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Modern Malayali

Ria 12 Episodes Apr 9, 2026

Modern Malayali is a podcast hosted by Ria for Malayalis who were born and raised outside of Kerala. It explores culture, identity, and the challenges of navigating life between different worlds. Episodes cover topics like mental health, career, marriage, colorism, and unspoken family expectations. Through honest and respectful conversations, the show aims to share stories and help listeners feel less alone in their experiences.

Episodes

What Really Happens at Kilukam? Apr 9, 2026 00:35:03 Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali!If you’ve spent any time around Malayali communities in Europe, you’ve probably heard people talk about Kilukam.The outfits, the performances, the friend groups travelling across cities… and of course the after parties.But what actually is Kilukam?In this episode of Modern Malayali, I am joined by Megha, the co-host of Kilukam 202

Moving Back Home After Independence Mar 25, 2026 00:31:54 Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali!After years of living independently for studies, work, or life abroad, moving back home can feel comforting… and confusing at the same time.In this episode of Modern Malayali, I’m joined by Shilka, a newly graduated med student who’s just moved back in with her parents. We talk honestly about what it’s like returning home as an ad

Do you speak Malayalam bro? Mar 6, 2026 00:38:38 Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali!Many of us understand Malayalam perfectly well but for some of us (i.e. me) speaking it feels so awkward and is such a struggle.My guest Thomas, on the other hand, has brilliantly taken the initiative at the age of 16 to teach himself how to speak our language, Malayalam. Together we explore and reflect on why speaking our mother

Growing up with different rules. Feb 20, 2026 00:48:26 Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali!In this episode, I’m joined by Sneha to talk about how boys and girls are often raised differently in Malayali households and families. It’s like our parents were given two different rulebooks for sons and daughters!We share our personal stories and reflect on the small, everyday differences in how we were raised: who helped in th

Bro, when are you getting married? Oct 24, 2025 00:30:00 Hi everyone and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali! We've all heard that question, from aunties, uncles, parents, friends, and sometimes even from complete strangers at weddings. But what is it really like being on the receiving end of that pressure, especially as a Malayali guy? In this episode, Johan and I talk about what that really feels like, watching your friends, even the yo

Those arranged marriage websites... you know the ones. Oct 9, 2025 00:38:59 Hi everyone and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali! We’ve all heard of them, chaavara, m4marry, shaadi. com, those websites our parents swear by when it’s time to 'start looking'.In this episode, I sit down with my special friend, Aparna, and we talk about what it’s really like being on these sites. We talk about setting up profiles (or having them set up for us), going through cou

Being Malayali on opposite sides of the world: UK and SA! Sep 25, 2025 00:34:25 Being a new-gen Malayali comes with so many layers — balancing tradition with modern life, navigating family expectations, and building your own identity in a different country. In this episode of Modern Malayali, Sandra and I explore what it means to grow up as Malayali in places like the UK and South Africa, and how, despite living on opposite sides of the world, our experiences are unsurprising

The weight of expectations and career freedom for young Malayalis. Sep 11, 2025 00:41:10 Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali. For so many young Malayalis, career choices are more than just personal decisions, they’re deeply tied to family expectations, societal approval, and the idea of what a 'successful life' should look like. In this episode, we unpack the pressures so many of us grow up with: the push toward stable, 'respectable' car

Music, faith and finding your voice. Aug 28, 2025 00:32:33 Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali! In this episode, I sit down with Chris, a young Malayali singer who’s using TikTok and music to carry tradition forward in a whole new way. Chris shares how faith, community, and family have shaped his journey, and how he’s finding fresh ways to keep his culture alive while chasing big dreams in music and mentoring. His story is

Skin deep: Colourism, culture and confidence. Aug 14, 2025 00:33:17 (Apologies about the poor audio quality!)Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Modern Malayali!Today’s episode is about a topic that I've been wanting to speak about for a while. It’s close to my heart, and I know it’s something so many of us, especially in the Malayali community, have experienced in some way or the another. We’re talking about skin colour - more specifically, h

Onam is here! Keeping up with Onam celebrations outside of Kerala. Aug 8, 2025 00:36:41 Hey everyone, and welcome to the first episode of Modern Malayali! We're kicking things off strong by talking about the one main event that brings all of us Malayalis around the world together. Once July hits, it's like our internal Onam alarm goes off... you just know it's coming. The sarees and mundus, the sadya, the pookalams... it's all right around the corner. In this episode

Intro: What does it mean to be a 'Modern Malayali'? Jul 31, 2025 00:02:06 Hi and welcome to Modern Malayali! I'm so glad you're here.My name is Ria, and this podcast is a space for open, thoughtful conversations with Malayalis born and brought up outside of Kerala.People like me, and maybe like you, who've grown up balancing our culture, family and identity in places far from where it all started.This podcast is not about judgement or having all the answers.It's simply

Modern Malayali

Episodes

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