Great, another micro celebrity with a podcast. This was my first thought when I heard of “entrepreneur” Navya Nanda’s new podcast, named “What The Hell Navya” sans any punctuation. The podcast features herself, her mother Shweta Nanda, and her grandmother Jaya Bachchan, all of whom oscillate between singing each other’s praises and grounding them back to reality. At the outset, they claim it will be a lot of “Navya or Shweta Bashing” and chatter about things that we all really need to talk about. At the 1.5 minute mark, you get a break. Phew! It was Cyrus Broacha. Almost want to listen to his podcast more than this. But I digress. Back to the three-generations of women talking about different topics.
The podcast does what it says, makes you feel like you have a seat on their couch to witness their dynamic, however two out of three parties feel there is no need for this dynamic to be public information. Shweta and Jaya have a relatable camaraderie where they can take jibes at each other while also knowing the other person most likely loves them.
It takes a while, but they establish what they wish for the podcast to encompass. Jaya Bachchan hopes to inspire people to spend more time with their families by being candid and comfortable with hers, while Navya wishes to create a safe space (take a shot every time she says “safe space” to make it a fun drinking game) for people, especially women, to talk about their menstrual health and mental well-being. Shweta Nanda, if you ask me, is having a very Kris Jenner moment, and wants Navya to be the star that shines through this whole thing. The entire second half of the podcast being dedicated to introducing Navya to the audience in a very detailed manner should be proof enough. What stands out, however, is Jaya Bachchan’s unexpected wit, and her lack of care for being perceived. In fact, she said it best about the whole podcast. “I am not dancing with joy, but yeah, it’s fine! And if you don’t know how to have fun, just stop!”
And to be honest, Jaya Bachchan steals the show, and we’ll be back only for her! That being said, we are hoping that the next episode actually does talk about things we need to talk about.
