Desi Dreamers Podcast: British South Asian Trailblazers

 Identity is an elusive attribute that strikes at the core of our being. Who am I? What group do I belong to? What if I'm a member of two groups and either doesn't accept me? We all search for identity and find it in different ways. It could be as a rabid fan of Manchester United, the English Premier League football team. Or as a Swiftie? 

Of course, when our cultural identity doesn't match the nation we live in, there can be a glaring disconnect.

Desi Dreamers is a six-part podcast that transports listeners into the aspirational mindscapes of British South Asian trailblazers and visionaries. From photographers and DJs to beauty creators and cultural producers, each episode explores identity, creativity, and the complex realities of navigating life as a young South Asian in the UK.

It’s not just a podcast about culture – it’s about the power of dreaming boldly, despite systems that often expect silence or assimilation. 

 The show explores the personal stories behind the success of its guests, delving into the challenges they've overcome and the cultural influences that have guided them.

Listen to the creator/host: "I’m Nikhita Nachiappan – a Tamil-British creative. I developed, wrote and hosted Desi Dreamers as a way to explore the nuance I felt was missing in mainstream conversations about South Asian identity. Each conversation is rooted in community, curiosity, and connection. 

Nikhita Nachiappan explains: "As a young British person trying to find a South Asian community to express my creativity, I hope this podcast brings together like-minded people but also introduces others to an exciting, growing Desi cultural scene."

Nikhita Nachiappan shares more about herself: "I'm 23, I live in London and I have always loved audio! As a huge fan of podcasts, I often thought about stories that I wanted to tell. As a young Indian woman, I wanted to shine a light on untold stories from my diaspora, that revealed the diversity and strength of our culture and heritage, and how our aims/ambitions have no bounds. I was very privileged to be accepted on to a scheme ran by Transmission Roundhouse, a 'Podcast Academy' which took place over a few months. In this Academy, they taught me how to record, edit and produce my podcast - alongside interview and storytelling techniques. With TR's support, I was able to create Desi Dreamers, and I hope to begin recording my second series soon!"

Desi Dreamers was made possible through the Transmission Roundhouse platform, which supports original work from underrepresented audio creatives. Based in London’s iconic Roundhouse venue, the scheme has nurtured award-winning podcasts and partnered with organizations like Spotify, Glastonbury, and the BBC.

The full series is now live across all major platforms. Links to key episodes are below.

Episode 1: Nila Varman
Diana Award-winner and film journalist Nila discusses breaking media taboos, growing up Tamil in the UK, and the power of visibility for dark-skinned South Asian women.
https://audioboom.com/posts/8722829-nila-varman

Episode 2: Mathushaa Sagthidas
Visual artist Mathu reflects on the beauty and burden of representing culture, and how Tamil identity shaped her photography.
https://audioboom.com/posts/8728084-mathushaa-sagthidas

Episode 6: Rohan Rakhit
DJ, actor, and Daytimers collective member Rohan reflects on his creative journey across theatre, music and community-building. We talk about balancing multiple artistic identities and challenging stereotypes within the UK arts scene.
https://audioboom.com/posts/8743124-rohan-rakhit

I loved the intro music and Nikhita tells us about its derivation: "The intro music isn’t traditional Tamil music, but it draws inspiration from South Asian sounds. It blends tabla, a classical Indian percussion instrument, with ambient electronic textures, and additionally I layered some drums on the track to give it a lo-fi feel. I wanted to have an intro that felt both rooted and contemporary, to reflect the dual heritage explored in the podcast. The tabla is a pair of hand drums widely used in classical Indian music, especially North Indian traditions, but it has also become popular in global fusion genres."

 Desi Dreamers is another example of an independent podcaster working with a smaller network and developing a show about identity that asks critical questions through the guests being interviewed.