This podcast celebrates the lives of Brown women in Singapore, capturing the rich spectrum of their experiences. Through intimate storytelling, we reclaim hidden histories, challenge stereotypes, and explore identity, belonging, and marginalization. There’s no single “Brown woman” experience—we're a kaleidoscope of cultures and perspectives. By sharing our stories, we shape a more inclusive future. Join me as I unpack The Brown Box.
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The Importance of Being a Bridge - Karishma Bhagani
In our next episode of the podcast, I speak to Karishma Bhagani, a theatre-maker and producer, whose story begins in Mombasa but has brought her to Stanford where she is currently pursuing a PhD with a special focus on Black and Brown intimacies.
In this conversation, we explore:
Her family’s migration story, a journey that was meant to end in Durban, but stopped at the beautiful shores of Mombasa
Growing up in Old Mombasa, with mahamri on Sundays, the azaan at 4.30 am, and a maulvi who occasionally fell asleep at the microphone
The greatest gift her mother gave her: permission to dream
Her grandmother, the pendant on the family necklace, and the Saturday lunches spent cooking by her side
Her father, driving soda trucks at 14
The day she sat at the rich kids’ lunch table, only to watch them all get up and leave
Why caste still matters in East Africa, even determining which community hall you celebrate Diwali in
Five generations in East Africa, and why she considers herself Kenyan first
The BMW rule: “No Black, no Muslim, no white.” Where it comes from, and what it reveals
Her research into Black and Brown intimacies, why the divide persists, and how we might bridge it
Why now is the time to take up creative arms
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25 Sept 2026
Rukhsar D’Cruz and the Case for Being Opinionated
Welcome to the first episode of a new series of The Brown Box recorded in East Africa.
In this episode we sit with Rukhsar D'Cruz, a lawyer and the voice behind the Instagram account The Daily E-vent.
⚠️ Content note: this episode includes a discussion of sexual assault.
. 🎧 Press play to hear:
* The day she told her mum she was a "fake Indian" and what she understands now
* Her parents' love story: a Hindu-born mother who followed Jesus, an Ismaili father, and a courthouse wedding on a Tuesday morning
* Growing up between three faiths
* Why she is an island girl, and the feeling of landing in Mombasa and knowing she's home
* Becoming a bookworm, from the Bible and CS Lewis to Aristotle at 13
* Not fitting into the brown box
* Talking openly about sexual assault, and why she believes we need to talk more about therapy and sex
* Meeting her husband at a fellowship night in her parents' home, and getting married six weeks after he proposed
* Her mum as a mirror, and how their relationship found its way to a good place
* Why ownership of who you are is worth more than anyone's opinion about your brown box
#thebrownbox #kenya #mombasa #lawyer #womeninlaw #identity #therapy #eastafrica #podcast #women
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
28 Apr 2026
Mandakini Arora's Journey to Finding Home
In this episode of The Brown Box, we sit with Mandakini Arora — historian, writer, and feminist.
We talk about belonging, displacement, and how you build a home in a place you choose. 🎧 Press play to hear:
How her parents' refugee story shaped her childhood — and her search for belonging
The comfort she found in books and the (very British) world they opened up for her
Walking into AWARE and feeling, for the first time, like she was home
The incredible women of AWARE
The AWARE saga, from the inside
Why she believes every person who cares about equality should be a feminist
What a road rage incident taught her about belonging and being Indian in Singapore
How she went back to school at 59 — and graduated alongside her own daughter
Her next book about the English women who chose Singapore and shaped the nation
And her advice to her younger self about writing and not waiting.
👂 Full conversation waiting for you.
Listen now — link in bio.
#thebrownbox #belonging #feminism #singapore #identity #podcast #women #awaredsg
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Who has been a guest on The Brown Box
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Nuryanee Anisah
Anita Kapoor
Sindhura Kalidas
Amrita Chandradas
Aarthi Sankar
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
23,314
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
57
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
0
Contact The Brown Box
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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