In this episode, I sit down with media founder Aparna and landscape architect Suvarna, to unpack 'Mother Mary Comes to Me' —and how trauma, fierce parenting, and resilience intersect in ways we don’t always see.

We get into how public personas mask pain, the hidden systemic failures in urban infrastructure, and why extraordinary talent can stem from such relentless parenting.

Aparna shares how raising children requires immense personal strength, while Suvarna brings a physical lens on spaces, systems, and survival—then and now.

If you care about vulnerability, complicated families, critical thinking, and the deeper meaning behind memoirs, this one stays with you.

IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 | Why We Need Uncomfortable Stories 

00:37 | Unmasking Arundhati Roy: The Memoir & Our Guests

04:36 | Reading the Book: Empathy, Vulnerability, & City Realities

10:50 | Design Blind Spots: When Infrastructure Fails the Vulnerable

15:38 | Separating the Art from the Activist

28:13 | Motherhood, Control, & Forging Resilience

33:04 | Why Every Woman Should Read This Book

35:37 | Outro & Further Reading

Aparna Apte Gupta 

The founder of The Modern Narrative, a media and communications agency. With over 27 years of experience spanning documentary production (BBC World, National Geographic), leadership coaching, and storytelling, she now helps social impact organizations craft meaningful narratives.

Suvarna Apte Dalvie

A landscape architect and planner with over two decades of experience. Deeply engaged in the social sector, she brings a holistic, design-thinking approach to community impact and sustainability, currently serving as a director at Farmers for Forests.

Gunjali

I’ve spent over a decade working in the development sector, and a lifetime finding both escape and meaning in good books. Book clubs have been my anchor and helped keep me grounded through many seasons of change.

This podcast brings together two things I care deeply about: powerful stories, and the passionate people working to drive real change in the world. I hope it leaves you with fresh ideas, renewed hope, and a good book recommendation to dive into.

About The Changemakers Book Club

The Changemakers Book Club is where powerful books meet powerful voices. In each episode, host Gunjali sits down with inspiring changemakers to explore stories that spark reflection and action. It’s part book chat, part deep dive into the world we live in. Come for the books, stay for the bold conversations.