Why Desi Men Finally Talking? (DMFT)

When I started looking for podcasts related to South Asian Americans, I found that the vast majority were focused on Bollywood, popular culture and women’s issues, mostly around the topics of motherhood or singlehood. I realized that the desi (South Asian) middle-aged man’s  inner life is overlooked online just like it is overlooked in the broader culture, and even more so in the South Asian culture. 

Generally, he is indoctrinated at an early age to be responsible for two things, his family and career. His need for creative expression, connection and meaning in life are seen as frivolous pursuits for the most part. When he does try and address them, his quest is quickly labeled as a “midlife crisis”, which is mostly a passive aggressive way of telling him that he is trying to relive his youth. 

I decided to create a podcast that will take the spotlight off the limited range of topics that desi men are expected to talk about, namely, politics, religion, career, sports, money, cars and taxes. Instead, I’d like to create a space to discuss topics that really matter to desi men, a space that doesn’t get created often. 

In the podcast, I capture stories in the form of interviews and short scenes. The interviews include my friends and acquaintances who have taken the road less traveled. The scenes include fictional characters and are inspired by situations that I have seen in my own life.

I hope that you will enjoy these conversations because they don’t happen often and I also hope that you will be able to relate to the stories, whether you are a desi middle-aged man or not.