Nothing is permanent in this world. And we are no exception to that. We often forget that we are mortals. And as Shakespeare says, "All the world's a stage and all the men and wome ... Read more
Nothing is permanent in this world. And we are no exception to that. We often forget that we are mortals. And as Shakespeare says, "All the world's a stage and all the men and women are merely players". We enter the world, play our part, share some scenes with some people and exit when it's time. We are prepared and certain about the birth of a baby, but we can never be prepared or be certain about death. In this episode of Kalacharam Reset, listen to our host @subhalakshmi discuss with the guest, Sundaravalli about how perception around death can be so different. One must take their time to feel the grief without being tangled in the rituals. She also shares how; it doesn't always have to be a subject to mourn or to feel sorry about. We can celebrate death too by celebrating the kind of life one has lived. To catch more on this conversation. Tune in Now! Read more
Culture is a part of our imagined realities that has evolved with time. The idea of "family" is one of the prime aspects of it. We can even say that it's the source of many cultura ... Read more
Culture is a part of our imagined realities that has evolved with time. The idea of "family" is one of the prime aspects of it. We can even say that it's the source of many cultural and social behaviours. We used to live in a certain way many years ago and that is rapidly changing according to changing socio-economic and political times. Our needs and demands were different before and now they are very different. We seem to have adopted a lot of new ways of living, be it technology, transport, or fashion. We have also accepted nuclear families as normal from joint families. However, what about accepting newer structures that challenge the age-old family tree? How about same-sex couples, single parents, and pet parents? Isn't family a place to feel belonged? If so, do we feel belong in our families all the time? Does family mean only blood relation? In this episode of Kalacharam Reset listen to our host @subhalakshmi discuss these questions with our guest Archana devi who a Charted Accountant by profession is, a single mom to a special child and an artist. Someone who's sailing through challenges like a boss and challenging every unstated norm that there is in society. She shares how, we need to cultivate the behaviour of empathy and not pity in society towards other people. Tune in now! Read more
The culture in which we grow up is for the most part invisible; we hardly even notice it until we're forced to step outside and see it from a fresh perspective. A large amount of w ... Read more
The culture in which we grow up is for the most part invisible; we hardly even notice it until we're forced to step outside and see it from a fresh perspective. A large amount of what we do, say, think, believe, and to some extent, feel - is shaped by the culture we come from. Now the challenge that is expected out of a cross-cultural relationship or marriage is coping with these differences when it comes to the belief systems, rituals, cooking, clothing, etc. Lifestyle disagreements are often an expected consequence of cross-cultural marriage by our elders. These disagreements can sometimes be sparked by resentment because one or both partners or their respective parents feel their culture is being rejected or attacked when the other refuses to follow their customs or traditions. The fear of loss of one's culture and tradition leads to the most common norm of discouraging marriage in a different culture altogether. Thus, claiming to protect it. In this episode listen to a couple who are challenging this very norm, who come from distinctly diverse backgrounds yet are together sharing a love for the people they are and not their cultural identities. Hear our host, Subhalakshmi in conversation with this couple for whom the differences never mattered. What mattered, was each other's company. Tune in now! Read more
Unrealistic beauty standards are an evil in today's day and age. It can lead to a lot of issues with mental and physical health while trying to change oneself to fit in. Mean comme ... Read more
Unrealistic beauty standards are an evil in today's day and age. It can lead to a lot of issues with mental and physical health while trying to change oneself to fit in. Mean comments are often passed on when one is challenging the "norm" or deviating from the set standards. And the only way to bring about change is to continue to challenge these norms. In this episode of Kalacharam Reset, listen to our host @subhalakshmi discuss with body-positive activist-model Akhshaya about how it's important to relook at every beauty standard out there that has been fed to us. And how it is of utmost importance to unlearn these norms at the earliest to embrace ourselves. Tune in now! Read more
Storytelling has always been an integral part of human society. Humans as social beings have practised storytelling in various formats with time which also serves as a source of en ... Read more
Storytelling has always been an integral part of human society. Humans as social beings have practised storytelling in various formats with time which also serves as a source of entertainment. With the development in technology and other areas, Cinema came in exiting from theatre and that has played a crucial role in archiving history and also sometimes reshaping it. Since it's also a medium that brings all kinds of other art forms together the influence of cinema in our lives is also big. This episode talks about how cinema and art shape our every day, whether movies should be socially responsible, The affair between cinema and politics, Is it vanity over content? Why is content king? Will the culture of worshipping actors as demi-god end in Tamil cinema? In this episode listen to our host @subhalakshmi speak with actor-director-producer KrishnaKumar aka KK describe about how we always learn about a society from its art and culture. Tune in Now! Read more
Sometimes the feeling of home is not a place or even its people it's The FOOD!!! Sometimes you don't have to travel physically, the aroma is sufficient to make you feel nostalgic, ... Read more
Sometimes the feeling of home is not a place or even its people it's The FOOD!!! Sometimes you don't have to travel physically, the aroma is sufficient to make you feel nostalgic, and you travel down memory lane. One thing that has been a constant company in the process of evolution and human beings travelling is their food. Food plays an integral part in our culture. Many of our flavours are borrowed and many lent. So, what's really "Authentic"? Catch our host @Subhalakshmi in conversation with The Masterchef Tamil judge - Chef Koushik aka Themadchefindia discuss about how it's the magnanimity of the mind to experiment and innovative new cuisines and not be rigid with one popular way of cooking. Tune in now! Read more
If you are someone who has grown up in an environment full of mixed cultures there are chances that you identify as an oddball. That you are as much an insider as you are an outsid ... Read more
If you are someone who has grown up in an environment full of mixed cultures there are chances that you identify as an oddball. That you are as much an insider as you are an outsider. Chances are, that time and again you stood at a unique vantage point where you could draw parallels between the cultures you belong to, and decide for yourselves and your loved ones, what is worth imbibing and what's worth discarding. However, when you began making such choices, did you land yourself in tricky situations? Where you were told you aren't authentic enough to have an identity? That you don't belong? That you are now the other? But, like every coin has two sides this othering too has its own advantages. In this episode of Kalacharam Reset, listen to our host @Subhalakshmi - a Tamilian with roots in Kerala who grew up in Delhi - speak to RJ Sindhu - the breakfast show host at Fever FM Chennai - about how Sindhu now has an upper hand in her professional, social and personal life because she is a product of mixed cultures. If you are in a similar situation, tune in to learn how to turn it to your advantage, now! Read more
It is always a terrifying feeling to start a conversation with your parents. Especially When you have to do "The talk" with them, be it about your career or a life partner. However ... Read more
It is always a terrifying feeling to start a conversation with your parents. Especially When you have to do "The talk" with them, be it about your career or a life partner. However, it's not always the big Conversations but also about the everyday life choices where the differences spur. We often label this as the generation gap. In this episode, host Subhalakshmi is in conversation with her father talking about subjects ranging from relationships, marriage, jobs, fashion and global warming. Because you are not alone in this struggle. We are all in the same boat. The responses of the guest are personal and do not intend to hurt anyone's sentiments. A fun conversation between the father-daughter duo trying to understand their opinion on subjects that interest this generation. Tune in now! Read more
As we discussed in our 1st episode about some identities being chosen like "Name". Gender too comes in that category. However, that's not how it's perceived. We usually perceive ge ... Read more
As we discussed in our 1st episode about some identities being chosen like "Name". Gender too comes in that category. However, that's not how it's perceived. We usually perceive gender to be a given identity. The gender assigned at birth is according to the infant's external anatomy. However, gender identity is beyond one's anatomy. It's a person's expression of the self. More importantly, gender is non-binary. It must be seen on a scale than just as a man or a woman. Having said that it is not easy to express oneself in a society like ours where binary is THE norm and you are perceived as problematic or "need to be treated" because you are being deviant to the norm. In this episode of Kalacharam Reset, Subhalakshmi brings you a guest - Arif Afreen who identifies himself as a Transman discussing the importance of embracing each other for who we are. He shares his experience of coming out of the closet and how liberated he feels about expressing his true self. He says that regarding individuals as fellow humans before their gender is what will lead us to an equal world where the responsibility of change must begin with each one of us. Read more
That time of the Month. The Red Wedding. Shark Week. Aunt Flo. Chums. There are so many names used to suggest when a female is on her period. Sometimes, the names are used as an in ... Read more
That time of the Month. The Red Wedding. Shark Week. Aunt Flo. Chums. There are so many names used to suggest when a female is on her period. Sometimes, the names are used as an internal joke amongst those who menstruate. Other times, they are used in hush-hush tones, in embarrassment. The usage depends on the kind of situation and the persons involved in discussing it. In the Tamil culture, the first period is often celebrated. Friends and family are gathered to witness the coming of age of a girl that she is now ripe and ready to begin a family. But, as soon as, a phenomenon like this becomes the talk of the town, oftentimes, people forget the person who was supposed to be celebrated in the 1st place. As a result, celebrating maadavidai, is reduced to a mere ritual. So much so, that even in schools where sex education should be imparted, girls and boys are taken to separate rooms where red-faced teachers rush them through the basic information without even checking its credibility. So what effect does all this have on us? How does it shape our conversations around gender? How do people of different sexes find a way to support each other in all this? Subhalakshmi discusses all this and more with a fellow sufferer. Tune in now! Read more
