Do you find talking about money in your relationships unbearably awkward? Well, you’re not alone. But luckily for us, one couple has made it their mission to help us tackle this topic – together – for happier, healthier relationships. Today, we talk to Shivani and Pawan Agarwal about when, where and how to have these tricky conversations. Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/ Shivani & Pawan’s book: The Little Book on Financial Clarity Research &...

Having a baby is exciting. But for some moms, it can trigger post-partum depression. Today’s guest, the actress, writer, producer, and model Chhavi Mittal, talks to Evelyn about her own experience with PPD, how new moms can get through post-partum depression, and what a loving partner can do to help. Evelyn Sharma's Instagram Chhavi Mittal`s Instagram Produced by: Axel Scheele, Sally McGrane Research & guest acquisition: Sana Rizvi Sound Engineer: Gerd Georgii Project Manager: Sonja...

Whether it’s just a flicker of red in the distance, or it’s suddenly waving violently in your face, the dreaded "red flag" of modern dating is not always easy to spot. In this episode, Evelyn chats to relationship expert Shahzeen Shivdasani about what a red flag actually is, what it isn’t, and how understanding the difference will help you date better, love deeper and have important conversations when you need to. Show notes: Evelyn Sharma's Instagram handle: @evelyn_sharma Shahzeen...

Online dating apps tend to get a bad rap. But today’s guest Surbhi Bagga takes just the opposite point of view: She thinks online apps are great for finding love. In fact, the stand-up comic, TV writer and podcast host met her current partner on not one, but two different dating apps. So whether you‘re already looking for love on Tinder, Bumble or OkCupid, or you‘re considering signing up, this is an episode especially for you. Evelyn Sharma's Instagram:...

When you finally decide to tie the knot, you hope it’s going to be forever. But sometimes, things just don’t work out. So what happens if you find yourself a single parent who wants to get back out there and start dating? Today’s guest is a blogger, influencer, entrepreneur and single mom. She’s been using her platforms to talk about some of the challenges single parents in India face when they decide to start dating – and encouraging people to get out there and look for love!     Evelyn...

Today, we talk to a young fashion creator about learning to love yourself -- something society doesn’t always make easy, to say the least. While still in high school, Sriram Y started posting self-portraits on Instagram, and came to see himself very differently, as a result. His message of self-love and self-acceptance has resonated with tens of thousands of followers, and even international brands have taken note. Evelyn Sharma's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyn_sharma/ Sriram...

Love. Intimacy. Fulfilling sex. For a lot of people, these things can feel like they’re in pretty short supply. Luckily, sex coach and “sexpert” Pallavi Barnwal is here to talk to us about how to go about improving our intimate lives. So, whether you’re single or in a couple (or even a throuple!), if you want to take your ability to connect in the bedroom to the next level, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Show notes: Evelyn Sharma's Instagram Pallavi Barnwal’s...

Dating is fun, they tell you. Go out and meet someone, they say! Whether you’re dating for kicks or looking for love, putting yourself out there takes guts. Fear, discomfort and anxiety are all part of the dating job-description. So how can we embrace these scary feelings to find the connections we crave? In this episode, Evelyn talks to psychotherapist and author Sonali Gupta about healthy anxiety, sorting reliable mental health advice from the not-so-reliable, and how to know when to get...

Dating might look fun for everybody else, but in reality, it’s tough for pretty much everyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation. But when you’re part of the queer community in India, you also face a unique set of challenges on top of the nervousness that comes with putting yourself out there. In this episode, we chat to influencer, writer and renaissance-man Aniruddha Mahale about dating myths, finding community, and owning your desires. Show notes: Evelyn Sharma's Instagram:...

As just about anyone who has ever been in love knows, heartbreak hurts. A lot. But it can also help you grow, if you really take the time to process the pain. In this episode, psychiatrist and author Dr. Shyam Bhat talks to Evelyn about what happens when your heart breaks, and how you can emerge from the experience a stronger and more empathetic person. Show notes: Evelyn Sharma's Instagram Shyam Bhat’s Instagram Produced by: Axel Scheele, Sally McGrane Research & guest acquisition:...

What do you do when you fall for someone who really fits the bill, but comes from a whole different part of the world? How do you decide where and how to live together? In this episode, Evelyn, who is German-Indian, talks to French-Indian actress Kalki Koechlin about the highs and lows of merging different cultures, traditions, dreams and languages to make love work with their international partners. Show notes: Evelyn Sharma's Instagram Kalki Koechlin’s Instagram Produced by: Jennifer...

We all spend a lot of time at work. So it’s not inconceivable that, if you’re single, you might just find yourself having feelings for a colleague. This can be tricky terrain, as corporate inclusion expert Pallavi Pareek explains. From how an office flirt could affect your career to when it’s time to talk to HR, this episode helps us understand how we can make romance work, at work – and when it might be better just to walk away. Show notes: Ungender: https://www.ungender.in/ Evelyn...

While the Love Matters team takes a short break at the end of the year, we’re playing one of our favorite episodes from Season 1 about the controversial topic of interfaith relationships in India. Such unions are rare: Less than 2% of couples who tie the knot are from interfaith backgrounds. Inter-religious relationships are often shunned, and those who are vocal about celebrating their love publicly can face a backlash. Evelyn speaks to actor Shruti Seth and her director husband Danish...

If it's not bringing in the money, lifting heavy things and never shedding a tear, what does it mean to be a 'man' in India today? For many men, this is an increasingly hard question to answer. As we move away from the harmful gender stereotypes that restrict what girls and women can and cannot do, more and more men are realizing that they too suffer from patriarchal ideas about how they should lead their lives. In this episode, Evelyn chats to writer and creator of the 'Boyish' newsletter...

What’s life like in a ‘throuple’? That’s just one of the questions this episode dedicated to polyamory explores. Our guests Tanisha RK and Shweta Sangtani are in a committed relationship with each other and a third partner—who they also run a business with. They open up about common misconceptions -- like the idea that a polyamorous relationship involves less commitment than a monogamous one. They also share some of the best parts about being poly, which for them includes a focus on...

In our first new episode since Love Matters' return, we dive into dating as a 20-something-year-old in India. There are a lot of assumptions out there about how young people are lovin' up on each other in today's era of hyperconnectivity and mobility. That they don't know how to meet people in person anymore, aren't serious about love and expect too much are just a few. So why not ask a couple of them what it's actually like and whether there's any truth to these notions? In this episode,...

What's it like being in a polyamorous relationship? How can you make your international love story last? What are some dating red flags to look out for? Love Matters with Evelyn Sharma is here to help you navigate the ups and downs of love — with the help of celebrities, experts, influencers and friends. Bollywood actress, entrepreneur, and new mother Evelyn Sharma talks matters of the heart with fabulous guests, who open up about their relationship experiences and share their insights...

In the season finale of Love Matters, we return to the controversial topic of interfaith relationships in India. Such unions are rare: Less than 2% of couples who tie the knot are from interfaith backgrounds. Inter-religious relationships are often shunned, and those who are vocal about celebrating their love publicly can face a backlash — like our listener this week, Krutika Lele. Krutika is Hindu and her husband Tamir is Muslim and they're in a band called Interfaith. The musician says they...

Dating, relationships and finding love can be tough. But people with disabilities (PWDs) have their own set of challenges when trying to couple up. A lack of accessible spaces, as well as judgement and stereotyping from potential partners, strangers and friends, are just some of the obstacles India's 26.8 million disabled people face. That includes our listener Shagunn Pathak. Shagunn wants to date and find love like her peers but finds herself being labelled as needy or desperate just...

Slim, hairless, flawlessly fair-skinned, cellulite and blemish-free — beauty standards upheld in the media are downright unrealistic. And harmful. Three in four women find the way the media portrays beauty promotes body shaming. At the same time, India's beauty and wellness markets are growing 18% year on year, around twice as fast as in the US and Europe. Tired of being made to feel unlovable because of their appearance, many people are embracing body positivity — the idea that all bodies...

More single women are living independently in India today than ever before. Many are choosing to be alone not because they cannot find a partner, but because they have found fulfillment outside a romantic partnership and marriage. They're prioritizing a relationship with themselves. In this episode, we hear from a listener who feels singlehood is the best choice for her well-being but she is still struggling with societal pressure to partner up. How can she accept herself and her decision if...

Women face enormous pressure to not only raise their children to be the best they can be and run their homes smoothly, but also to stay on top of their careers as if they had never given birth. Between these demands, many grapple with feelings of guilt about going back to work post-pregnancy and find there’s a lack of workplace support. Some two thirds of working women in India struggle to resume their careers after starting a family. In this episode, we hear from Pooja, a mother of two...

In this episode, the Love Matters team tell you all about the making of this podcast series on love and relationships. From how the DW and Indian Express collaboration came to be and how we worked together to bridge the culture gap to how we handle sensitive issues, we discuss it all and everything in between. Tune in.

Although, the right to practice any religion is enshrined in the Indian constitution and the Special Marriage Act allows it, marriages between people of different faiths are rare and often shunned. In fact, less than 2% of marriages in India are interfaith. In this episode, we hear from Alina, born of an interfaith marriage herself, who is juggling the different expectations of her Muslim father and Hindu mother as she dates, while also dealing with judgement from wider society. For guidance...

In this episode, we hear from listener Kheyali, who is struggling with wearing the "divorcee" label as a young woman in India. The divorce rate may have doubled in the country over the past two decades but at around 1%, it's still very low – and widely frowned upon. Women bear the brunt of society's judgement. They're most often blamed for marriage breakdowns and find themselves penalized for being without a husband even in seemingly simple things like trying to get their own apartment....