traditions, dreams and languages to make love work with their international partne...