Episodes

  • Project Dastaan: Sparsh Ahuja's Lens on Partition and Peacebuilding

    Project Dastaan: Sparsh Ahuja's Lens on Partition and Peacebuilding
    Nov 13 2025
    The Partition of British India in 1947 that formed the countries of India and Pakistani also resulted in one of the largest instances of forced migration ever documented. Tearing apart families, communities and histories, the fallout lingers in countless lenses on the world 78 years later, including that of filmmaker Sparsh Ahuja. Co-founder of reconciliation initiative 'Project Dastaan', he explores with Suhayla Sharif the partition's deafening silence, the power of art and the potential of virtual reality. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • Free-doom Down Under: Sulochana Dissanayake on theatre, identity and empathy

    Free-doom Down Under: Sulochana Dissanayake on theatre, identity and empathy
    Nov 11 2025
    In 2024, Sulochana Dissanayake, her husband Dinuka Liyanawatte and their two children moved from Sri Lanka to Australia seeking stability and a spark in the arts landscape. A year on, Sulochana and Dinuka's experiences settling as skilled migrants have inspired their latest artistic collaboration 'Free-doom Down Under' that explores the negotiations new migrants silently confront. The theatre creator unravels with Suhayla Sharif how art has anchored her professional journey and nourishing South Asian cultural health in Australia. SBS Spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.
    Show more Show less
    16 mins
  • Farhan Shah and the Sufi that refuses to divide

    Farhan Shah and the Sufi that refuses to divide
    Nov 6 2025
    In a world growing louder with borders, Sufi music still whispers the same truth: love is the only thing worth returning to. In Adelaide, Farhan Shah leads SufiOz, a band of musicians from Pakistan, India, Japan, Chile and Nepal. With Dilpreet Kaur Taggar, Farhan reflects on what it means to keep the Sufi alive, to sing for union when everything around you asks to be divided. SBS Spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.
    Show more Show less
    13 mins
  • What makes OzAsia the artbeat of Adelaide? With Sonal Patel

    What makes OzAsia the artbeat of Adelaide? With Sonal Patel
    Nov 2 2025
    At the heart of Adelaide’s spring season is OzAsia Festival, a celebration of stories that cross borders. Senior producer Sonal Patel joins SBS Spice’s Suhayla Sharif to talk about curating 200 artists, championing Asian-Australian voices, and producing a festival built on connection and care. SBS spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.
    Show more Show less
    14 mins
  • The Female Pope: Rakini Devi’s Revolt Against Misogyny

    The Female Pope: Rakini Devi’s Revolt Against Misogyny
    Nov 2 2025
    Artist Rakini Devi reimagines faith as feminist revolt. Inspired by the myths of Pope Joan and the goddess Kali, her performance 'The Female Pope' transforms sacred iconography into a visceral protest against global misogyny. In conversation with Dilpreet Kaur Taggar, she reflects on how ritual, dance and visual art converge in her practice, from the temples of Kolkata to the colonial stages of Australia. SBS Spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.
    Show more Show less
    9 mins
  • Why Australia Can’t Look Away From Sid Pattni

    Why Australia Can’t Look Away From Sid Pattni
    Oct 28 2025
    Meet Sid Pattni: Archibald Prize finalist, painter and one of the most exciting South Asian artists in Australia today. He’s known for faceless self-portraits, a choice born from survival, identity and a belief that audiences should see themselves too. Honest, funny and fresh, Sid tells Dilpreet Kaur Taggar how he rejected his 'Indianness' growing up, why “multiculturalism” can feel hollow, and what he wants from the Australian art world now. If you love artists who break rules beautifully, this one’s for you. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch the interview on YouTube.
    Show more Show less
    32 mins
  • Beyond India: Diwali in Sydney’s Bangladeshi Community

    Beyond India: Diwali in Sydney’s Bangladeshi Community
    Oct 23 2025
    Diwali isn’t just India’s story. In Sydney’s Bangladeshi community, the festival of lights takes on new meaning, shaped by migration, memory and the divine feminine. SBS Spice's Munasib Hamid joins Ritu and her family to explore how faith and tradition evolve far from home, from dawn pujas to khichuri feasts and the quiet strength of the goddesses they honour. Watch the full video on YouTube or listen only on SBS Spice.
    Show more Show less
    5 mins
  • Good Brown Boys Don't Party

    Good Brown Boys Don't Party
    Oct 19 2025
    What do you do when you’re brown, Muslim and not meant to party? You start early! Set in 1990s London, 'Daytime Deewane' follows the secret daytime raves where South Asian kids, shut out of white nightclubs and watched by their parents, built their own world of bhangra, bass and borrowed freedom. Actor Ashan Kumar joins Dilpreet Kaur Taggar to talk about why joy can be the biggest rebellion. 'Daytime Deewane' is currently on at Riverside Theatres, Parramatta.
    Show more Show less
    17 mins