BizAsia talks to Bina Bilimoria & Priya Mulji about the ‘Whine and Wisdom’ podcast

The recently launched podcast Whine and Wisdom, which addresses a diverse range of relatable topics, has successfully established a strong connection with its listeners.

Hosts Bina Bilimoria and Priya Mulji drew inspiration for the series from profound conversations they shared during the Covid-19 lockdown. Delighted by the positive reception of their episodes, they expressed their enthusiasm in an interview with BizAsiaLive.com. The two close friends also shared insights into their personal favorite podcasts and discussed their aspirations for future guest interviews.

How was the Whine and Wisdom podcast born?
Bina: The podcast was born from conversations we had with each other during lockdown. The phone and video calls – the one to one and group calls, where we put the world to rights. We laughed, whinged, cried, offloaded, and held each other together. Our friendships inspired the podcast. We wanted other people to experience and be part of that dynamic.

Tell us more about that?
Priya: We wanted to start a podcast that is like listening to someone you know, a friend, and one that is relevant. One of those podcasts where you say, ‘oh my gosh, that happened to me.’ That is like a huge hug from your best friend. Also, we found that many podcasts lacked that interactive aspect, and we want the audience to be as involved, as they like and shape the conversation.

Tell us more about the podcast episodes?
Priya: The episodes are very much based on conversations with your friends. Your friends are the ones you whine to about anything and everything, but in the end, they are the ones who will give you some wisdom. We are those friends! Every two weeks, we discuss a topic that is relevant. This will be around dating, relationships, films, music, books, social issues, lifestyle, mental health – everything!

Bina: But we want it to be engaging, so we will be reaching out on social media for you to have a whine about each episode’s topics, and then asking you to drop your wisdom. We will then incorporate your whine and wisdom into our episodes.

What inspired the name?
Priya: One day, Bina and I were sitting in a hotel room, eating Italian food, and enjoying a weekend staycation. Over our takeaway, we were whining about something important to us at the time, but in the end left the conversation feeling much wiser! We (flippantly) at the time said this would make a great podcast and hypothetically brainstormed some names and decided if we were ever to start a podcast, we would call it Whine and Wisdom. Three years later, it is finally out in the world.

I would also love to interview Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. What they have collectively done for South Asians worldwide is incredible!

What can we expect from future episodes?
Bina: You can expect, comfort, laughs, emotions, a safe place to talk about everyday things but also subjects that often feel uncomfortable or invisible and still taboo. You will also eventually meet our guests who will bring their own expertise and experience to the table.

Who would you love to interview?
Bina: For me, it would be Elizabeth Day. She’s been a huge inspiration in so many ways. Also, late singer Amy Winehouse would’ve been the dream. I would have loved to have just sat with her and had a conversation about her music, demons, hopes, and things that bought her joy.

Priya: I would 100 per cent agree that Elizabeth Day would be one of the ultimate guests to have on the show. She has inspired our podcast in so many ways (Elizabeth, are you reading this?). I would also love to interview Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. What they have collectively done for South Asians worldwide is incredible! They are such powerful forces.

What podcasts do you enjoy?
Priya: How to fail by Elizabeth Day, Diary of a CEO, Sweet Bobby, Ok Mom, Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Sisters In The City. The Native Immigrants kept me going during lockdown.

What do you hope this podcast will achieve?
Bina: Firstly, we have had so much love since the first episode, so a heartfelt thank you to everyone for that! We hope that everyone gets involved, enjoys the conversations and themselves are left feeling a little wiser after each episode.