Girl, Bol!

30 years ago, Indians (and ethnic minorities in general) faced ahuge stigma around accessing mental health care — especially talk therapy. The barriers for Indians (and, really, any ethnic minorities) accessing therapy is oftentimes not about money — it's about shame. And, in this episode, we're lifting the veil on the shame that's keeping us small, suffering, and sad. Even today. Cut to a new generation of desis speaking out about mental health needs in the community, shared family trauma, healing from past wounds, and a bright ray of hope that comes from finding a safe, professional space to process everything life throws at you. This week on Episode 5 of Girl Bol, Sarah and Jyotika dive deep and get personal with our stances on therapy for ourselves, our romantic partners, and our friends. We also ripple out and take a look at two brown celebrities who demonstrate a contrasting view on seeking help from mental professional. Hint: One's thriving and the other...well, he's getting there. The fact is that it takes courage and commitment to get raw when you're in therapy. You in?

Men? Makeup? Marriage? There are just way too many "M" words in a desi woman's life. In this week's episode, we talk about one more M word that colours our lives — Menstruation. This is the first part in a two-part special where your hosts, Sarah and Jyotika, each come with a secret question prepared for the other. Welcome to non-scripted land, where we talk about the all-too-common tropes around menstruation that are holding us back, how to reclaim your personal power through menstruation, and why getting your period can be almost as intoxicating as another M word ;) Music by: Tesher [https://www.youtube.com/user/TesherMusic] Om Shaanti Om Clips: Red Chillies Production FOLLOW Girl Bol on Instagram [http://instagram.com/girl.bol] for more!

This week, we talk about a polarizing public figure in Bollywood — Kangana Ranaut. She was recently banned from Twitter (some would say, aaaaat laaast!) for incendiary comments about genocide. For every thousand women who've been told they're "too much," there's a woman like Kangana who takes it to the next level. Is she on to something profound but uncomfortable or is she just plain misinformed? And what can the infamous Ranaut Rants on social media tell us about how important it is to have a safe personal space to speak in before you air your sh*t to the world? Find out right here on Girl, Bol! Music by Tesherr [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR9pMIBZG-hXi2NlADAzuSQ] FOLLOW Girl, Bol on Instagram [https://instagram.com/girl.bol]

On this week's episode, we break down the gender roles binding men and women in desi society through the lens of the ever-trusty, ever-overdramatic, but low-key incisive, Bollywood. Weaving a thread through early 90's cinema, down to the 2000s, and onward to present day, Sarah and Jyotika start to gain a new appreciation for what a woman's role in a man's development is, how female power is KEY for supporting men who are emotionally intelligent and self-aware, and how the winds of change are blowing STRONG in desi culture when it comes to previously "shamed" topics like divorce and domestic violence.  Music by: Tesherr [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR9pMIBZG-hXi2NlADAzuSQ] (Tesherr on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tesherrrr/]) Follow Girl Bol on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/girl.bol/] Subscribe to Girl Bol on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1asuESdMOVRDNdLCLnH76z] Subscribe to Girl Bol on Apple Podcasts [%20%20https:/podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/girl-bol/id1561702190]

In this inaugural episode of Girl Bol! your hosts Jyotika Sroa and Sarah Sher talk about the two main preoccupations in every brown woman's life: Body hair and Bollywood. From Kajol's unibrow to your personal standards of self-determined beauty, how much of our external, personal appearance is something we claim for ourselves, and how much is a reaction to other's desires for who we are? Sarah and Jo break down body hair from the perspective of their own experiences with significant others, the filter of Bollywood, and our collective expectations about women's bodies. Ultimately, where you're coming from and how you feel about yourself, onany issue in your life, is what matters most. Intro music by Tesher: Ole Havana SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and find us on social media. Girl Bol Instagram: http://instagram.com/girl.bol