Voice It Out Podcast with Amrita

In this episode, Traitors' star Ash Bibi is the guest. Known for her outspoken and fiercely authentic personality, Ash sits down to discuss what it really takes to live life entirely on her own terms. Ash talks about the raw struggles of leaving home at 16 to finding the grit to take massive risks. She opens up about navigating heavy criticism, particularly the cultural expectations within the South Asian community, especially after her appearance on First Dates, and the importance of building a strong support network. While she is immensely dedicated to embracing life with both hands, she doesn't shy away from the mental hurdles, revealing how she navigates the opportunities that have come her way, overcoming self-doubt and being clear on the non-conformity. Sharing her unfiltered thoughts on single life and her refusal to be boxed in, Ash opens up about how she finally stopped chasing approval, which is also a message she is deeply passionate about passing on to the next generation of young women.

In this episode, Dr Navjot Sawhney, founder of The Washing Machine Project, shares his powerful journey from being a young boy dreaming of becoming an engineer to launching a global humanitarian movement. Navjot opens up about how a simple promise to build a manual washing machine for his neighbour, Divya, in India, blossomed into an initiative that has now reached 15 countries, providing flat-pack washing machines to underprivileged villages and refugee camps. Throughout this chat, he highlights the profound influence of the women in his life who empower his work, while sharing his mission in prioritising life-changing innovations where they are desperately needed. This episode offers a vulnerable look at Navjot’s personal battle with burnout as a social entrepreneur, underscoring his deep, unwavering desire to use engineering as a force for genuine, positive change in the world.

In this episode, actors Amar Chaggar and Amit Dhut join Amrita to discuss their new British Asian, indie film, Never Had A Chance, which recently screened at the UK Asian Film Festival. Beyond the film’s poignant story of two friends caught in a cycle of substance abuse, both actors explore the weight of portraying such heavy subject matters alongside the happy moments the characters face. Amar stars as the protagonist, Ravi, who struggles to leave a life of crime behind, while Amit plays Guj, a local drug dealer. The actors also dive deep into their own experiences with mental health, offering a nuanced look at the cultural stigmas surrounding vulnerability for men within the British Asian community. Reflecting on their paths in the industry, they share the personal challenges and moments that are shaping their careers and share their experience in making Never Had A Chance, which reflects the real struggles that the young Punjabi community face today.

This week, Amrita is joined by broadcaster, host and DJ Harpz Kaur for a candid chat exploring the realities of achieving her dreams. From her humble beginning in local radio to her 7-year stint at the BBC Asian Network, Harpz pulls back the curtain on the pressures of fame, the demands of corporate life, and the impact her journey had on her mental health. She also reflects on her path of self-discovery, sharing her deep pride in her Punjabi culture and how it shapes her identity today. Beyond her career, Harpz speaks openly about the grief of losing people close to her and how her role as an ambassador for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) has provided not only a vital space for her but also given her a voice to try and make a difference to those who most need it. Harpz gives a deeply humbling and insightful take on staying grounded, protecting your energy, and choosing the path that truly brings you joy.

This week, women's physiotherapist Meera Joshi joins Amrita and speaks about filling the gap in women's health and wellbeing and how her work developed to focus on pregnancy and postpartum recovery, when the pandemic presented an unexpected opportunity, allowing her to build a community and launch her own practice. A passionate advocate for those women in the perinatal period (before and beyond), Meera shares her take on the unique physical and mental vulnerabilities that new motherhood can come along with. Through her extensive clinical expertise and deep understanding of how mental and physical health are connected, she also shares some insights about her own experience as a new mum, and how she was able to try and test the tools she has often helped others with.

This week, Amrita is joined by Arun Kapur to discuss his spontaneous journey of creating Wolverhampton's first film festival alongside his brother. Recognising the lack of a film industry in the area, Arun speaks about his motivations for creating a creative space where filmmakers and creatives can share their work, connect, and have a dedicated local channel to grow within the industry, and use this as a platform to give back to their community. Arun also opens up about breaking down generational norms, what his safe space looks like as a young Asian male and also how he feels community organisations can help people with their mental health.

From the stage of Britain’s Got Talent to the cinematic world of Harry Potter, Krupa Chavda-Derodra has built a formidable career as a dancer and choreographer. Now, she is merging her two greatest passions of dancing and writing in her debut children’s book, The Dance Map: Anaya’s Indian Adventure. In this episode, Krupa gets candid with Amrita about her journey through an "unconventional" profession in the creative industry which started from her love of music and movement, the inspiration behind her writing, and the hurdles she overcame to find success on her own terms. Beyond the spotlight, Krupa discusses her drive to inspire the next generation, sharing how her desire to be a positive role model for young minds has ultimately led her to becoming a storyteller.

The week Amrita talks to American-based author Dur E Aziz Amna, about her second book 'A Splintering', after receiving much acclaim for her debut book 'American Fever'. Dur E Aziz opens up about how different writing her most recent book has been to her first and her urge to write a compelling story about a strong female lead that represents issues not openly talked about within South Asian culture. Dur E Aziz also expresses how she dealt with the feelings that came with writing these characters, and how it affected her mental health, especially with the characters and scenarios that are so different from her own life.