The ultimate guide for badass women

Sandhya Mridul

Actor Sandhya Mridul is back with an all-new slice-of-life Kommune podcast, The S&M show. We've only heard the first episode and boy, she's got us bingeing. Juggling between jhadoo-katka, voice memos, recording under a quilt to finding a friend's studio in the lockdown, the podcast came to life amid the pandemic.

What's Mridul talking about? Well, everything - love, life, relationships, dating, sex, tragedy and other raw quintessential experiences of single women. The themes meander through different episodes and hit you at various junctures, never overwhelmingly because the point gets across with a dash of humour. She keeps you on your toes and makes you want to wake up and smell the coffee, scratch that. Vodka. For those yet to hit the play button, we feel that it can be your handbook to mastering badassery.

What makes a badass woman, we ask her. Mridul says, "Wearing a dress inside out and pulling it off with style. That's my definition of a badass woman. There's nothing more badass than not giving a s''' about what anybody thinks of you. On the other side of the pandemic, I am becoming that person. You've got to live and let live. Be kind to others, but also yourself. Don't let ambitions or worries run you down, because there's never going to be an end to those. It's the best you can do in the pandemic."

A handbook on what to not do on a date to choosing a mop over a man or living through a pandemic, we ask Mridul what her favourite theme to talk about is. "I am very intrigued by love and relationships. We think we know everything about love until we're hit with a curveball. I love addressing things most people don't find comfortable," she shares, illustrating, "Heartbreaks, one-night stands, turning breakups into breakthroughs - I like to keep it real."

Mridul tells us that she constantly find herself wandering through the podcast for the flow, too. "I write something but land up improvising all the time, which my director Shruti Sharma finds amusing," she chuckles, adding that the podcast draws largely upon her own experiences and those around her.

So far, what's the verdict from most listeners been like? The response has been lovely, she tells us. "A different episode resonates with a different listener, which I find interesting," Mridul adds.

Before she takes our leave, we prod if there's a hidden message in the podcast that listeners, especially single women, can decode. "Don't be afraid to say it like it is, and add humour. It [this policy] has helped me have a voice, without caring about judgement. We've all been through a lot in this pandemic. I lost my dear friend. The last episode Mop over Men is dedicated to him. He'd always tell me, 'Sandy, considering the men you choose, I'm happy that you chose a mop over a man.' He's gone, and I am trying to pick my self up. I think we've all cried enough, so it's important to find ways to keep laughing."

Log on to The S&M Show by Sandhya Mridul on spotify.com

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