17 FEB 2024 · Being bisexual is often met with a whole lot of stereotypes, and there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding that topic, coming from both the heteronormative society and within the queer community. What are the unique challenges of coming out as a bisexual woman in India? What prejudices do bi people confront? And what is it like to navigate straight and queer spaces when you're bisexual? In this episode of Love Matters, Leeza Mangaldas talks to writer and editor Saumyaa Vohra about her personal experiences. From coming out to yourself and your family to differences in dating men and women, join their insightful and open conversation. They also delve deep into the story of Saumyaa Vohra's book "One Night Only" – one of the few Indian novels to feature a bisexual protagonist. Find out how she came up with the idea and why she portrayed her character deliberately flawed and "the least likeable." Tune in now! Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/ Saumyaa Vohra's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saumyaavohra/ Credits: Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi (DW), Charulata Biswas (IE) Research & Guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi (DW) Project Manager: Patricia Szilagyi (DW) Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava (IE), Khyati Rajvanshi (IE) Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck (DW Life & Style), Anant Nath Sharma (IE) Sound Editor: Suresh Pawar (IE) Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between https://indianexpress.com/ and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasiahttps://www.dw.com//

3 FEB 2024 · Female pleasure and sex positivity are not often talked about very openly. What does sexual agency look like for women in contemporary India? And how does it differ from the ubiquitous images we see in media coverage and pop culture of the sexually liberated western women? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas is in conversation with book author and psychologist Amrita Narayanan about the many nuances of women’s sexuality in the context of a patriarchal society. What can sexual empowerment look like within the Indian context? And how does female pleasure pivot between “rapture and distress”? Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/Amrita Narayanan’s X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmritaShrink Credits: Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi (DW), Charulata Biswas (IE) Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi (DW) Project Manager: Patricia Szilagyi (DW) Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava (IE), Khyati Rajvanshi (IE) Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck (DW Life & Style), Anant Nath Sharma (IE) Sound Editor: Suresh Pawar (IE) Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between https://indianexpress.com/ and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasiahttps://www.dw.com//

20 JAN 2024 · What’s it like dating as a gay man? And how does it compare to loving men as a cis-hetero woman? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas is comparing notes on “loving men” with writer, translator and co-founder of Pink List India, Anish Gawande. From meeting potential partners to power structures within relationships and their personal red flags when dating men. What are the differences and commonalities in relationships with current and previous lovers? And what can mainstream society learn from queer perspectives? Tune in to hear about these topics and many more. Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/Anish Gawande’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anishgawande/?hl=en Credits: Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi (DW), Charulata Biswas (IE) Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi (DW) Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler (DW) Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava (IE), Khyati Rajvanshi (IE) Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck (DW Life & Style), Anant Nath Sharma (IE) Sound Editor: Suresh Pawar (IE) Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between https://indianexpress.com/ and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasiahttps://www.dw.com//

6 JAN 2024 · Being a mother often seems to be the inevitable and most desirable role a woman can have in India. The question is never if, but when and how many children a woman will have. But why is this considered the “natural” destiny and the one and only true fulfillment of a woman’s life? How can there be a choice for - or against - motherhood? And what are the challenges for those who do not want to have children? In this episode of Love Matters host Leeza Mangaldas and writer Dr. Amrita Nandy unpack this sensitive subject; looking at how society romanticizes motherhood, the obsession with having biological children as well as finding purpose and kinship beyond being a parent. Join them in their candid and insightful conversation. Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/Amrita Nandy’s book - Motherhood and Choice: Uncommon Mothers, Childfree Women - https://amzn.eu/d/64MsN7x Credits:Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi (DW), Charulata Biswas (IE) Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi (DW) Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler (DW) Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava (IE), Khyati Rajvanshi (IE) Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck (DW Life & Style), Anant Nath Sharma (IE) Sound Editor: Suresh Pawar (IE) Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between https://indianexpress.com/ and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasiahttps://www.dw.com/

23 DEC 2023 · Dear Listeners, Love Matters is going on a short break and the next episode featuring the incredible Amrita Nandy will be available on the 6th of January. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between The Indian Express and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasia https://www.dw.com

16 DEC 2023 · What determines who we love and desire? Is it just down to personal preference? Or isn’t it rather ingrained in our minds through what we learn and see growing up and through pop culture all around us? And when it comes to love and relationships in India: aren’t societal forces shaping the way we love much more than we’d like to think? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas explores these questions and many more with the help of Christina Dhanuja, Writer, Researcher and Convenor of the Global Campaign for Dalit Women. They also tackle questions like - how does endogamy shape the way we see what is deemed desirable and how do power imbalances based on caste affect the real-life experiences of interpersonal relationships and can they be addressed? And much much more. Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/Christina Dhanuja’s Website: https://christinadhanuja.com/ Credits: Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi (DW), Charulata Biswas (IE) Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi (DW) Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler (DW) Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava (IE), Khyati Rajvanshi (IE) Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck (DW Life & Style), Anant Nath Sharma (IE) Sound Editor: Suresh Pawar (IE) Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between The Indian Express and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasia https://www.dw.com

2 DEC 2023 · Public discourse around sexual consent is often rigidly configured around “Yes” and “No”. But how can we go beyond just this basic binary framework to make room for the more complex and nuanced emotions we may experience in our sexual lives? Can we create an environment of such radical kindness that we can make room for maybe, so we can explore our desires as they unfold instead of having to always preempt them for fear of our safety? Join Leeza Mangaldas and Paromita Vohra, Filmmaker, Writer and Founder of Agents of Ishq, in this episode of Love Matters, as they explore these questions and more in a candid conversation about attraction, pleasure, and rejection. How do these factors shape our relationships, and can we redefine the way we perceive them in a consensual world? Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/ Paromita Vohra’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bombay.rosie/ Credits: Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi (DW), Charulata Biswas (IE) Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi (DW) Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler (DW) Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava (IE), Khyati Rajvanshi (IE) Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck (DW Life & Style), Anant Nath Sharma (IE) Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between The Indian Express and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasia https://www.dw.com

18 NOV 2023 · Why is it so important that we continue to nurture meaningful friendships and carve out time for fun and play, even as adults? Despite busy schedules, marriage and kids, and changing priorities, how can we ensure we make and keep friendships thriving throughout our lives? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas explores all this and more with Comedian and Writer, Rohan Joshi, who shares his personal experiences, and how he has navigated friendship while adulting. Credits: Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi (DW), Charulata Biswas (IE) Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi (DW) Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler (DW) Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava (IE), Khyati Rajvanshi (IE) Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck (DW Life & Style), Anant Nath Sharma (IE) Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas is a cooperation between The Indian Express and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasiahttps://www.facebook.com/dwasia https://www.dw.com

4 NOV 2023 · What does it mean to be Desi and kinky? What can we learn about consent from the kink community, and what unique possibilities for self-expression and self-discovery does kink afford its practitioners? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas discusses all this and more with Jaya Sharma, founding member of The Kinky Collective. Jaya is a kinky queer feminist activist and writer who's worked on issues of gender and education for over 20 years. Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/ Jaya Sharma’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayanotes?lang=en Credits: Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler Sound Editor: Suresh Pawar Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Khyati Rajvanshi Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style, Anant Nath Sharma "Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas" is a cooperation between The Indian Express and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasia https://www.dw.com/

21 OCT 2023 · Why was homosexuality a crime in India till 2018? Why is it that marital rape is still legal, while gay marriage is not yet legal? How does the legal system continue to shape our sexual rights, particularly for women and queer people's lives? Is constant vigilance the true price of liberty? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas explores the impacts of patriarchy, laws, norms and the journey from 1950 to 2023, assessing the progress and challenges of women's and LGBTQ+ community rights in India with the help of Saurabh Kirpal, a Senior Advocate. Note: This episode of Love Matters about Love and the Law was recorded in August 2023, at which point the Supreme Court had not yet reached a verdict on marriage equality. We did not know at the time of recording what the verdict would be. Leeza Mangaldas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leezamangaldas/ Saurabh Kirpal’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saurabh_kirpal/ Produced by: Patricia Szilagyi Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi Project Manager: Sonja Kaun-Trenkler Sound Editor: Suresh Pawar Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava, Khyati Rajvanshi Executive Producer: Melanie von Marschalck, DW Life & Style, Anant Nath Sharma "Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas" is a cooperation between The Indian Express and DW, Germany’s international broadcaster. Learn more about DW: https://www.facebook.com/dwasia https://www.dw.com/