Popular TV presenter and radio host Anita Rani has launched her brand-new podcast Sisters of Defiance, with the first episode featuring one of the most recognisable Punjabi faces on British television, Dame Meera Syal.
The debut episode sees the two Punjabi women unpack deeply personal conversations around divorce within South Asian communities, representation in British media and what it means to challenge expectations as British Asian women.
During the candid discussion, both reflect on the groundbreaking impact of the iconic British Asian film Bhaji on the Beach and what it meant for brown audiences at the time.
Anita reveals how the film was the first time she truly saw herself represented on screen, saying: “My experiences were being reflected.”
Dame Meera, who wrote the landmark film, reflects on that era in British television and cinema, describing a generation of South Asian creatives who were “invincible” despite being largely “unrepresented”.
She explains how mainstream Britain often failed to see South Asians beyond stereotypes.
“People didn’t know South Asians could be funny and creative,” she says. “They thought we were the people who set their bones in hospitals or sold them their newspapers in the corner shop.”
Throughout the episode, Anita explores what it has taken for Dame Meera to become one of Britain’s most celebrated Asian creatives, examining moments of rebellion, defiance and the times she unapologetically disrupted spaces that were never designed for women like her.
The conversation also begins with Dame Meera taking listeners back to her childhood, growing up in a predominantly white rural working-class environment, offering insight into the experiences that shaped her resilience and creative voice.
Sisters of Defiance promises to spotlight powerful stories from women who have challenged norms and broken barriers across culture, identity and society.
The first episode is out now and available to watch on YouTube and listen to on Spotify.
You can watch the first episode via Spotify and YouTube.
