Petromax light -eh dhan venuma?: Recent Episodes
Madhu & Kruthika
We want to inspire you to set your own body standards. We are here to break taboos about body and skin. We want to build a community in Chennai and chronicle stories about body and skin.
An intergenerational letter that has been in her draft has now finally seen the light.
Harshitha writes the most beautiful letter to her forefathers and foremothers ;) as well to her future generation about at least finding a way to being kind towards their respective bodies.
She ends her piece by saying "To learn and unlearn and breaking chains of body standards one wheel at a time!"
Listen on!
P.S This was recorded in front of a live audience
Prerna performed two pieces which have been recorded for this episode. The first one talks about how we take refuge in everything and everyone while finding our flaws instead of finding ways to embrace them. She cleverly weaves the narrative using the never have I ever template to get the audience also to accept the unkind things they may have said or done to their body. Her second piece is a thankful list to her body for everything it has done for her.
Listen On!
P.S This has been recorded in front of a live audience.
In this episode, listen to Sruthakeerthi's multiple letters, including one to her own body. It is real. It's raw. It is wholesome.
Tune into this episode!
P.S This was recorded in front of a live audience.
" I am also me, a body that needs healing"
We are so proud of Abhirami, for showing her vulnerability and talking about her experiences on this day. We are always astounded by the clarity Abhirami's words bring to us and we are happy now you get to experience it too.
Acceptance can be the most easiest and most difficult thing at the same time.
Listen to Abhirami, already ! :)
P.S : This was recorded in front of a live audience
Listen to Nikilesh tell us about his experiences on Rosacea and how the voice inside is more important than the ones outside. He beautifully narrates different experiences he has undergone due to Rosacea and how he learnt to live with it. It is beautiful because for the first time he shares his vulnerable side openly.
This was recorded in the presence of a love audience.
Listen on!
If you can love thy neighbor like yourself, we say love your body even more!
In this episode Nikita, walks us through her relationship with her body and how she redefines loving herself.
Embracing herself through her words, she gives us a hope that we too can find a way to pay respect, show gratitude and maybe love ourselves the best way we can.
Listen on!
P.S : This was recorded in front of a live audience
Each person's letter from their drafts was so unique but this letter felt like it belonged to everyone.
Listen to Arun Gokul, so beautifully weave all the narratives he heard that evening to create a letter, he wrote to himself. In this episode, he fondly writes a letter to his soul that is reborn everyday and addresses it as a child. He calls everyone in the room 'aththai' and 'mama', because it felt like one big family, where each of them had something insightful to teach the child.
Go one! Listen to it and decide for yourself what you want to tell your body.
P.S. This performance was recorded in front of a live audience.
Stay tuned for more such episodes.
We bring you another episode of 'From the drafts - an open letter to your body,' an initiative to open up more dialogues and conversations about body and beauty standards.
Listen in as Sanjana shares a fun yet impactful take on society's perspective of periods and its norms.
This performance is a must listen, 'Period.'
P.S. This performance was recorded in front of a live audience.
Stay tuned for more such episodes.
TW: Suicide
Thangame, happy new year.
We are back with a brand new season, this new year.
Remember how we mentioned that we would be experimenting with newer formats next season? We did!
Presenting 'From the drafts - an open letter to your body.' This is an initiative to open up more dialogues and conversations about body and beauty standards.
It was a surreal experience, and we are excited to share these stories with you.
Here is one such gem.
Listen in as Gabriel Gladson narrates a heart touching story about a child who is subjected to unsolicited comments and unattainable body standards.
It was gold <3
P.S. This performance was recorded in front of a live audience.
More beautiful stories coming your way. Stay tuned.
Stories play a significant role in our lives, don't they?
They have the power to connect, open dialogues and create an impact.
As we come to the end of season 3 of our podcast, Madhu and Kruthika discuss what stories mean to them, reflect on the season so far and give us a sneak peek of what's in store for season 4.
Listen in!
Interested in sharing your story with us? DM us on Instagram @petromax_light_eh_Dhan_venuma.
We would love to hear your story!
Trigger warning : Discussions about OCD, body dysmorphia and Eating disorders
In this episode, Madhu discusses some of the mental health disorders that are connected to being obsessive. Aswini is a biologist who explains to us the BTS of our body regarding the above discussed mental health disorders. It is so important for us to stop throwing around these words so casually and don't pass unsolicited comments even if you think it might be a compliment. Kindness doesn't cost anything.
Listen on!
In this episode, Kruthika talks to Ms. Malarvizhi Kasi (psychotherapist) about the connection between our mind and body. A connection that is so undeniable, which made us all the more curious to understand how, what and the why's of this connection. We learnt how this connection forms even before a child could say their first words! So fascinating, relevant and most importantly necessary to navigate in today's world!
Listen on :)
TW: Panic attacks and Anxiety
In this episode, Madhu and Kruthika discuss the incredible connection between body and mind on this world mental health day. They also share a few experiences where their bodies have been a great indicator of some oncoming events such as panic attacks, Anxiety, etc.
Listen on!
We spoke to Shreya about her experiences of handling PCOS and adapting to a lifestyle that helps her stay healthy.
Being a dancer, arts consultant and a Chennai Vasi, she tells us about the need to take breaks before we reach the breaking point and the perks of working with such an understandings team of colleagues.
Again, it's just PCOS, guys!
Listen in!
Why do all actresses have to look the same?
What is this obsession about fair skin, slim bodies and flawless skin?
Will there ever be a time we get to see women of all sizes playing lead roles in a movie?
Will the jokes cracked at the expense of one's body ever stop?
Cinema is one of the most influential industries, and there is a lot of inspiration that comes from there, including beauty standards.
In this episode, we continue the conversation about cinema and the beauty standards carved out by this industry with Ranjini, a filmmaker. She shares her perspectives and personal experiences related to body standards and stereotypes associated with this field.
We also get a glimpse into the process of casting and what goes on behind the scenes.
Go ahead and listen in!
TW: Contains sensitive content Introducing Atte talks, a series where Madhu and I chat and share our perspectives on stereotypes in Cinema . In this episode, we speak about movies and the beauty and body standards carved out by this industry. Listen in! P.S. these are just our observations and point of view. You can share yours with us if you want by sending us a DM on our Instagram page
" It is just PCOS, guys! " says Sruthakeerthi in our conversation about PCOS through her work and personal experiences in our brand new season.
It is 2021, why are women still constantly "bearing" the weight of this society on their shoulders if they are affected by PCOS and can't have kids?
Why are we so narrow minded by offering unsolicited advice to others who are diagnosed with PCOS?
Let's listen to unlearn.
To offer your feedback or share your personal stories, write to our Instagram Page : https://instagram.com/petromax_light_eh_dhan_venuma?utm_medium=copy_link
We are in 2021, and why are we still 'whispering' the words pads and periods?
It's time we kept a முற்றுப்புள்ளி to this.
Listen in as we speak to Sreepriya Sridharan, a Podcaster, Circular Economy Advocate and Business Development Specialist, to understand the taboo around periods, the repercussions of using commercial pads and learn a bit about her campaign - #PeriodForChange.
We also discuss the sustainable alternatives to pads/ tampons, the need to raise awareness about menstruation and more.
If this is not awakening, we don't know what is!
Check out the blog for more details about the downside of using these products and the sustainable alternatives that are currently available in the market for you to explore. - https://medium.com/petromax-light-eh-dhan-venuma/the-consequences-of-choosing-convenience-over-conscience-2a0df43cd4bb
In this episode with Cambrionics, we uncover some weird yet interesting facts about our hair.
Did you know your hair and nails are dead tissues that just pile up over each other?
They are dead, yet they grow!! Like whaaaattt!
Listen in to find out more.
This week we bring you yet another interesting episode where we explore music, body standards, myths and more with Sneghaa Kannan.
Wondering what singing has to do with body positivity?
Listen to this episode to find out!
In this episode, we speak to Sharanya Ramasubramanian, who is a badminton player turned fitness enthusiast.
She shares her journey of transitioning from a badminton player to a fitness instructor, breaks a few myths around fitness and answers the age-old question, 'Is being slim, begin fit?'
Sharanya also speaks to us about a few instances where she was body-shamed and how she tackled it.
Listen on!
In this episode, we explore how we acquire Height as a trait from our lineage.
Did you know that you can grow up to 9 feet?
We actually didn't and thanks to Cambrionics Life Science, we got to know so much through our conversation about the science behind our height.
This time curiosity didn't kill the cat!
Listen on!
This week we speak to Bhargavi Gopalan who is a dance scientist, educator and a dancer.
She talks to us about how body and phsyciality plays an important in dance.
She helps us understand how it's important for us to take pride in our differences, our bodies and it's ability to do wonderful things.
Age, gender, Location no bar : this teacher took to zoom to launch her dance classes and has been doing it successfully over the last year. She continuously researches, explores about dance other than teaching it to her students.
She thinks dance is for everyone and she might be right :)
Who knows, maybe you would get your inspiration to start dancing after this podcast!? ;)
TW: Homophobia and Mental Health
In this episode, we speak to Vikas, a passionate lawyer who talks to us about their personal experiences, the LGBTQIA community in Chennai and much more. We are grateful for their honesty and for choosing to share their truth with us.
It was the first step for Petromax, Kruthika and Madhu towards learning about this community through listening.
When we asked, what was the one thing they would like to tell our audience listening to this?
They said "There are a lot of things to tell! I want to say one thing to Queer people and One thing to Cishet people. I have to address these two groups individually. To the queer people, all I am saying is, you are valid, you are loved, you are completely normal. There is nothing wrong with you. You are completely okay. You are not alone. There are a lot of people like you. You can meet all of us. You can text us, you can find us on the internet. We are open about who we are, and we will help you.
To the Cishet people, they said, "For people who don't know how to help, listen to us. When the people from the community say that they are going through pain or going through oppression, don't doubt it. Don't question it. Empathize with us. Take our voices, use your privilege and amplify our voice. Use your privilege, go to your Cishet spaces and make those spaces more accessible for us. When there are homophobes, talk to them, tell them their attitude is wrong and stand up to them. Don't do it because colourfultrying to save us! The world is so colourful and, there are so many diverse identities..."
Listen now to know more!
Moms, while they are unique in their own ways, they also share some common opinions on a few things.
We were surprised to hear how similar their views are, especially on 'Motherhood and body.'
For part two of this episode, we speak to Vandana, an entrepreneur, wedding photographer, YouTuber and mom to a four-year-old.
She takes us through her maternity journey and shares some personal experiences on how she embraced the changes that this beautiful chapter of her life brought along.
Listen on!
Even though we are late to this mother's day party, we want to be cheesy and say : Everyday is Mother's day!
We have with Renuka Shah, a passionate mother, trained interior designer who now curates sarees through Mulberrie Saree stores.
She talks to us about motherhood, her confidence about how well she knows her body and her Experiences of giving birth.
We loved to talk understand some very interesting things from her and would love for you all to listen to it!
In this last episode of 2020, we take time to speak among ourselves, the team of Petromax. We discuss our journey so far with Petromax, personal experiences and also reflect on some of the best moments of our podcast series!
More exciting episodes coming your way this New Year!
Stay Tuned.
We wish you and your family a safe and happy 2021.
It's that time of the month again! Our collab episode with Cambrionics Life Science.
In this episode, we address one of the most common skin issues faced by many of us today, Acne!
Are acne and pimples different? How are they formed? What causes it? Are the kitchen ingredients the perfect solution?
Ashwini & Aashritha from Cambrionics Life Science helps us answers these and share some interesting insights on this topic.
We also discuss the common myths and not to forget the unsolicited advice that we have all been a victim of!
Listen on!
In this episode of Petromax, we talk about a deep rooted problem across the world, discrimination by colour.
Anitha, our guest in this episode, shares some personal experiences she has faced in this regard throughout her life.
What did it take for her to throw the beauty products that promised to lighten her shade of skin, to have said no to a pre-bridal skin makeover and grow to the person who she is today overcoming all those unsolicited comments?
Click on the play button to find out more.
Hope you guys had a happy and safe Diwali!
We are back with another exciting episode!
The fashion industry is notorious for setting and following specific beauty standards. But, is it true? In this weekend's episode, we have a free-flowing conversation with Ashaa Vigashini, Founder and Creative Director , SAA. We break the myths and misconceptions built around the fashion industry and beauty standards. Listen on!
If you are interested to know more about SAA or explore their collection, check out @designwithsaa on Instagram!
We have some exciting newwwsss!
We are collaborating with Cambrionics Life Science, a Chennai based life sciences company starting this month!
We wanted to not just Chronicle stories and do Podcasts but now we want to take it up a notch and find out the biology behind our bodies.
Our collaboration with Cambrionics Life Science is a rather interesting one. Because for the first time we will be the brand that will start looking at being body positive at a holistic level.
Whether it's body weight, acne, hair fall or skin colour, the science behind us can give us the power of information. The power of information can help us make wise and conscious decisions about our body and take care of it.
This episode is the first of the collaboration series where we speak to Sudharshan and Ashwini to understand body weight and the science behind it. We bust some common myths and discuss some interesting facts.
Listen on!
We are super excited to start having regular conversations with the team from Cambrionics Life Science and also offer valuable takeaways that you can use to understand your body better!
Stay tuned for more insightful and interesting episodes coming your way.
This week, we speak with Steevez Rodriguez, co-founder of pep collective, creative head at Error Studio.
Our conversation revolves around his line of work, his concepts and inspirations behind them.
Steevez talks about the importance of self worth and it's roots are inside us. He also talks the importance of opening this dialogue across all castes and gender to give them a voice.
Listen on!
P.S. if you have a story to share with regards to body, skin, hair shaming or beauty standards, we are all ears! Check out our campaign, 'Oru Kadhai Solunga Saar!' on Instagram to learn more.
In the light of the 'World Student's Day,' this week's episode focussed on the education sector. We invited two college students from Chennai, Anjali and Saatvik to get their views on why one should have their own beauty standards.
It was an interesting conversation, where we covered everything from beauty standards, stereotypes, gender bias, all from the point of view of students and also their opinions on the current education system and what's missing.
Listen on!
P.S. if you have a story to share with regards to body, skin, hair shaming or beauty standards, we are all ears!
Check out our campaign, 'Oru Kadhai Solunga Saar!' on Instagram to learn more.
Trigger Warning: contains an incident about self-harm.
This World Mental Health Day, we speak with Aparna from Chennai, a Child Psychologist and certified Art and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist to understand the impact of body shaming on one's mental health, the different ways to tackle it and the importance of setting boundaries.
She also shares a few incidents from her personal life.
Listen on.