Advertise on podcast: Unfiltered Chai with Alicia Vrajlal

Today we bring you a special bite-sized episode, where Alicia speaks to Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Hasan Minhaj and Priyanka Kedia about their new movie, 'Best of the Best', which has just released on Netflix.  The film is a coming of age college story following childhood best friends Maya and Anjali as they join UCLA’s competitive Bollywood dance team. So of course, there’s some Hrithik Roshan-inspired moves in there, but the movie also tries to explore the South Asian dance scene with some more cultural nuance - think: Bhangra, Kuthu, and Bharatanatyam, as well as songs from the likes of Dhee, Humankind, Coke Studios and even a track by A.R. Rahman created especially for this movie.  When Alicia caught up with the cast, the actors spoke about the hours of intense dance training behind the scenes, how the film’s themes are inspired by real-life experiences, and the possibility of the ultimate king of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, watching the movie.  Enjoy this episode and don’t forget to tune into 'Best of the Best' streaming now on Netflix.  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://drawyourbox.substack.com/

Today's episode features 'The Airport Chaplain' star Shabana Azeez. From her breakout role in 2023 film 'Birdeater', to voicing Princess Saira in 'Lesbian Space Comedy', and playing Victoria on the award-winning series 'The Pitt', the actor's showreel is nothing short of impressive.  Now she's back on Australian screens, playing Mira in SBS drama, 'The Airport Chaplain'. When Alicia caught up with Shabana, the actor talked about everything from South Asian representation, her experience working with Hugo Weaving, how she practises self care, and of course... lots more!  Enjoy this episode, and don't forget to tune into 'The Airport Chaplain' streaming now on SBS On Demand.  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://drawyourbox.substack.com/

You can’t watch ‘Project Hail Mary’ without noticing the talent of Priya Kansara.  Well known for her breakout performance in 2023 film ‘Polite Society’ after appearing in ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2, Kansara has quickly become one of the most exciting British-Indian talents to watch. In ‘Project Hail Mary’, she voices Mary, the onboard artificial intelligence interacting directly with Ryan Gosling’s character. Journalist Khushee Gupta recently caught up with Priya Kansara to hear all about the unexpected phone call from her agent that changed everything! Host: Alicia Vrajlal Guest reporter: Khushee Gupta Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://drawyourbox.substack.com/

Today's episode features Kishwar Chowdhury. Well known for placing third in Masterchef Australia Season 13, Kishwar's gone on to forge an incredible culinary career that not only champions Bangladeshi cuisine and flavours, but advocacy for South Asian communities.  Alicia caught up with Kishwar a few weeks ago in March. From reflecting on the changing narrative around South Asian food, to her upcoming cook book  (Smoke, Rice, Water: Recipes and Stories from a Bengali Home), and her advocacy work with World Vision in Bangladesh, nothing was off limits. Enjoy this episode, and if you'd like to learn more about Kishwar's campaign with World Vision that supports vulnerable children in Bangladesh, you can head to this page: https://worldvision.com.au/kishwar Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://drawyourbox.substack.com/

Today's episode features Kashif Harrison, an advocate for queer visibility and a proud member of the South Asian LGBTQIA+ community. With years of experience in the world of radio presenting, acting, and content creation, his passion for amplifying queer voices has led to him hosting two podcasts of his own. Born in Dubai and migrating to Australia in 2012, Kashif often speaks about his personal journey as a gay man  – navigating identity, community, and love in the context of his Pakistani heritage and South Asian culture.  Alicia caught up with Kashif a few weeks ago in mid-February. From his experience of moving out of home as an adult and coming out to his family, balancing advocacy with self care, and sharing his 2026 Mardi Gras plans, nothing was off limits. Enjoy this episode and while you’re at it, I’d recommend adding Kashif’s podcasts called ‘Under the Brown Rainbow’ and ‘The Creator’s Chat’ to your listening list as well.  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://drawyourbox.substack.com/

Queensland-based sports reporter Ankita Karungalekar began filming for the 2026 season of Married At First Sight (MAFS), but her journey was cut short when some unrelated allegations about her MAFS groom, Micah Lomu, were made by others outside of the experiment.  With the new season of MAFS about to air, Alicia caught up with Ankita, where she spoke about the importance of Indian and wider South Asian representation on MAFS. She also spills the chai on which brides and grooms to look out for, her reality TV and career plans, family and travel, code-switching as an international student, and wait for it… a new romance!  Just a heads up. For legal reasons, we can’t say much more about the allegations about Micah, which he has reportedly denied. When Unfiltered Chai and Draw Your Box contacted Channel 9, the network declined to comment about Ankita’s involvement on MAFS. We also asked what sort of mental health support is provided to contestants during and after filming. They provided this statement: “Nine and Endemol Shine take their obligations in respect to the health and wellbeing of the participants of this program extremely seriously. All participants have access to the show psychologist and welfare resources during filming, during broadcast and once the program has ended. Nine also have an additional service for participants should they like or need further individual and confidential psychological support. This service gives participants access to clinicians to support those involved in the program in relation to their experiences. This service is available to all participants for as long as they need it, it does not end.” Enjoy this episode and for the MAFS fans out there, you can catch Married At First Sight when it premieres on the February 2 on Channel 9 and 9Now. Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://drawyourbox.substack.com/

BONUS BITE-SIZED EPISODE: This may be a bite-sized episode, but the person I’m speaking to is a huge star! It’s Bollywood royalty, Abhishek Bachchan who was in Sydney this week to promote a new project as co-founder of the European T20 Premiere League (ETPL). While in Sydney, he announced the owners of its first three franchises, that include the likes of Aussie cricket legends Steve Waugh and Glenn Maxwell, well-known Indian Australian figure Tim Thomas, and lots more.  When Alicia caught up with Abhishek for a harbourside chat, he spoke to her about this exciting venture, his cricket movie 'Ghoomer', and visiting Australia just weeks before his 50th birthday. Enjoy this episode!  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/

Whether you’re a big fan of the sport or not, there’s a high chance you’ve heard of Indian-born Australian cricket superstar Lisa Sthalekar.  The former captain of the Australia women's national cricket team retired from international cricket in 2013. Since then, she's continued being a trailblazing force in advocating for women's equality and diversity in sport.  Alicia caught up with Lisa just before Christmas, and it’s now the perfect time to release this episode. At the end of 2025, India won their first ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, and now, they’re coming Down Under in February to play against the Aussie women’s team.  In this chat, Lisa talks about everything from her own career journey, to starting a cricket and travel business called Around The Wickets, how cricket culture is different in Australia and India, and of course, why it’s so important for the Indian community and wider South Asian diaspora to fill those stadiums in Australia when India arrives next month.  Enjoy this episode and for more ticket details for the upcoming Aus v India women's cricket matches, click here. You can also find out more about Lisa's business, Around The Wickets here. Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/

Born in India and raised between Sydney and Melbourne, Saksham Sharma grew up with a love for entertaining people – but it wasn’t until his breakout appearance on Australia’s Got Talent that he truly landed on the showbiz map.  With more than 5 million subscribers on YouTube alone, Saksham is known for his magic tricks, content creation and acting! Speaking of which, Alicia caught up with Saksham to hear all about his new role in the Hollywood film, Ice Road: Vengeance – which also stars none other than Liam Neeson!  Just a heads up, this episode was filmed just before Diwali (hence the fun and festive references).  Enjoy this episode and don’t forget to check out Ice Road: Vengeance, now streaming on Prime Video.  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/

When we got word that 'A Nice Indian Boy' was coming to Australia, Alicia just had to sit down with director Roshan Sethi for a chat. After all, it's the movie featuring  Jonathan Groff singing a DDLJ song – a scene that went viral when we posted it on TikTok, calling for the movie to be screened Down Under. The doctor turned filmmaker released his debut movie 7 Days in 2021, starring Australia’s own Geraldine Viswanathan. Now, A Nice Indian Boy is making waves across the world as a Bollywood-inspired rom-com that draws on parts of his and real-life partner Karan Soni’s life. Karan also happens to play the lead character.  This would have to be one of the most candid chats on Unfiltered Chai so far… as Roshan talks very frankly about the state of diversity in Hollywood, the pressure South Asians put on one another to represent, and also on a lighter note, what Shah Rukh Khan would say if he watched A Nice Indian Boy.  Enjoy this episode and don’t forget to check out A Nice Indian Boy, now in cinemas in Australia.  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/

This episode is brought to you by Lipton. Alicia chats to Sneh Roy – a food and lifestyle photographer, cookbook author, stylist and writer. But wait… there’s more!  Sneh's following of more than 150k people on Instagram are hooked to her creative and passionate approach towards food. After speaking to her, we can definitely see why.  When Alicia caught up with Sneh, nothing was off limits – as she spoke about growing up in India, building her food blogging empire, her connection with culture and family, the TV shows and movies she loves binging over a delicious meal, and our personal favourite… her love for chai!  Enjoy this episode, and remember, you can once again enjoy Lipton Chai Latte’s signature flavour – a combination of sweet, creamy and spiced. Lipton’s Classic Chai Latte and Spiced Chai Latte are available now at Coles stores nationally. Sneh Roy's Burnt Basque Cheesecake recipe: https://www.cookrepublic.com/burnt-basque-cheesecake/ Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/

You may remember Audra Morrice from the 2012 season of ‘MasterChef Australia’. Since then, she’s been a judge on 'MasterChef Singapore', and was also on the judging panel of 'MasterChef Asia'.  In 2025, she returns for the all-stars season called ‘MasterChef: Back To Win’. When Alicia caught up with Audra, she discussed how geography can influence the style of South Asian food we grow up with, and also shape our sense of identity. Plus, lots more!  Enjoy this episode and don’t forget to see more of Audra on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, airing on Channel 10 and 10 Play.  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox Read our coverage on our news website:  https://drawyourbox.com/

You may remember Depinder Chhibber from the 2020 season of ‘MasterChef Australia’ – where she was known for creating exquisite desserts and showcasing Indian flavours through her cooking.  In 2025, she returns for the all-stars season called ‘MasterChef: Back To Win’. When Alicia caught up with Depinder, she talked about everything from the inspiration behind her intimate supper club, her plans to write a cookbook, and her experience being a guest judge on MasterChef India.  Enjoy this episode and don’t forget to see more of Depinder on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, airing on Channel 10 and 10 Play.  Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox

Today we bring you a special bite-sized episode, where Alicia speaks to Geraldine Viswanathan about her new movie, Thunderbolts* – which just released in cinemas this month. With a father of Indian descent, and a mother from Switzerland, Geraldine grew up in Newcastle – a two-hour drive from Sydney. But she’s now one of the most successful Aussie exports in Hollywood, giving the likes of Margot Robbie and Rebel Wilson a run for their money with her ability to be dramatic, funny, and entertaining all at once. When Alicia caught up with Geraldine, she spoke about her involvement in Thunderbolts*, the doors that opened once she moved to the US, and how South Asians are finally having their moment in the Marvel Universe. Host: Alicia Vrajlal Producer: Haresh Nair  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox

You may remember Darrsh Clarke from the 2024 season of ‘MasterChef Australia’ – where he was a huge hit with viewers thanks to his delicious desserts and charisma in the kitchen. In 2025, he returns for the all-stars season called ‘MasterChef: Back To Win’. When Alicia caught up with Darrsh, he talked about everything from career choices as a child of Sri Lankan immigrants, moving to Melbourne to live with a MasterChef winner, and wait for it... his man bun phase!  Enjoy this episode and don’t forget to see more of Darrsh on MasterChef Australia: Back To Win, airing on Channel 10 and 10 Play.  Follow Draw Your Box on social media:  https://www.instagram.com/drawyourbox https://www.tiktok.com/@drawyourbox