Paani with People

About Paani with People

At Paani with People, we talk to everyday people whose stories are anything but ordinary, giving a space for these stories to exist, and multiply! Each guest refers the next, creating a continuous, organic chain of fascinating conversations. Tune in to listen to real people reflect on life, love, dreams, fear, and everything in between. No celebrities. No scripts. Just stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Ambikesh Sharma

Category

society & culture · society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Apr 2025

Latest episode

5 May 2026

Latest episodes

6 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 May 2026

   Ep 6 | Siddhi | Fragments of a mind in motion

   Some conversations don’t move in straight lines. They drift, pause, return, and slowly reveal something deeper along the way. In this episode of Paani with People, I sit down with Siddhi: a reader, writer, and observer of the world in her own quiet, thoughtful way. What begins as a simple conversation moves through poetry, libraries, childhood, and the evolving relationship we have with reading and expression. We talk about what it means to truly engage with books: not as something prescribed, but something discovered. About libraries as spaces of curiosity rather than control. About writing without the pressure to perform, and holding on to creativity in a world that constantly demands output. Siddhi shares pieces of her inner world: through poems, memories, and reflections that connect the outer world with what we carry within. There’s a certain stillness to this conversation, and also a quiet honesty that stays with you. This isn’t a conversation trying to arrive somewhere. It’s one that simply unfolds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   10 Apr 2026

   Ep 5 | Adya Jha: Blabbering Through Life

   In this episode of Paani with People, the conversation moves exactly how it’s meant to—unstructured, unpredictable, and honest. With Adya, what begins as casual “blabbering” slowly opens into something deeper. We talk about birthdays and why they feel performative, about choosing solitude without guilt, and about documenting life in ways that actually matter to you. Along the way, we wander into conversations about anger, childhood, identity, and the quiet ways we inherit patterns from our parents. Adya reflects on why she resists permanence—whether it’s tattoos, expectations, or fixed identities—and how she prefers to experience life in fragments: through photographs, notes, and moments that don’t need validation from anyone else. There’s humour, there’s randomness, and then there are moments that hit unexpectedly hard—like understanding where your emotions come from, or realizing that sometimes “blabbering” is just another form of thinking out loud. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   21 Feb 2026

   Ep 4 | Neeraj Shetye | Between Thane and Oxford

   In this fourth episode of Paani with People, I sit down with Neeraj Shetye - a policy professional at the Oxford India Centre, former election fieldworker, conflict studies graduate, and someone deeply reflective about power, identity, and belonging. We talk about growing up in Thane, moving out at 17, navigating language shifts from Marathi to Hindi to English, and studying politics of conflict and justice at SOAS. Neeraj shares what it was like working on the ground during Indian state elections - witnessing intimidation, rural political ecosystems, and the realities you only understand when you are physically there. The conversation moves through Hindu nationalism, social policy, queer identity, migration, family, and the complicated question many of us carry: Do we go back home, or do we build a life where we feel safest? We also talk about overcommitting, learning to say no, calling parents once a week for four hours, and what it means to be rooted in language even when you are geographically elsewhere. This episode is layered, honest, and had layered giggles sandwiched between valuable conversations! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

4. 

   3 Feb 2026

   Ep 3 | Partnerships, work and otherwise

   In this episode of Paani with People, I sit down with Sahreen Shamim for a deeply honest, wide‑ranging conversation about identity, agency, and the quiet weight women carry through life. We talk about growing up in Kashmir, navigating marriage on her own terms, moving across cities and countries, and what it really took to get to Oxford through crowdfunding. Sahreen reflects on privilege, guilt, ambition, and the invisible pressures that come with success. The conversation moves through work culture, mental health, anxiety, decision‑making, and the long journey of unlearning self‑doubt. This is not a polished success story. It’s a raw reflection on becoming — with all the contradictions, fears, and courage that come with it. Guest referred by Manzer from the last episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

5. 

   19 Apr 2025

   Ep 2 | Being and Becoming: Manzer on Identity, Impact & Imperfection

   Social entrepreneur Manzer discusses his journey from Chhattisgarh to Oxford, his work with Bridge to make education accessible, and embracing confusion, in an interview with Ambikesh.

6. 

   18 Apr 2025

   Ep 1 | Dancing Through Development: Kanika Joshi on Passion, Power & Personal Truths

   Dancer and development professional Kanika Joshi discusses her journey navigating the complexities of the development sector, privilege, and burnout while striving for personal growth, in this interview episode.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

418

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

61

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

0