Fundamental human rights of justice, liberty and equality are enshrined in the Indian Constitution for all its citizens. Yet women of the country, across socio-economic divide, continue to experience discrimination and denial in their personal and social contexts. Over last few decades a lot has changed for 'her,' yet lot remains the same. Further, in today's technology-infested globalised world, she is in search for freedom, not 'from something' but 'for something.' In this search, what are her...
Jun 27, 2025•58 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Indian music is said to have originated in ancient times as a confluence of three broad streams - music performed in temples for devotion, music performed in palaces and royal courts for entertainment and music that flowed freely in farms, fields and forests, for its own sake. At its core, it celebrates the Vyakti (individual, the part) and Samashti (collective, the whole) both fuelled by a primal energy manifesting as ‘Naad’ or Sound. ‘VishnuNaad,’ is an attempt to experience this primal energy...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Weddings are a significant indicator of Indian culture. Though centered around the bride and groom, this special event tacitly focuses on sustaining and strengthening the community, ‘jaat-biradari,’ as it is popularly termed in India. And, that’s how it has been for centuries. Add to it the pomp and glamour of - mehndi, haldi, sangeet, baarat, exquisite outfits & jewellery, exotic destinations, DJs, after parties, live streaming & Instagram reels, and you get a modern day Indian Wedding ...
Feb 27, 2025•58 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome to a conversation with Neeta Mittal , an innovative entrepreneur and co-founder of LXV Wine . This conversation takes us on a sensory journey from the vineyards of Paso Robles, California to the spice markets of India, exploring the art of human connection in a fast-paced digital world. In this thought provoking podcast, Neeta weaves together three interconnected themes - Wisdom of the Vine, Alchemy of Senses & Human Touch in the Age of AI. Throughout this conversation, Neeta intertw...
Jan 30, 2025•59 min•Season 5Ep. 1
All things are possible for those who believe. This is however easier said than done. Beliefs get tested, some quite severely and some over a long period of time leaving a deep mark on our psyche. How do we hold firm in our beliefs and yet be flexible? How can we shift the needle from ‘Can I?’ to ‘I Can.'? What are the ensuing struggles? What role does a support system play here? What intangibles await us as we pursue of our beliefs? To explore this subject and more, here’s a conversation with C...
Sep 19, 2024•59 min•Season 4Ep. 25
Fear has been a constant companion of human race since hunter-gatherer days. It is a powerful force that creates as well as destroys. Unlike the animal kingdom, however, humans have an innate gift to understand fear in all its entirety. How does fear manifest in everyday life? What about moments of crisis that shakes our very being? How does it trigger an inevitable chain reaction of dysfunctional behaviours? What role does society, culture, religion and technology play in harbouring and amplify...
Sep 05, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 24
Much of who we are is shaped by our personal, work and social roles which evolve in a given context and over a period of time. These roles feed on each other and are further influenced by our choices and compulsions. How does this process manifest in the early stages of life? How does married life and parenthood impact the role matrix? What if this involves a geographical and cultural transition? Across life phases, how does one protect and nurture personal passions? In all this drama, how does ...
Aug 22, 2024•57 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Today, music & dance are an integral part of weddings, corporate events, nightlife or private celebrations with professional DJs at the centre stage. They know exactly how to get everyone swaying to their beats, keeping energy high on the dance floor and to provide non-stop entertainment! What goes into being a DJ? What is the art, craft & drama that needs to be mastered? How does a DJ build and sustain a brand for local & international markets? What are the blood, sweat and tears in...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 22
Finding one’s way through the forest, metaphorically and physically, happens to a chosen few. Every step calls for curiosity, courage, experimentation, openness to learn and constant adaptation. What if this is one’s calling in life? What world’s does it open up? How does a ‘beginner’s mind’ respond to such a calling? What does it mean to be a self-made ‘naturalist’? How does one build a professional work career to share the magic of nature and wildlife? To explore this subject and more, here’s ...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 21
An unwavering commitment to the ideals of ‘ rasa nishpatti' has ensured survival and growth of ancient Indian art forms much beyond an artist’s life and times. This however has necessitated democratisation, modernisation & institutionalisation of art through structures, systems and processes guided by principles and values. How does an artist partake in this process to experience and expand the art? What are the ensuing trials & tribulations? What mysteries and treasures await in such an...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Raga framework in Indian Classical Music is said to be an ocean replete with mysteries & treasures. A Sangeet Saadhak (student of music) committed to a triad of Taalim (disciplined lessons), Riyaaz (diligent practice) & Adaakaari (authentic performance) gets a chance to experience these mysteries and treasures to bring them forth to their listeners. What is the relationship between Ragas and its Saadhak? What chemistry unfolds between them? What Tapasya (penance) both have to endure and ...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Human context is imbued with certain timeless themes that need periodic revisit, reexamination and renewal. Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DEI) is one such theme. This would include gender and identity, neurodiversity, social and professional diversity, cultural and ethnic diversity etc. How do we navigate this maze? What role does power inequities play in DEI context? What micro and macro processes are at play here? Is equality synonymous with sameness? How does one acknowledge and grace ...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 18
It is said that lot happens in a forest. While the focus could be more on all that is seen at the eye level, there’s lot that goes on above and below this plane. It takes a lot of patience, sensitivity and understanding to comprehend a forest, skills that are equally important in the world of photography. What if one’s work includes wild life as well as photography? What experiences and insights await in such a body of work? How does it trigger an entrepreneurial venture having a ’Triple P’ goal...
May 30, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 17
It is said that dance is an artform that frees human spirit. Through movements in space & time the dancer aims to break the shackles of earthly existence. What is the mystical space one discovers as one moves with the accompanying melody & rhythm? What really happens when our feet, knowingly or unknowingly, start tapping to the beats of music? How does this bring alive the healer within to be in service of oneself and others? To explore this subject and more, here’s a conversation with U...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 16
The world of self-help, personal growth books is ever expanding. At one end are books with simple insights, offering easy steps as ‘chota recharge’ to daily life. While at other end are books with profound answers to deeper questions, offering steps that may be life transforming. In a post-truth world with shortening attention spans, the ‘everyday recharge option’ seems more pragmatic for many. How do simple stories and timeless mythologies help in my ‘daily kurukshetra’ battles? Across life-rol...
May 02, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Musicians, vocalists or instrumentalists, dwell simultaneously in two worlds - an external world of practice and performance and an internal world of self doubts, dilemmas, contentment and possible bliss. The canvas becomes intense if the context is Indian classical music - Khyal or Carnatic. How does a musician navigate these worlds while staying focused on the art & craft? What are the joys and agonies of an accompanying artist? What are the subtle processes of ‘waiting & anticipating’...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 4Ep. 14
It is said that human mind is fuelled by an intricate triad of thoughts, emotions and actions. Further, research has pointed to primacy of emotions in this triad as the cause as well as consequence of our realities. What are emotions, what do they do to us? Why do we need a rich emotional vocabulary to examine our everyday experiences? What is the ‘disorder-development continuum’ in the field of Mental Health? What role do Mental Health professionals play in today’s world? What are their anchors...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 13
For years you work hard to face the ‘big moment.’ The moment arrives, you come out as a winner, years of commitment and perseverance has paid off. But the next moment brings in a surprise - a crash, a collapse! It’s back to square one. How does one reconcile with such realities? How does one pick up the threads and recover from setbacks? What are the internal and external forces supporting this rise? What makes the ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ climb up the spout again? To explore this subject and more, h...
Mar 21, 2024•55 min•Season 4Ep. 12
Conversations can be formal and structured with a specific agenda and outcome in mind. On the other hand, they can be informal and exploratory based on the underlying energy felt by those conversing. The latter could involve varied subjects such as friendship, family, work, travel and all that is meaningful and precious. Why do connections matter to me? How can conversations help me forge rich connections? How has migrating across cities, countries and cultures shaped me and my world? How do I c...
Mar 07, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Role transitions is a feature of life be it in personal, professional or social spaces and is important for one’s growth. It often involves a complex web of relationships, responsibilities, boundaries, power, authority, choices and constraints. All this is further anchored in a socio-cultural context as well as personal dreams and aspirations based on the stage of one’s life. How are role transitions negotiated by men and women? What are the trials and tribulations involved? What role does gende...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Gender based roles practiced over several generations and centuries has created a society with certain structure, order and continuity. On the flip side, the “should’s & must’s” of such a society, held as non-negotiable, have unleashed dysfunctional sides of power, authority and control. In India, this has further exacerbated processes of discrimination and denial, with women, urban and rural, finding themselves on the receiving end, even in 21st Century. The courageous few, however, have di...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Today, India stands at a confluence of a rich past, an industrious present and a bright future, with all its underlying paradoxes. Those engaged in the freedom struggle envisioned a nation with goals that were focused inwards. The next generation strengthened this foundation in context of a globalised world. And, the current generation is building on this momentum of internal integration and external adaptation. For each generation, actions have been influenced by opportunities and compulsions o...
Jan 25, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 8
For many people, a lot happens in their 30’s. It’s a decade marked by expansion in almost all realms of one’s life. Marriage, children, caregiving, workplace responsibilities, social obligations .… there is action on all fronts. It’s an intense phase in exploration of identities, roles, purpose and commitments. Being married for few years, should I have children now? How do I raise a child in a world full of strife? Will I be able to fulfil my caregiving responsibilities towards my parents? What...
Jan 11, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 7
A childhood filled with love & care at home and camaraderie at school shapes a mind that seeks harmony and justice at all times. It fosters aspirations based on acceptance of the ‘as-is’ in order to create value for everyone. Its nemesis however is a utilitarian world that’s designed as a give-and-take, win-lose game, a world where real faces are often hidden behind masks. Being guarded, holding cards close to oneself, keeping the other person guessing becomes the strategy to win and maybe r...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Poor literacy rates amongst children, especially girls, is one of the primary reasons behind socio-economic inequities in India. It sets in motion a life long experience of discrimination, denial and deprivation for the girl child that impacts much of her adult life in terms of identity and choices. Providing access to education and knowledge through reading, a source of primary learning, will go a long way in establishing a strong identity anchored in self-belief, confidence and courage for thi...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Over the last two decades India has seen rapid urbanisation resulting in social, cultural, economic and ecological dilemmas for today’s young Indians. One seems to be getting lost in the din of everyday life where emotional safety of a joint family is giving way to a nuclear family and its nuances. Fond memories of summer vacations with a ‘gang of cousins’ at grandmas home seems to be a dream from distant past. How do I pass on to my kids the culture that I have grown up with? In providing for o...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Women participation in the Indian Armed Forces is a relatively recent phenomena. There are very few women who consider army as their first career choice. What are the challenges of navigating such a career? In the process, what if she finds a marriage partner within the army but from a different religious faith? How does she integrate the diversity in faith & values within her immediate and extended families? How does she negotiate between her career & life choices? How does she balance ...
Nov 16, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Riding on the successes of earlier generations, today, many Indians are migrating to other countries to build their careers and lives. Such migrations are imbued, in general, with challenges of inclusion, understanding and acceptance and, in specific, when the situation involves a cross-cultural, inter-faith marriage. What role does forgiveness, reconciliation and love play in such situations? What if there is a child born from this wedlock? How does one raise such a child where it feels protect...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Toxic marriages are a global reality that largely remain unacknowledged with women often finding themselves at the receiving end. In India, fortunately, the subject has received due attention especially in metros and few other cities. Women are making conscious choices to find ways out of their married lives that have broken beyond repair. But what if there are children involved in a separation process? How does the woman convince the kids with her decision of divorce? How does she raise them as...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In this BTS episode, show producers and creators Asha & Milind Agnihotri go down the memory lane on what happened behind the scenes in making of Wings podcast. They share their personal experiences, joyous and nervous moments, in putting together 75 guest episodes aired each Friday over 3 Seasons, since 7 January 2022. They also give a sneak peek into Season 4 of the podcast which is currently in the making with a new design, to be aired after a short break. Views and opinions expressed in t...
Jun 22, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 25
