THE BINDI BANDIT by Sassy Sariks: Recent Episodes
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A podcast about culture, identity and celebration. THE BINDI BANDIT is inspired by the desire to find yourself whilst embracing your culture, modernity and history; never compromising who you feel you are. From discussions about cultural awareness, identity to the re-education of the historical narrative as we know it. THE BINDI BANDIT takes you on a journey by finding yourself and learning about others. Hosted by Sarika Gandhi, music by Amby: https://youtu.be/xa55w3NyfQM
Sarika in Episode 3 is joined by the Founder of The Blindian Project, Jonah. They chat about relationships between culture and communities, why this incredible project was founded, and the importance of acceptance.
In Episode 2, Sarika is joined by the pioneering Katie Lloyd who was appointed as BBC News and Current Affairs Director of Development in 2014. The conversation is all about Katie's career, commitment to diversity, and what diversity means to her and the BBC. They also chat about motherhood, the importance of wellness, and how to make news more reflective of culture and society.
To kick Series 2 of The Bindi Bandit off in style, Sarika is joined by the wonderful, Raj Pander. Raj is the host of the Thank You Next podcast, keeping all the real-life dramas real and honest, and has even won Radio Academy's Best New Presenter Award. Sarika and Raj chat all about childhoods, importance of breaking cultural boundaries, and the reality TV world for British Asians.
In Episode 12 of THE BINDI BANDIT I am joined by the talented artist and musician, S.A.M. We discuss all about his cultural identity, journey to success and why Sam believes there needs to be more South Asian representation in the music industry. Sam also chats all about his identity, passion for music and childhood. Sam shares with us his exciting summer plans which sound amazing, so be sure to check him out!
In Episode 11 of THE BINDI BANDIT, Sarika is joined by the incredibly talented and hilarious, Raheem. Raheem is a Kathak dancer, choreographer and an amazing performer. Raheem chats with Sarika all about his childhood, his passion for his culture and his sexuality. They chat about the conflict of identities, navigating through life with multiple heritages and cultures, and how Kathak dancing is empowering by beautifully expressing stories. He also kindly shares his own story about sexualisation, feeling stereotyped into boxes and how his family have been undoubtedly supportive throughout. Raheem is part of ethos at the heart of this podcast; always saying true to who you are and always being unapologetically himself.
Episode 10 sees Sarika joined by the wonderful Abi Oyepitan. Abi is founder of the black owned, British beauty brand, Liha Beauty. Also, Abi is a professional world athlete, competing in two Olympic games and a Gold and Silver medalist. Liha Beauty uses founders, Liha and Abi's African roots and Yoruba traditions to create simplistic but effective beauty products. At the heart of the brand, Liha Beauty aims to educate and inform through its rich history shining throughout the products. We chat all about brand identity, sexism within the athletics industry and the importance of representation.
Episode 9 of THE BINDI BANDIT by Sassy Sariks, sees host Sarika Gandhi and guest Cairo Aibangbee discuss the incredible community which is Black Girls Brunch. Cairo founded Black Girls Brunch in 2018 and is also an award-winning playwright and author. Cairo was inspired to create a community dedicated to Black women which was safe, comfortable and represented. Black Girls Brunch has grown from strength to strength and we chat about the future for this platform. Cairo also discusses her own personal journey to becoming a popular writer and finding your voice in the creative field.
In Episode 8 I am joined by upcoming actress and founder of Drama Schools Against Racism (with over 10K Facebook members), Simrita Khela. We discuss Simrita's childhood, abandoning her culture and her own experiences within an ethnic minority community. Simrita kindly shares her own personal story of watching her father's mental health struggle and the response from their community and her issues with being stereotyped within the acting industry. We chat all about Simrita's passion project, Drama Schools Against Racism, which grew into a phenomena overnight. Simrita discusses the importance of creating a Facebook Page with over 10K members and how together we are stronger.
In Episode 7 of THE BINDI BANDIT by Sassy Sariks, I am joined with Bollywood dancer, actor and Britain's Got Talent Finalist, Saaj Raja. Saaj chats all about his conflict of identity between British and Indian culture, his passion for Bollywood dance and how he is finally pursuing his dreams of becoming a successful actor. We discuss Saaj's new found adoration towards spirituality and his 10-day silent meditation retreat. Saaj is also in the newest Marvel film which focuses on a South Asian superhero.
'I never felt accepted by any of my communities but you must always uplift others'. Nav Rahman joins me in the newest episode of THE BINDI BANDIT by Sassy Sariks. Episode 6 sees the incredibly powerful discussion surrounding transphobia in South Asian communities. Nav shares her experience as a triple minority; within South Asian, LGBTQ+ and Gender communities. We chat about the British colonial influence on transgender ideals and the importance of embracing who you truly are.
In Episode 5 of THE BINDI BANDIT by Sassy Sariks, I am joined by the founder of NeverFullyDressed, one of the UK's fastest growing fashion brands with over 700k followers on IG. Lucy joins me in chatting all about fashion, diversity, building a brand, environmentally conscious fashion and sustainability. We also talk about work ethic, motherhood whilst being a working mother and what is next for NeverFullyDressed. Thank you for joining me.
Yazz Bhandari kindly joins me on Episode 4 of THE BINDI BANDIT. Yazz is the founder of fashion magazine, 'Fabrik' and has also featured in Italian Vogue. Yazz discusses his activism in dismissing racism within South Asian communities through the caste system and colourism. We also chat about ethnic minorities pursuing careers in creative fields.
In Episode 3, we are chatting to radio sensation, Lucy Ambache. Lucy and I will be talking about diversity in radio, Lucy's journey into radio and all about her life on a farm! Lucy stresses the importance of inclusivity in radio and her role in the first national black radio station in London, Choice FM.
In Episode 2, I am joined by talented musician Ady Suleiman, with over 28K followers on Instagram and 32.8 million streams on Spotify in over 79 countries. Ady speaks honestly about his experiences being Mixed-race in the UK. We chat about his abandonment of Islamic faith, family origins and his heritage. Ady profoundly discusses his identity, his struggles and how he has never been prouder of his background. Please note there is explicit language used.
THE BINDI BANDIT is inspired by the desire to find yourself whilst embracing culture, modernity and history. Today, I am joined by my good friend, Felicity Cook to discuss her own story as a mixed-race female in the UK. Her mother is of Ghanian heritage, she met Felicity's father who is of English heritage in Ghana and moved to the UK a few years later. In this episode, we will discuss cultural awareness, prejudice and finding yourself when you have multiple cultures as part of your identity. THE BINDI BANDIT takes you on a journey by finding yourself, learning about others and redefining history.