Burqas and Beer Podcast
Burqas and Beer Podcast
Podcast Description
Welcome to your new favorite group therapy session—but with more laughs, hot takes, and probably too much iced coffee.
Hosted by an Afghan-Angeleno social worker (that’s me, Madina Wardak) and featuring my best friend Kyna Wise (fellow Angeleno social worker) this podcast is where two millennial mental health professionals unpack the world, one slightly-chaotic conversation at a time. From decolonizing wellness to raging about the news, we cover politics, culture, identity, and the awkward art of existing—all from the cozy dysfunction of my walk-in closet.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The show focuses on mental health, cultural commentary, and political issues, with episode examples like discussions on wellness decolonization and critiques of current events, highlighting topics such as social justice, identity, and the complexities of millennial life.
Welcome to your new favorite group therapy session—but with more laughs, hot takes, and probably too much iced coffee.
Hosted by an Afghan-Angeleno social worker (that’s me, Madina Wardak) and featuring my best friend Kyna Wise (fellow Angeleno social worker) this podcast is where two millennial mental health professionals unpack the world, one slightly-chaotic conversation at a time. From decolonizing wellness to raging about the news, we cover politics, culture, identity, and the awkward art of existing—all from the cozy dysfunction of my walk-in closet.
In this episode, we spoke with filmmaker Ankita Kumar about her documentary Far From Home, which follows the lives of Afghan refugees in India.
For Afghans in India, “refuge” often means being trapped in limbo – denied basic rights, barred from citizenship, and facing daily hostility. Because they are Muslim, Afghan refugees are excluded from the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), leaving them with virtually no pathway to safety, stability, or belonging.
This film is not just about displacement – it’s about the cruelty of borders, religion-based exclusion, and what it means to be permanently kept at the margins.
Read more about Ankita’s experience shooting the film:https://www.outlookindia.com/national/the-endless-wait-of-afghan-refugees-weekender_story-305690
Read about Ankita’s grandmothers story:https://thewire.in/south-asia/seeking-refuge-the-story-of-two-women-i-know
Ankita Mukhopadhyay Kumar is an award-winning Indian journalist and documentary filmmaker based in the US. Ankita’s directorial debut, Far from Home, was selected to over eight film festivals, including the Academy award-qualifying Tasveer Film Festival and the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival. Far from Home, which is the story of Afghan refugees in India, was funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS). The film was a finalist for NHK’s prestigious Japan Prize and runner up in the Best Short Documentary category at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF). It’s the first documentary on Afghan refugees in India. The film stemmed from Ankita’s work as a graduate student at Northwestern University and was inspired by Ankita’s own grandmother, who was a refugee to India in 1947 after the country’s partition.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.