Text Jayanti Singh*

Curator: Irfan

We’re thrilled to launch our first regional language podcastin Bundeli, marking a vibrant new chapter in our Read Aloud Collective. Thisglobal community of voice enthusiasts comes together to read, record, discuss,and celebrate the power of words. Regional languages and dialects, rich withcultural depth, have often been mocked or sidelined by mainstream audiovisualcontent, particularly Bollywood. Our initiative aims to revive the authentictone, expressions, and profound wisdom embedded in these languages—reflectinglived experiences, idioms, and simplicity.

In the first phase of our regional collectives, we inviteenthusiasts of Awadhi, Bhojpuri, Braj, Bagheli, Ruhelkhandi, Dogri, Punjabi,Sindhi, Haryanvi, Magahi, Marathi, Gujarati, Odia, Bangla, Rajasthani, Angika,Kumauni, Garhwali, and Kannauji to join us. If you love recording your voicewhile reading in your native dialect or language, this is for you. This isn’t acompetition or judgment—it’s a celebration of the heartfelt sounds oftenovershadowed by urbanized Hindi, English, or Hinglish. Let’s make our nativevoices alive, vibrant, and timeless, showcasing their true charm andsoul-stirring strength.

Introducing Ranjana Mishra, the first to join ourRAC-Bundeli initiative and a standout among our Bundeli narrators. A teacher byprofession, Ranjana’s sweet, nuanced voice blends lived experiences with afresh, modern subtlety that resonates with Gen Z from Bundelkhand, spanningparts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (including Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun,Jhansi, Lalitpur, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Datia, Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh,Sagar, Damoh, and Niwari districts). Currently residing in Rewa, MadhyaPradesh, Ranjana is leading the way in bringing Bundeli’s unique sonic heritageto life.

Intro-Outro Music Courtesy Kalpesh Ajugia from Pixabay