This one made me laugh, pause, and think. I get to sit down and really get to know Calgary comedian and Planet Jerf host Jeff D'Silva—the stories behind his humor, how he sees the world, and the experiences that shaped him. We talk about biracial parenting, Calgary mall culture, and what it was like growing up Pakistani-Canadian in the 80s. I first came across Jeff after hearing his viral South Centre Mall song—the one calling out how white Calgarians “go there to get away from us POC.” It...

Have you ever asked yourself why so many of us first-gens ended up dating or marrying white people? I have! I see now that our immigrant parents’ survival strategies — keeping your head down, working hard, staying small — shaped ours. And for our generation, that survival often meant assimilation, performing the “white version” of ourselves — at work, in friendships, even in love. In this intimate gup shup, I want you to know: you are not alone. Naming what’s happening, sharing o...

Hey everyone, quick question — when was the last time you really talked about periods? Not whispered, not joked about… I mean honest, open, real talk. If that made you pause, this one’s for you — and for the men in our lives too: dads, brothers, partners, sons… anyone who wants to understand better. Dr. Anne invited me to sit down with her as part of her month-long speaker series celebrating her book "The Period Literacy Handbook" turning one — now available as an audiobook — an...

You ever meet someone who reminds you that healing doesn’t always happen in therapy — sometimes it happens in the kitchen? In this episode of Middle Fingers Up, Kiran Randhawa sits down with Bengali home cook, mother, and storyteller Shuraya Bhatti, whose journey from grief to growth will make you rethink what it means to take care of yourself. After losing her father, Shuraya turned to food — not just to cook, but to connect. What started as a way to honor her roots became a space where st...

Join Kiran Randhawa as she sits down with Mano Mishra, a community leader, yoga teacher, and advocate for women’s health and immigrant voices. Mano shares her journey from Uttar Pradesh, India, to building a new life in Calgary—facing isolation, career setbacks, and the challenges of starting over. Through her story, Mano reveals how volunteering, yoga, and a commitment to kindness helped her overcome depression and create supportive spaces for women navigating menopause, mental health, and l...

Send us a text In this episode of Middle Fingers Up, host Kiran Randhawa sits down with community consultant, speaker, and Catalyst podcast host Nike Aurea for a deep dive into what it truly means to build and belong in community—beyond convenience and into real responsibility. As a first-generation daughter of West African immigrants, Nike shares how her upbringing in Atlanta shaped her unapologetic approach to advocacy and self-advocacy. "I always knew where I was from. I always knew about ...

Send us a text Join host Kiran Randhawa on Middle Fingers Up for a heartfelt conversation with Shagun Sharma, registered psychotherapist and founder of Lotus Pathways. In this episode, Shagun shares her journey from a curious six-year-old in downtown Toronto's Cabbagetown neighborhood—where she first witnessed the realities of homelessness and mental health struggles—to becoming a trailblazer in culturally sensitive therapy. "I wanted to be a therapist since I was six years old," ...

Send us a text In this episode of Middle Fingers Up, host Kiran Randhawa sits down with Kam Bassier—fitness and life coach, father, husband, and self-proclaimed student of life—to unpack the emotional and physical toll of burnout and the radical power of rest. Kam’s story begins in Guyana, shaped by intergenerational trauma, hustle culture, and the immigrant grind. But what makes this conversation unforgettable is Kam’s vulnerability and wisdom as he reflects on his journey from survival mode...

Send us a text In this episode of Middle Fingers Up, host Kiran Randhawa sits down with multi-award-winning author and speaker Kalyani Pardeshi to unpack the hidden layers of self-bullying, inner critics, and the emotional legacy of growing up in immigrant households. From confronting toxic family dynamics to redefining success and self-worth, Kalyani shares raw, relatable stories and transformative insights that challenge cultural norms and empower listeners to reclaim their mental wellness....

Send us a text This isn’t just another parenting conversation. It’s a raw, honest look at what happens when the triggers of childhood meet the triggers of parenting. In this episode, I sit down with Shuraya Akhter Bhatti—a Bengali home cook, curry class entertainer, and soulful storyteller with a gift for making the hard stuff human. Through the beautiful metaphor of a tiffin, we unpack the emotional layers we all carry: trauma, transition, and the healing work we owe ourselves and our kids...

Send us a text "At Least It’s Not Worse…” — Why We Rush Gratitude and Skip Our Feelings We’ve all done it. Someone shares they’re struggling, and we say:“Well, at least it’s not…” But what are we actually doing when we say that? In this Gup Shup, I’m unpacking how this reflex comes from both our brains and our cultures — and how it might be doing more harm than good. -Why we rush to be grateful - How the brain tries to protect us - What we miss when we skip feelings -And why we’re gi...

Send us a text I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that—“I’m so tired… but I didn’t even do that much today.” And for so many of us, especially in immigrant communities, that kind of tiredness isn’t physical—it’s emotional. It’s what happens when we’re constantly absorbing other people’s moods, guilt, frustration, disappointment… and calling it caring. We talk about physical boundaries—saying no, doing less, taking space. But we rarely talk about emotional boundaries. The ...

Send us a text Healing as South Asians often means navigating a mental health system shaped by whiteness — one that often fails to see us. After parting ways with a white friend who is also a therapist, I began questioning: is it that we resist help, or that the help we’re offered was never built for us? And here’s the harder truth: many working within this system — including people of colour — don’t fully recognize how deeply whiteness shapes the frameworks we call “care.” Too often, this sy...

Send us a text It’s just you and me in this It’s Good To Gup Shup segment — a space for reflection, reclamation, and real talk. This episode was sparked by Sinners, a film that made me feel seen in someone else’s story. And that whisper of huge validation? It stayed in my bones. From Late Bloomer and Mo to Monkey Man, we’re talking about the daily contradictions of being brown in a white world. We’re finally putting language to those gut feelings. When stories no longer ask for permission — w...

Send us a text I sit down with Dr. Ami, a holistic hormone pharmacist who’s not just a clinician — she’s lived the journey. From missed periods and persistent acne to the emotional weight of feeling dismissed, she knows firsthand what many South Asian women silently endure. Together, we unpack the deep and often overlooked intersections of hormones, healing, and honesty — and explore what PCOS is really costing South Asian women. The truth? It's not just about skipped cycles or fertility str...

Send us a text In this deeply moving episode, we sit with Reshma — a mother of three, widow, and mindfulness coach — as she opens up about the unimaginable loss of her husband to suicide. Together, we explore what it means to stay present in the deepest pain, to mother through heartbreak, and to speak honestly about mental health in a world that often whispers when it should be listening. Reshma doesn’t offer tidy answers — instead, she offers her heart. She shares what it was like to feel u...

Send us a text In this soulful and tender conversation, I sit down with Salima Saxton — relational dynamics coach, writer, performer, and co-host of the Women Are Mad podcast. Together, we unpack the quiet truths women carry — the roles we’ve played, the selves we’ve tucked away, and the longing to feel fully seen. Salima reflects on how often she was "very, very busy making it all right for everybody else," and how "a lot of life is not neatly packaged up." She invites us to consider a power...

Send us a text This week on Middle Fingers Up, we’re holding space for a powerful voice during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day — Alvina Nadeem, a South Asian woman, mother, wife, AI innovator, keynote speaker, and cancer survivor who reminds us that survival isn’t just about staying alive, but about reclaiming our voice. She shares the mantra she carried as an immigrant woman in a male-dominated field — “I’ll show them” — and how that grit both protected and pressured her. We talk about trusting...

Send us a text Loss is more than death — it’s the quiet grief of losing a homeland, a friendship, a relationship, trust, emotional safety, or even parts of ourselves we didn’t know we had to say goodbye to. In this powerful conversation with Palak, a Grief and Loss Recovery Specialist, we explore how "grief is love" and how we can honor all types of loss. Palak reminds us that "no emotion is good or bad" and shares healing tools like guided journaling, helping us to unpack the weight of grief...

Send us a text What happens when two Indian women—from different parts of the world—sit down to talk about parenting, patriarchy, and psychiatry? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sidana, a psychiatrist based in India, for a cross-continental conversation rooted in truth-telling, compassion, and curiosity. We reflect on what it means to be raised in systems where “the stricter the parent, the more rebellious the child,” and how “children notice the subtle signs” long before we think they do....