TDS 1.0 (featuring Annika and Nehal)

ANS Entertainment LLC•www.thatdesispark.com

*That Desi Spark has been acquired and will be available on YouTube and socials in 2025!*

That Desi Spark or TDS, formerly known as The Woke Desi, was a bold podcast created by three founders who recognized a space void of color and conversation around the topics that impact dual-identity, South Asian millennials the most. From education to entertainment and social justice issues to social media trends, TDS approached each episode with compassion, advocacy, and information, bolstered by subject-area experts and unfiltered celebrity moments.

Hosted by Annika Sharma and Nehal Tenany, TDS ignited conversation, illuminated learning, and sparked a community to own their stories, rise up with confidence, and blaze a path forward. The podcast was been featured in the Times of India, at BBC’s CDX, and on Forbes. They have also been featured speakers at multiple conferences, ViacomCBS, and universities.

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Episodes

Time to Get Sexcited (feat. Dr. Sonia Bahlani) | South Asians, Sex, and Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain--a whopping 40% of women suffer it during sex. Whether it's from initial penetration or deep penetration, sex should not be painful. TWD speaks with Dr. Sonia Bahlani, a pelvic pain specialist based out of NYC, about pelvic pain and how it's a much more widely suffered issue than most people realize. South Asian women in particular often suffer longer than many because of the quiet culture associated with sex...and it's time to change the conversation! Annika's book, S...

Dec 03, 2019•35 min

Adapting to Adopting (feat. Sarah Corley and Malea Hetrick) | South Asians and Adoption

Adoption--the rare times it's mentioned in South Asian communities, the act occurs within families. Boys are often given to a relative who has no one to take on their name...but millions of South Asian children also need homes, and for whatever reason, society is averse to taking someone else's child into our homes. On this thought-provoking, profound, and uplifting episode, guests Sarah Corley and Malea Hetrick talk about their respective adoption cases. Sarah was adopted from India i...

Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 7 min

LGBTQurious about Health? (feat. Dr. Navin Dargani) | South Asians and LGBTQIA+ Healthcare

One of the biggest issues in the United States is disparities in healthcare amongst minorities especially LGBTQ patients. TWD speaks to Dr. Navin Dargani, a psychiatrist in New York City, about the issues facing not only the LGBTQ population but minorities as a whole surrounding colonization, access, medical personnel lacking training, and more. This episode is a must-listen! Annika's book, Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice, is available at all bookstores including Barnes and Noble , Bookshop , ...

Nov 05, 2019•51 min

Let Divorce Be With You (feat. Syeda Neary and Divani Nadaraja) | South Asians and Divorce

Divorce. Did it make you shudder? Probably not the same way it's made countless aunties and uncles give a divorced person the side eye. On this episode, TWD takes a different look at divorce within the South Asian community. Speaking with divorce coach Syeda Neary and divorce attorney Divani Nadaraja, topics of discussion include coping mechanisms, coaching through divorce and the process of shame and healing in SA cultures, legal obstacles and uniquely South Asian issues faced when trying ...

Oct 08, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 7

Trauma to Treasure (feat. Jitna Bhagani and Ragini Chatterjee) | South Asians and Sexual Violence

Please be aware this episode has a trigger warning on it for sexual violence, rape, assault, and shaming. Sexual violence. Rape. Sexual assault. So many names for what can only be considered one thing: a violation of humanity. On this episode, Annika and Nehal do their best with a heavy topic by speaking with two guests--Jitna Bhagani, Founder of She Will Survive, a non-profit aimed at empowering women and girls and deconstructing the attitudes surrounding sexual violence in the South Asian comm...

Oct 01, 2019•56 min

Not A Disg-race (feat. Disha Smith and Padma Richardson) | South Asians and SA-White Interracial Relationships

You asked, we delivered. After a large number of requests to do an episode on Interracial Relationships, TWD is coming at its listeners with a show on two interracial marriages. The first guest, Disha Smith of the blog Disha Discovers, was disowned by her family for falling in love with, and eventually marrying a Caucasian man. The second, Padma Richardson, had the blessing of her family and she explains how she's successfully navigated her interracial marriage with a Caucasian man named Na...

Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 6 min

Spillin' the Anxietea (feat. Ravina Wadhwani) | South Asians, Depression, Anxiety and Mental Health

Co-host Annika Sharma opened up about her depression and anxiety on this episode, along with Harpreet Gill, a listener who contributed her story as a depression survivor. Describing their experiences, physical feelings and coping mechanisms for anxiety, Annika and Nehal also had insights from Ravina Wadhwani, a mental health therapist with the South Asian Network, a grassroots organization aimed at assisting South Asians in the Bay Area with mental health issues, immigration problems, cultural s...

Sep 10, 2019•54 min

Let's Get Cliterate (feat. Srushti Mahamuni) | South Asians and Sexual Pleasure

TWD speaks with Pussyriously blogger Srushti Mahamuni about the implications of South Asian discouragement of self-love, masturbation and body exploration, and how to please a sexual partner, paying attention to the clit, vibrators and more! A thought-provoking, relaxed, and fun conversation revolving around female pleasure, this episode is bound to make listeners excited. 18+ only. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a ...

Sep 03, 2019•40 min

Men-tality Shift (feat. Abhijith Ravinutala and Adarsh Satish) | South Asian Men's Mental Health

When South Asian men's mental health is searched on Google, there are hardly any significant findings, and contrary to first impressions, it's not because the problem doesn't exist. South Asians as a whole report higher rates of depression and anxiety than their similarly-aged, white counterparts, even after adjustments for socioeconomic status. Most mental health studies related to South Asians have been conducted in the UK, an indicator that Europe is ahead of the United States ...

Aug 27, 2019•47 min

Are We "Move-In" Too Fast?

Living together--two words that cause a flutter of excitement in any gossiping aunty group. In this episode, Nehal and Annika (Resham had a family commitment this week!) explore live-in relationships, or cohabiting, with a significant other before marriage. Laws have only recently been passed in India--the only South Asian country to create a legal form of protection--but social opinions haven't made the same jump to acceptance quite yet, and the hosts explore their own thoughts along with ...

Jul 30, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 10

It's Not All Rainbows and Unicorns (feat. Priya Arora) | South Asians and LGBTQ Rights

Pride month just ended but supporting the South Asian LGBTQIA community is something desis should do far more than one month out of the year. This week, the hosts of The Woke Desi speak with the brilliant Priya Arora. Priya is an editor by day, and a podcaster by night. Born and raised in California, they moved to N.Y.C. to pursue a graduate degree in counseling psychology, and found their voice as a community activist and writer. Priya is now an editor at The New York Times, and previously work...

Jul 16, 2019•50 min

Love & Abuse (feat. Shikha Patel and Anonymous) | South Asians and Domestic Abuse

Two out of five South Asian women are estimated to be in abusive situations. This staggering statistic is tragically underreported because of societal pressure to keep one's dirty laundry to themselves, a permeating and accepting culture of abuse, and victim blaming that can often lead to secrecy and shame. Despite these disheartening attitudes, one thing is still clear: every single person has a right to safety and South Asians are no different. On today's episode, we speak with Shikh...

Jul 09, 2019•49 min

The Inconceivable Truth (feat. Shreeda Tailor and Dr. Rashmi Kudesia) | South Asians, Miscarriage/Child Loss, and Infertility

Gutwrenching, broken silence. That was the only thing left in the wake of guest Shreeda Tailor's story. We had no words. A husband's sorrow. A mother's grief. Losses that neither they nor doctors can explain clearly--and the sad fact that medicine still struggles to reason the miscarriages and infertility that afflict over 7.4 million women. The most powerful episode of The Woke Desi explores infertility, miscarriage and South Asian culture. Men contribute to or cause 40% of infer...

Jun 25, 2019•1 hr 18 min

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