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What Is This Behaviour?

What Is This Behaviour?

By What Is This Behaviour?

Conversations with South Asian people going against the grain. Co-hosted by edu-tainer @ReubenChristian1, artist @AlmassBadat and filmmaker @AaronChristian_
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Ep 57 - JONAH BATAMBUZE - Bridging Black and Indian Love with The Blindian Project

What Is This Behaviour?Oct 18, 2021

00:00
58:49
Ep 82 - IMRAN AMED - The Power of Purpose

Ep 82 - IMRAN AMED - The Power of Purpose

Transport yourself into the room of our first-ever live public recording of the What Is This Behaviour? Podcast in conversation with Imran Amed MBE, founder and CEO of The Business of Fashion.

The Business of Fashion is recognised around the world for its authoritative, analytical point of view on the $2.5 trillion global fashion and beauty industries. Their mission: to open, inform and connect the global fashion and beauty industries.

Imran's storytelling and personal anecdotes had the room, full of aspiring and established entrepreneurs, fashion enthusiasts and creative professionals, absorbing the journey of self discovery that shaped his professional success.

Self-describing as a misfit, join us as we meet Imran Amed, the mogul, live in London's White City House.


Mar 12, 202401:13:12
 Ep 81 - DANIYAL KHAN - Self-actualisation and levelling up sports, culture & commentary

Ep 81 - DANIYAL KHAN - Self-actualisation and levelling up sports, culture & commentary

Welcome Daniyal Khan, the sports presenter, personality and commentator levelling up the sports industry!


Daniyal educates global audiences through thoughtful video editorials and interviews for clients like Arsenal FC, UMM, Soccer Aid, FIFA and EA Sports.


In this episode, Daniyal celebrates South Asian heritage month with us at the Endeavor & IMG HQ to record our first ever podcast episode with a live audience, exploring why steering sports audiences towards longer-form, layered storytelling and intelligent broadcasting is valuable, if not imperative, for the success of global sports brands and platforms.


His note-worthy story of self-actualisation gives us insight to the world of Sports, and we learn that at heart, Daniyal’s charisma is grounded by his support system: his family and his wife. The ones closest keep him balanced, challenging him when needed and ultimately creating the perfect springboard to support his creativity and flourishing career.


So, press play and join the hosts of the⁠⁠ What Is This Behaviour? Podcast⁠⁠: Aaron Christian, Almass Badat and Reuben Christian for EP 81, a live episode that deep-dives into the landscape of sports and it's South Asian audience, talent and leaders with ⁠⁠Daniyal Khan⁠⁠.


@whatisthisbehaviourpodcast

#WITBPodcast

Sep 30, 202301:04:23
Ep 80 - VARADA SETHU - Humanising Hollywood's Highs
May 09, 202301:03:27
Ep 79 - NIKITA CHAUHAN - The Community-Hearted CEO Amplifying Afrobeats

Ep 79 - NIKITA CHAUHAN - The Community-Hearted CEO Amplifying Afrobeats

We wax lyrical with Nikita Chauhan, the CEO, and founder of TranslateNC; a music talent management and strategic marketing company looking after Guiltybeatz,  DJ Semtex & more. 

Ep 79 goes under the surface, starting with Nikita’s journey from working in a call centre in Derby to hustling her way in and then eventually leaving radio production at the BBC to start up her own business. With a deep understanding of how music unites us, Nikita’s trust, transparency, and communication drive her to help musicians tell their stories their way. 

Our conversation taps into Nikita’s boldness as well as a challenging work experience that shaped her for the better. Following our EP 77 with Leo Kalyan, we continue exploring the blessings of being South Asian in music - this time behind the scenes rather than on the mic.

Nikita’s mantra is ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’ so in that spirit, if you’re new to WITB or the powerhouse that is Nikita Chauhan, dive right in and get to know.

Aaron, Almass & Reuben x

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Presented by Almass Badat & Reuben Christian

Produced by Surya Elango


Mar 22, 202301:11:59
Ep 78 - LEO KALYAN - The Alchemy of Classical Into Contemporary

Ep 78 - LEO KALYAN - The Alchemy of Classical Into Contemporary

EP 78 with Leo Kalyan is here to bless your ears!

Bringing in wisdom, warmth, and undeniable skill is @leokalyan the singer, songwriter & music producer from London who has taken the world by storm with their Bollybeats, mashups, and uniquely playful renditions of classics old and new. 

After a social-media hiatus over the pandemic, Leo transformed their Indian Classical training into a phenomenal series of Bollywood x chart mashups that explore the musical synergy between Afrobeats, Latinx & Indian music. Leo’s videos went globally viral on Tiktok & Instagram with support from respected musicians like Grimes & AR Rahman (as well as the rest of the world)!

Confidently and utterly themself, Leo is open about their gay & non-binary identities amongst the many facets that make up this brilliant artist. We caught up with Leo talking everything from bilingual and non-English music embedding into the mainstream, how gender-neutral pronouns are a part of ancient Indian language and 15th, 16th, and 17th century Punjabi Hindi poetry, and why queering fashion is a powerful tool to make people see and treat you differently. 

Listen to Leo’s music, check out their IG & tiktok and like, share and subscribe to WITB for more insightful, honest, and hilarious conversations with South Asian people going against the grain. Thank you Leo! 

Aaron, Almass & Reuben x

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Presented by Aaron Christian, Almass Badat & Reuben Christian

Produced by Surya Elango

Mar 08, 202301:12:16
Ep 77 - JASMIN SEHRA - Creating Her Colourful Lane

Ep 77 - JASMIN SEHRA - Creating Her Colourful Lane

Illustrator and designer Jasmin Sehra enters the WITB chat on EP77!

Inspired by her Naniji’s DIY cassette tape covers and old school South Asian typography, Jasmin AKA Paradise Girl has been making art from her early childhood. Now specialising in typography and a tropical range of illustration and design styles, Jasmin’s clients include Fenty, Armani, Nike, Estée Lauder, MTV Europe, Levis & Converse. Her artwork has been seen on products and posters as well as large scale murals.

Aside from Reuben pitching his bald head as a canvas to Jasmin, we talked about how Jasmin finds inspiration in her family, why being curious and constantly trying out ideas helps define her artistic identity and how Jasmin found community in the early days of Instagram. We love this episode as Jasmin affirms the joy of the journey and not getting lost on our end goals.

Check out and support Jasmin’s work and like, share and subscribe our pod. We’re forever grateful.

Aaron, Almass & Reuben x

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Presented by Aaron Christian, Almass Badat & Reuben Christian

Produced by Surya Elango

Feb 22, 202301:01:05
Ep 76 - NIKESH SHUKLA - The Power of the Pen

Ep 76 - NIKESH SHUKLA - The Power of the Pen

Episode 76 welcomes the author and screenwriter, Nikesh Shukla to the WITB community.

Leading up to the release of his teen fiction novel ‘Stand Up’, award-winning author and screenwriter @nikeshshuklawriter kicks off our 2023 season with a conversation that inspires us to appreciate the layers beneath the surface.

Nikesh is the name behind the award-winning ‘Brown Baby’, ‘The Good Immigrant’, and can be thanked for reintroducing Pavitr Prabhakar aka Spider-man India back into Marvel Comics in 2022. In this honest & insightful episode, we explore mastering the craft of writing, the power of friendship, why good mentoring is vital and the mental impact Nikesh experienced after publishing the widely acclaimed ‘The Good Immigrant’.

Nikesh shares the lesser-known impacts of releasing a book on race and immigration during a time when the UK was polarised with Brexit: stay or remain.

Look forward to tender moments, lots of laughter and a deep dive into the makings of Nikesh, a respected and valued member of our community.

Please subscribe to our podcast (it really helps), and share with your friends.

Tag @whatisthisbehaviourpodcast on IG and let us know what you think of episode 76.

Aaron, Almass & Reuben x

Feb 08, 202301:02:45
Ep 75 - Side Hustles & The Asian Man (Part 2)

Ep 75 - Side Hustles & The Asian Man (Part 2)

What's your side hustle? 

In July 2020, we spoke to Aaron Christian about one of his side hustles, The Asian Man. Going for 10 years, The Asian Man celebrates stylish south asian men. Bringing together some of the most influential designers, artists, stylists and editors from fashion and culture, it's a digital page (@theasianman_) and global community of style conscious men, committed to celebrating and shining a light on south asian style. 

Two years on, we catch up with Aaron and ask what now? The Asian Man is being developed into a coffee table print book and a creative casting studio. We find out more. 

We ask, how do we frame value with what we are doing? When do we know a project has run its course and when do we know it's time to actually double down, evolve it and potentially even make it into a business? 

We discuss the intentions behind a project and who it should be for - ourselves, community or both?

Listen back to Episode 3 of the 'What Is This Behaviour?' podcast for Part 1 of 'The Asian Man with Aaron Christian' from July 3rd 2020.




Oct 10, 202244:48
Ep 74 - WITB 101 PT. 2 - Best bits from the live event & deeper insights with the editor Jayshree Viswanathan

Ep 74 - WITB 101 PT. 2 - Best bits from the live event & deeper insights with the editor Jayshree Viswanathan

A month after the launch of the WITB 101 at White City House, Jayshree, the editor on the project, joins us for a candid reflection on the process. We peel back the layers on brown excellence, following a feeling and it being a marathon not a sprint. We take a closer look at our blind spots and the challenges of trying to get the resource out to industry decision-makers. Throughout, we listen back to some of the event’s highlights from Goldtooth’s live DJ set right through to the Q&A with the community that got us thinking.

Sep 26, 202201:14:15
Ep 73 - WITB 101 PT. 1 - Our annual, growing resource of 101 South Asian people going against the grain

Ep 73 - WITB 101 PT. 1 - Our annual, growing resource of 101 South Asian people going against the grain

On Friday 5th August 2022, we launched the WITB 101; our annual, growing, open resource of 101 South Asian people going against the grain. Lock in to Aaron, Almass & Reuben tapping into the WITB 101's inception and the anticipation of the big day.

Aug 11, 202253:38
Ep 72 - Personas Vs Personal Brands

Ep 72 - Personas Vs Personal Brands

As three seperate artists with public profiles, personal branding is something we can’t ignore. But what exactly is a personal brand nowadays? Is it seperate from our authentic selves? And what’s the best way to curate one? If that’s even actually possible.

Jul 19, 202259:35
Ep 71 - TAZ LATIF - Redefining Global DEI Leadership

Ep 71 - TAZ LATIF - Redefining Global DEI Leadership

Multi-award-winning Global Head of DEI at M&C Saatchi Group, Taz, talks to us about her purpose-led journey from teaching to becoming the only woman of colour in a leadership position at her current company, covering the joys and pains of doing such meaningful yet heavy work. 


Jul 06, 202201:17:35
Ep 70 - How Travel Shapes Us

Ep 70 - How Travel Shapes Us

As the world opens up post-pandemic a lot of us are called to travel, for both work and the need to turn-the-hell-up ;) So we share stories on how travel is shaping us, its importance in helping us understand the world, plus we throw in a few travel hacks for good measure :)

Jun 15, 202256:49
Ep 69 - JOSEPH PATEL - The Filmmaking Road To The Oscars

Ep 69 - JOSEPH PATEL - The Filmmaking Road To The Oscars

Academy Award®, BAFTA, and Independent Spirit Award-winning filmmaker Joseph talks candidly about his journey from music journalism to being the first Patel to win an Oscar - and how important moments like these are for the South Asian community. 

May 30, 202201:07:05
Ep 68 - Our Two Year Birthday Recap

Ep 68 - Our Two Year Birthday Recap

We're two! And we're honoring it by taking stock of another year in the pod game, sharing our ups and downs, and what we've observed in the global pioneering South Asian scene. 




May 16, 202201:19:25
Ep 67 - ANEESHA KOTWANI & KAVYA - Finding Your Work Rhythm

Ep 67 - ANEESHA KOTWANI & KAVYA - Finding Your Work Rhythm

Ahead of The Dialled In Festival on 9th April 2022, Aaron and Almass chat to Aneesha and Kavya about navigating the music game as an artist, a manager, and a DJ; from working to your own tempo right down to how they formed their dynamic duo partnership. 

Apr 05, 202201:19:56
Ep 66 - How To Not Burn Bridges

Ep 66 - How To Not Burn Bridges

Aaron and Reuben share frustrations around abysmal networking etiquette and give tips on how to best develop and maintain healthy, respectful professional relationships.
Mar 28, 202201:11:07
Ep 65 - REVA BHATT - Restyling Monolithic Narratives

Ep 65 - REVA BHATT - Restyling Monolithic Narratives

Reva, a Creative Director and Stylist based in Los Angeles & New York,  talks about the importance of building a creative community and how she is experimenting with the way visual culture can educate, shape & express the world around us.

Mar 14, 202201:15:45
Ep 64 - The Importance of Mentoring

Ep 64 - The Importance of Mentoring

All three of us give and receive mentoring, and agree that without it, navigating life and work would be a lot more challenging. We talk about how to find and approach a mentor, the difference between a mentor and a coach, and how certain lessons have shaped us. 

Feb 28, 202201:08:20
Ep 63 - POPPY JAY - Let's Talk About Sex

Ep 63 - POPPY JAY - Let's Talk About Sex

To celebrate Valentine's Day we indulged in some four-way verbal intercourse with Poppy, a co-host on the 'Brown Girls Do It Too' podcast; going back and forth on everything from shame and culturalization around sex, right through to the underrated healing power of rage wanks. 



Feb 14, 202201:18:00
Ep 62 - The Confessions Game

Ep 62 - The Confessions Game

We start 2022 off by answering some revealing questions around career, sex, money, relationships and family, using 'The Confessions Game' from The School of Life. Expect moments of truth, depth, awkwardness, avoidance and hilarity ;)

Jan 04, 202201:22:06
Ep 61 - DAYTIMERS - Collective Thinking

Ep 61 - DAYTIMERS - Collective Thinking

We chat to Samia, Alisha, Kiran, Amad and Mahnoor from the Daytimers collective about everything from opening up rave culture to non drinkers right through to creating space for the South Asian community to connect and grow together. 

Dec 15, 202101:32:07
Ep 60 - Consciously Reinventing Ourselves for 2022

Ep 60 - Consciously Reinventing Ourselves for 2022

After a deeply introspective and uncomfortable two years, we put aside generic New Years Resolutions and ponder who we really want to be in 2022, welcome our future selves and share our professional and personal end of year rituals. 

Nov 30, 202156:19
Ep 59 - KARIMAH HASSAN - From Loneliness To Belonging Through Art

Ep 59 - KARIMAH HASSAN - From Loneliness To Belonging Through Art

London based artist Karimah explains how her painting work in street, community and public art aims to bring us together. 

Nov 16, 202101:17:49
Ep 58 - This Is Not A Rant About Diversity

Ep 58 - This Is Not A Rant About Diversity

"How does it feel to have a full POC team?" is a question Aaron was asked while working on a film set recently. At the time, Aaron hadn't even noticed that this was the case, let alone land on how he actually felt. So he brought it to the pod for us to dissect...

Nov 02, 202101:05:31
 Ep 57 - JONAH BATAMBUZE - Bridging Black and Indian Love with The Blindian Project

Ep 57 - JONAH BATAMBUZE - Bridging Black and Indian Love with The Blindian Project

Artist, speaker and activist Jonah tells us why he co-created The Blindian Project; a social impact media platform and global community at the intersection of Black x Brown culture, normalising Black x Brown relationships and dismantle anti-Blackness wherever it exists.


Oct 18, 202158:49
Ep 56 - Passion Projects: Are They Worth It?

Ep 56 - Passion Projects: Are They Worth It?

What is the relevance of passion projects in a number crunching society?

Oct 05, 202156:51
Ep 55 - RYAN CHETIYAWARDANA - Shaking Up Cocktail Culture

Ep 55 - RYAN CHETIYAWARDANA - Shaking Up Cocktail Culture

World renowned mixologist Ryan aka Mr Lyan journeys through opening White Lyan, the world's first cocktail bar to use no perishables, founding Dandelyan, awarded the 'World’s Best Cocktail Bar', right through to teaching mixology on masterclass.com!

Sep 20, 202157:51
Ep 54 - The Fine Line between Cultural Appreciation and Appropriation

Ep 54 - The Fine Line between Cultural Appreciation and Appropriation

Non South Asian led Yoga retreats, white dreadlocks, African inspired western high fashion; at what point does cultural appreciation cross the line? 

Sep 07, 202101:00:59
Ep 53 - LEYYA SATTAR - Unpacking Business Bias Through The Other Box

Ep 53 - LEYYA SATTAR - Unpacking Business Bias Through The Other Box

Multiple award winning entrepreneur Leyya talks work/life balance and explains how her organisation ‘The Other Box’ uses positivity to create a more inclusive creative and tech industry.

Aug 26, 202101:07:01
Ep 52 - Do We Like Our Bodies?

Ep 52 - Do We Like Our Bodies?

As we experience summer after a year of restricted movement in lock down, how do we currently feel about our bodies and what plans do we have, if any, to respect and honour them more?

Aug 10, 202101:07:16
Ep 51 - SANAH AHSAN - Fusing Poetry and Psychology To Liberate

Ep 51 - SANAH AHSAN - Fusing Poetry and Psychology To Liberate

Queer, muslim, clinical psychologist and award winning poet Sanah explains how reimagining our relationship to pain can aid our collective emotional and mental wellbeing.

Jul 27, 202101:16:02
Ep 50 - Blue Tick Verification: Merit or Hype?

Ep 50 - Blue Tick Verification: Merit or Hype?

We discuss what the blue tick verification system signals to each of us and whether we think it’s helpful or harmful for society.

Jul 05, 202155:17
Ep 49 - RAVI AMARATUNGA - A Decade of Connecting Brands to Culture

Ep 49 - RAVI AMARATUNGA - A Decade of Connecting Brands to Culture

On the pulse since 2010, senior commissioner Ravi has shaped video content at Channel 4, Dazed, VICE, and now runs Soursop; a next-gen creative consultancy that helps brands connect to premium Gen Z and Millennial audiences.

Jun 28, 202101:04:43
Ep 48 - The Father's Day Takeover

Ep 48 - The Father's Day Takeover

We enjoy two funny and heart warming chats with our fathers about their come-up, and what it's like parenting rebels ;)

Jun 20, 202101:22:31
 Ep 47 - VALENTINA RAMAN - Pioneering a Youth Led Education Revolution

Ep 47 - VALENTINA RAMAN - Pioneering a Youth Led Education Revolution

Valentina explains her mission as a ‘community weaver’ and why her latest project Youth X Youth; a global youth led education movement, is so important for the future of education. And our world.

Jun 16, 202101:13:28
Ep 46 - HEERAL PATTNI - Harnessing Tech for Women Travelling Solo

Ep 46 - HEERAL PATTNI - Harnessing Tech for Women Travelling Solo

Heeral talks about life as a young social tech entrepreneur and how she accidentally created Amica: a friendship app for women travelling solo.

Jun 03, 202101:11:50
Ep 45 - ASHANTI OMKAR - Two Decades Of Championing Indian Film

Ep 45 - ASHANTI OMKAR - Two Decades Of Championing Indian Film

BBC Broadcaster & film critic Ashanti Omkar shares her journey of cultural discovery and intuitive learnings from two decades of working in Indian Arts & film.

May 29, 202101:18:43
Ep 44 - 1 Year of WITB: Growing Together

Ep 44 - 1 Year of WITB: Growing Together

We (Aaron, Almass and Reuben if you're new here!) take stock and process one year in the pod game, exploring personal and professional relationship building, acknowledging challenges that arise and ideating on the future of WITB.

May 20, 202101:09:07
Ep 43 - MOHAMMAD QAZALBASH - PR'ing The World’s Largest Concerts

Ep 43 - MOHAMMAD QAZALBASH - PR'ing The World’s Largest Concerts

From interning at Sony Music to becoming the Head of Concert Publicity at Live Nation, Mo shares tips on great PR and thoughts on the importance of live experiences.

May 12, 202101:10:39
Ep 42 - What’s The New Normal?

Ep 42 - What’s The New Normal?

The UK’s lockdown regulations are fully lifted on June 21st 2021, which we’ve named ‘COVID Independence Day’. We discuss what a New Normal could look like in terms of work, socialising, relationships...and dating apps ;)

May 04, 202155:42
Ep 41 - ROSH MAHTANI - Imperfect Design and Passionate Mistakes

Ep 41 - ROSH MAHTANI - Imperfect Design and Passionate Mistakes

Rosh talks to us through her intuitive journey creating Alighieri; an award winning collection of jewellery inspired by poet Dante's Divine Comedy.

Apr 27, 202101:05:57
Ep 40 - Should We Monetise Our Podcast?

Ep 40 - Should We Monetise Our Podcast?

We get into a deeply honest, passionate and at times uncomfortable debate around the idea of asking our listenership for financial support for our podcast’s evolution.

Apr 20, 202101:30:47
Ep 39 - SUNTHAR V - Tamil Comedy on The Punch Up

Ep 39 - SUNTHAR V - Tamil Comedy on The Punch Up

Sunthar V, a comedian from Canada, conveys the importance of alternative spaces for underrepresented comics to voice their stories.

Apr 05, 202101:13:11
Ep 38 - Ridiculous South Asian Stereotypes

Ep 38 - Ridiculous South Asian Stereotypes

We created this podcast to break limiting South Asian stereotypes, but what exactly ARE some of them? We listed a few, and it got kinda idiotic lol.

Mar 29, 202101:00:46
Ep 37 - SALVIN CHAHAL - Exploring Masculinity Through Poetry

Ep 37 - SALVIN CHAHAL - Exploring Masculinity Through Poetry

Salvin explains how poetry allows him to embrace his duality as a minority growing up in LA, as well as unpack reductive masculine narratives.
Mar 21, 202101:18:49
Ep 36 - The Mother's Day Takeover

Ep 36 - The Mother's Day Takeover

We enjoy two hilarious and revealing chats with our mothers about the pains and pleasures of being our co-creators.

Mar 14, 202101:12:29
 Ep 35 - SUMIT VASWANI - Programming India's Music Culture

Ep 35 - SUMIT VASWANI - Programming India's Music Culture

Sumit covers his contribution to the origins of music programming in Mumbai's thriving music scene, landing now, as Soho House Mumbai's programmer. 

Mar 08, 202158:26
Ep 34 - Individualism: the birth of our creative journeys

Ep 34 - Individualism: the birth of our creative journeys

We reminisce on the era and project that connected us, shaped us and ultimately lead to this podcast.

Feb 27, 202101:08:03
Ep 33 - NAFISA BAKKAR - The CEO Amplifying The Voices of Muslim Women
Feb 19, 202101:10:06