The Brown Box

In this episode of The Brown Box, we sit with Mandakini Arora — historian, writer, and feminist. We talk about belonging, displacement, and how you build a home in a place you choose. 🎧 Press play to hear: How her parents' refugee story shaped her childhood — and her search for belonging The comfort she found in books and the (very British) world they opened up for her Walking into AWARE and feel...

She has been called Singapore's Gentle Warrior. And right now, she is preparing for her biggest fight yet! In this episode of The Brown Box, we sit with Ivy Singh — farmer, philosopher, provocateur. We meet her at a crucial moment, as the lease on Bollywood Farms, her life's work, runs out in December, 2026. 💡 Press play to hear: Ivy's childhood on Rose Lane and how her father taught her that lan...

Who gets to stand under the spotlight makes a difference.  In this episode of The Brown Box, we sit with Grace Kalaiselvi — theatre actor, director and educator. We talk about family, absence and survival, and how theatre became a way to make sense of it all — and how Grace, when she couldn’t see herself in the stories on stage, began creating them herself. 🎧 Listen to hear about: • Grace’s...

In this episode, Sofie talks about the word celup , as she grapples with her own celup-ness and what it means to not fit neatly into the Malay box of the CMIO. Listen to hear about: what celup means, and Sofie’s journey towards understanding her own celup-ness her complex heritage — Javanese, Boyanese and Indian — and why her name leaves her with many unanswered questions a grandmother who was giv...

In this episode, we sit with Kamini Ramachandran, a storyteller, educator, and creative force behind MoonShadow Stories and Storyfest Singapore. 🎧 Listen to hear about: * Her grandfather, the storyteller: a planter from Kerala who lived in Malaya, from whom Kamini learnt to love stories * The wildness of nature 🐍: a cobra encounter at four, the love of a dog named Bobby 🐕, and how he protected...

Does your family history live in its favourite foods? Do you see food not just as sustenance, but as legacy, identity, and history — passed from hand to hand, from kitchen to kitchen? If so, this podcast is for you. In this episode, we speak to Chef Devagi, the Spice Queen of Singapore. She shares recipes, yes — but more importantly, stories of resilience and reinvention.
 Listen to hear about: *...

In this episode of The Brown Box, we chat with Yulianna Frederika, co-founder of Lepak Conversations — an online advocacy platform bringing vital Malay Muslim issues into the mainstream. This is a deeply personal conversation, with Yulianna consciously moving away from the version of herself that tried to fit into the moulds people expected, and towards a more authentic and truthful way of being....

In this episode of The Brown Box, we chat with Shibani Mahtani, investigative journalist with The Washington Post. We talk about: • Political discourse at the dinner table — her father’s relentless questioning of the PAP vs her mother’s gratitude and how this made her curious about the world • The journey from straightening her curls to embracing them — a two-year process of making peace with who...

Making Space in Singapore: Pooja Nansi's Story In this episode of The Brown Box Podcast, we sit with Pooja Nansi, poet, educator, and former director of the Singapore Writers Festival. In this episode, we talk about: * Pooja's childhood in a creative household and her mother's sacrificed dreams as a classical dancer * How poetry found her—from writing about her math teacher to discovering Sylvia P...

In this episode of The Brown Box Podcast, we sit with Sapna Kewalramani Maholtra, Founder of Rise and Thrive. A charity that helps mothers running home businesses through mentorship and skills training. In this episode, we talk about: • Sapna’s childhood in Nigeria and early memories of Deepavali • How her parents’ values of giving shaped her idea of “paying it forward” • The inspiration behind Ri...

In this episode of The Brown Box Podcast, we sit with Sharon Ismail - actress, writer, teacher, and storyteller.  In this episode, Sharon shares: • Kampong nights of hide-and-seek, ghost stories and clouds of talcum powder mischief • What it was like being “the only Malay in the school” while studying in a Chinese kindergarten • Her mother’s adoption story, revealed through a birth certificat...

In this episode of The Brown Box Podcast, we sit down with Sasja Sidek, a Malay Singaporean trans advocate and activist based in Australia. Sasja opens up about her journey of: • Growing up in Singapore and running away from home at sixteen • Facing discrimination, wrongful arrests, and rejection from family • Exploring identity through nightlife, drag, and sex work • Gaining empowerment through a...

In this episode of The Brown Box Podcast, we sit down with Nisha Rai, an intersectional feminist and passionate advocate for safer, more equal spaces for everyone. From joining a martial arts class to questioning patriarchal traditions, Nisha shares how she became a feminist and made it her mission to support victim survivors.  We explore: • How early experiences and family shaped her views o...

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault that some listeners may find distressing. You can skip from 20:51 to 26:56 if you wish to avoid this part. In this powerful episode of The Brown Box, we sit down with activist, author, and entrepreneur Liyana Dhamirah. Through her extraordinary journey, she shares how life’s challenges can be a catalyst for healing and advocacy....

In this heartfelt episode of The Brown Box, we sit down with Nuryanee Anisah, founder of Commenhers, a Singapore-based social enterprise that transforms discarded textiles into meaningful products. Inspired by her father’s entrepreneurial drive and her mother’s compassion, Yanee shares how Commenhers supports marginalised women while championing sustainability. We talk about: • Her love for second...

Anita Kapoor - TV host, writer, and activist - joins The Brown Box Podcast for an honest, moving conversation about growing up, growing older, and growing into yourself. From her childhood arrival in 1970s Singapore to her groundbreaking career on English-language television, Anita reflects on what it means to be seen and to be free. We talk about: • What it means to age with vulnerability and wis...

Actor, dramaturg, and writer Sindhu Kalidas has worn many hats, but in this episode, she wears her heart on her sleeve. From her earliest days as a child actor on Hip-o & Friends to calling out brownface in a beloved local film, Sindhu opens up about what it means to grow up brown, outspoken, and tender in Singapore. In this episode we discuss: impact of parental love on how we love others the...

Amrita Chandradas doesn’t just take pictures — she captures life in all its raw, beautiful complexity. In this podcast, she shares how her father’s love for photography guided her journey, and opens up about how over- protective parents and the stress of exams shaped her early years. She talks about leaving Singapore to learn, and then coming back to tell the stories of her home. Through it all, i...

From a child arguing on the void decks of Singapore, to a woman leading one of its most recognised advocacy organisations, the SPCA —Aarthi Sankar has never been afraid to speak her mind. In this episode of The Brown Box, she opens up about finding her voice through books, dance, and relentless advocacy. Aarthi challenges stereotypes, confronts exclusion, and reclaims the label of “angry brown wom...

In this episode, I sit down with Yagnya—a theater maker and a woman shaped by a lifetime of stories. We talk about the power of stories—the ones that shape us, and the ones that are thrust upon us. We speak about schoolyard bullies, about being Indian, about caste, and about the search for spaces where we can truly be ourselves. This is a conversation for anyone who’s ever wondered about the stori...

✨ In this episode of The Brown Box , we sit down with Nilanjana Sengupta. 📖 Author. 🏛️ Historian. 💛 Fully Bong. 🌧️ A monsoon lover. 🕰️ A collector of nostalgia. Our conversation takes us on a journey from the chaotic streets of Kolkata 🇮🇳 to writing herself into Singapore’s history 🇸🇬. We talk about motherly love 🤱, the wonder that is Durga Puja 🏵️, and the beating heart of Singapore. But most...

In this episode, we speak with Anbarasi Boopal (Anbu), Co-CEO of ACRES, Singapore’s beloved wildlife rescue center. Anbu shares an inspiring journey that led a quiet village girl from Tamilnadu to become one of the loudest voices for animal rights in Singapore. Her’s is a story of personal transformation, sisterly solidarity, and the enduring connection to her Tamil roots through the beauty of lan...

In this intimate reflection, we follow Ruby Jayaseelan's path from classical Bharatanatyam dancer to boundary-breaking movement artist. Through dance, she navigates profound loss—the death of her mother, her relationship with her father—and discovers how movement can unlock grief held deep in the body. Her story speaks to anyone who has felt constrained by tradition, touched by loss, or drawn...