Love Matters – India's #1 podcast on love, sex, and relationshipsDating, desire, identity, marriage – nothing’s off-limits. Hosted by Leeza Mangaldas, India’s boldest voice on pleasure and relationships, Love Matters dives into the stuff we all think about but rarely say out loud. Honest convos. No shame. Just real stories about love and sexuality in today’s India. New episodes every two weeks! Got a story, question, or feedback? Reach us at lovematters@dw.comA co-production by The Indian Express & DW.
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Nov 14, 2026 · 45:40
What does female domination mean? Why are some people drawn to dominance and submission? And how do trust, communication and consent shape power dynamics in relationships? In…
Nov 5, 2026 · 1:36
We've spent seasons having lots of intimate conversations behind closed doors. This season, we brought Love Matters to the stage! Bringing complete strangers together to share…
Oct 31, 2026 · 51:45
Love Matters Podcast with Leeza Mangaldas brings you expert relationship advice on love, dating, sex, intimacy and healthy relationships. In this episode of Love Matters, The…
Oct 17, 2026 · 58:33
Can sex really stay casual, or do feelings eventually get involved? Can you date without getting attached? And how do situationships shape the way we approach modern…
Oct 3, 2026 · 43:35
Can you be asexual and still be a sex and intimacy coach? What does asexuality mean when it comes to sexual attraction, desire, relationships and intimacy? And can the way we…
Feb 7, 2026 · 39:35
What happens when love crosses religious lines? In this episode of Love Matters, Leeza Mangaldas speaks with writer Alina Gufran, author of No Place to Call My Own, about growing…
Jan 24, 2026 · 1:03:55
What happens when you stop looking for someone to complete you and start embracing the idea of being whole on your own? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas sits…
Jan 10, 2026 · 45:07
Are we really more connected—or lonelier than ever? And have we all forgotten how tob e good friends? In this episode of Love Matters, Leeza Mangaldas sits down with artist,…
Dec 27, 2025 · 56:10
Is not posting about your partner on social media a major red flag? What is a "soft launch" in relationships? And is AI making us worse at dating? Author and cultural commentator…
Dec 13, 2025 · 45:30
Amol Parashar joins Leeza Mangaldas on Love Matters for a refreshingly honest conversation about intimacy, masculinity and the myths around sex. From awkward first experiences to…
Nov 29, 2025 · 55:28
Actor and writer Shreya Dhanwanthary joins Leeza Mangaldas to unpack how dating, sex, and self-worth shift from your 20s to your 30s. From first dates and people-pleasing habits…
Nov 15, 2025 · 1:02:00
Journalist Isha Bhatia Sanan joins Leeza Mangaldas to discuss how parents can initiate open, age-appropriate conversations with their children about sex, puberty and periods,…
Nov 1, 2025 · 40:06
On this episode of Love Matters , stand-up comedian and creative writer Supriya Joshi talks about her experience with Living Apart Together (LAT) – a modern relationship style…
Oct 18, 2025 · 41:52
In this candid conversation, actor Shahana Goswami opens up about her journey of owning her sexuality, body positivity, and the freedom to explore desires without shame. From…
Oct 4, 2025 · 34:58
Comedian Kenny Sebastian gets real about fatherhood, emotional dads, and the struggles of modern parenting in this episode of Love Matters with Leeza Mangaldas. From his own…
Oct 1, 2025 · 1:59
Honest, bold, and never boring – Love Matters is back with a brand-new season. Hosted by Leeza Mangaldas, India’s leading voice on sexuality education and pleasure positivity.…
Feb 1, 2025 · 48:59
How does your mental health affect your relationships? What’s it like to have a partner who suffers from a mental illness? And how can we support each other, balancing mental…
Jan 18, 2025 · 41:38
How do societal expectations shape who we are? In this powerful episode of Love Matters, Leeza Mangaldas and Writer and Curator, Aroh Akunth explore gender, identity, and…
Dec 21, 2024 · 53:25
Is sexual dissatisfaction in long-term relationships inevitable? In this episode of Love Matters, Storyteller and Mythologist Seema Anand and Leeza Mangaldas tackle the…
Dec 7, 2024 · 58:44
How do traditional gender roles around money impact modern relationships? In this episode of Love Matters, Leeza Mangaldas and Nikhil Taneja discuss navigating finances in…
Nov 23, 2024 · 52:00
In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas welcomes writer Karuna Ezara Parikh for an intimate conversation about a woman’s relationship with her body. Known for her…
Nov 11, 2024 · 51:55
Unlock love's cosmic secrets and discover how astrology, numerology, tarot and cosmic intuition shape relationships and your own existence. Love Matters host Leeza Mangaldas and…
Nov 4, 2024 · 1:06
Love Matters is back! Listen to all the episodes of your favourite podcast now! Love Matters is a podcast produced by The Indian Express and DW, Germany's international…
Oct 26, 2024 · 47:36
In this episode of Love Matters, Dr. Karan Rajan, NHS surgeon and the internet’s favourite doctor, joins host Leeza Mangaldas to tackle men’s sexual health myths head-on. From…
Oct 12, 2024 · 36:00
We've all been there- curled up in bed, feeling like the world is crashing down after a breakup. But what if the breakup is actually an opportunity for growth? Join Leeza…
Sep 28, 2024 · 39:17
What happens when you discover your true sexuality after tying the knot in a traditional marriage? In this episode of Love Matters, Leeza Mangaldas speaks with standup comedian…
Aug 16, 2024 · 1:02
Love Matters is launching a new season soon, featuring amazing guests and exciting topics! We're also thrilled to announce a special podcast episode that will be recorded live at…
Aug 16, 2024 · 1:02
Love Matters is launching a new season soon, featuring amazing guests and exciting topics! We're also thrilled to announce a special podcast episode that will be recorded live at…
Feb 17, 2024 · 38:45
Being bisexual is often met with a whole lot of stereotypes, and there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding that topic, coming from both the heteronormative society and within…
Feb 3, 2024 · 27:34
Female pleasure and sex positivity are not often talked about very openly. What does sexual agency look like for women in contemporary India? And how does it differ from the…
Jan 20, 2024 · 36:49
What’s it like dating as a gay man? And how does it compare to loving men as a cis-hetero woman? In this episode of Love Matters, host Leeza Mangaldas is comparing notes on…
Jan 6, 2024 · 42:07
Being a mother often seems to be the inevitable and most desirable role a woman can have in India. The question is never if, but when and how many children a woman will have. But…
Dec 23, 2023 · 0:43
Dear Listeners, Love Matters is going on a short break and the next episode featuring the incredible Amrita Nandy will be available on the 6th of January. We wish you a Merry…
Dec 16, 2023 · 28:14
What determines who we love and desire? Is it just down to personal preference? Or isn’t it rather ingrained in our minds through what we learn and see growing up and through pop…
Dec 2, 2023 · 1:02:56
Public discourse around sexual consent is often rigidly configured around “Yes” and “No”. But how can we go beyond just this basic binary framework to make room for the more…
Nov 18, 2023 · 48:46
Why is it so important that we continue to nurture meaningful friendships and carve out time for fun and play, even as adults? Despite busy schedules, marriage and kids, and…
Nov 4, 2023 · 58:32
What does it mean to be Desi and kinky? What can we learn about consent from the kink community, and what unique possibilities for self-expression and self-discovery does kink…
Oct 21, 2023 · 38:43
Why was homosexuality a crime in India till 2018? Why is it that marital rape is still legal, while gay marriage is not yet legal? How does the legal system continue to shape our…
Oct 14, 2023 · 42:08
Is love truly free, or do those old caste boundaries still play a role in influencing whom we love? Can we challenge these age-old norms and create love stories that break the…
Aug 19, 2023 · 31:27
Do you feel comfortable talking about what goes on in your bedroom? Why is it still such a taboo to speak about sexual health and well-being? Evelyn explores all this and more,…
Aug 5, 2023 · 28:08
When you’re married, you’re a team. But what happens if you decide to take your duo professional – and start a business together? In this episode, Evelyn talks to Nidhi Singh and…
Jul 22, 2023 · 29:43
When it comes to a couple living together without being married, India has seen a lot of change. What used to be taboo is now gaining more acceptance, especially with Gen Z. In…
Jul 8, 2023 · 23:57
This week we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from Season One, in which Evelyn Sharma speaks to sex positivity influencer Leeza Mangaldas about sexual pleasure, women’s…
Jun 24, 2023 · 31:07
Everyone wants connection. But not everyone is welcome in the online spaces we create for people to connect. In this episode, Evelyn chats to Nidhi Goyal about how we can remedy…
Jun 10, 2023 · 26:54
Do you find talking about money in your relationships unbearably awkward? Well, you’re not alone. But luckily for us, one couple has made it their mission to help us tackle this…
May 27, 2023 · 34:43
Having a baby is exciting. But for some moms, it can trigger post-partum depression. Today’s guest, the actress, writer, producer, and model Chhavi Mittal, talks to Evelyn about…
May 13, 2023 · 33:48
Whether it’s just a flicker of red in the distance, or it’s suddenly waving violently in your face, the dreaded "red flag" of modern dating is not always easy to spot. In this…
Apr 29, 2023 · 25:58
Online dating apps tend to get a bad rap. But today’s guest Surbhi Bagga takes just the opposite point of view: She thinks online apps are great for finding love. In fact, the…
Apr 15, 2023 · 32:42
When you finally decide to tie the knot, you hope it’s going to be forever. But sometimes, things just don’t work out. So what happens if you find yourself a single parent who…
Apr 1, 2023 · 23:50
Today, we talk to a young fashion creator about learning to love yourself -- something society doesn’t always make easy, to say the least. While still in high school, Sriram Y…
Mar 18, 2023 · 29:35
Love. Intimacy. Fulfilling sex. For a lot of people, these things can feel like they’re in pretty short supply. Luckily, sex coach and “sexpert” Pallavi Barnwal is here to talk…
Mar 4, 2023 · 34:04
Dating is fun, they tell you. Go out and meet someone, they say! Whether you’re dating for kicks or looking for love, putting yourself out there takes guts. Fear, discomfort and…
Feb 18, 2023 · 30:43
Dating might look fun for everybody else, but in reality, it’s tough for pretty much everyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation. But when you’re part of the queer…
Feb 3, 2023 · 24:48
As just about anyone who has ever been in love knows, heartbreak hurts. A lot. But it can also help you grow, if you really take the time to process the pain. In this episode,…
Jan 20, 2023 · 26:13
What do you do when you fall for someone who really fits the bill, but comes from a whole different part of the world? How do you decide where and how to live together? In this…
Jan 6, 2023 · 30:16
We all spend a lot of time at work. So it’s not inconceivable that, if you’re single, you might just find yourself having feelings for a colleague. This can be tricky terrain, as…
Dec 23, 2022 · 30:47
While the Love Matters team takes a short break at the end of the year, we’re playing one of our favorite episodes from Season 1 about the controversial topic of interfaith…
Dec 9, 2022 · 25:43
If it's not bringing in the money, lifting heavy things and never shedding a tear, what does it mean to be a 'man' in India today? For many men, this is an increasingly hard…
Nov 25, 2022 · 32:14
What’s life like in a ‘throuple’? That’s just one of the questions this episode dedicated to polyamory explores. Our guests Tanisha RK and Shweta Sangtani are in a committed…
Nov 11, 2022 · 27:23
In our first new episode since Love Matters' return, we dive into dating as a 20-something-year-old in India. There are a lot of assumptions out there about how young people are…
Nov 7, 2022 · 0:53
What's it like being in a polyamorous relationship? How can you make your international love story last? What are some dating red flags to look out for? Love Matters with Evelyn…
Dec 8, 2021 · 29:58
In the season finale of Love Matters, we return to the controversial topic of interfaith relationships in India. Such unions are rare: Less than 2% of couples who tie the knot…
Dec 1, 2021 · 31:19
Dating, relationships and finding love can be tough. But people with disabilities (PWDs) have their own set of challenges when trying to couple up. A lack of accessible spaces,…
Nov 24, 2021 · 27:47
Slim, hairless, flawlessly fair-skinned, cellulite and blemish-free — beauty standards upheld in the media are downright unrealistic. And harmful. Three in four women find the…
Nov 17, 2021 · 28:32
More single women are living independently in India today than ever before. Many are choosing to be alone not because they cannot find a partner, but because they have found…
Nov 10, 2021 · 26:21
Women face enormous pressure to not only raise their children to be the best they can be and run their homes smoothly, but also to stay on top of their careers as if they had…
Nov 3, 2021 · 27:12
In this episode, the Love Matters team tell you all about the making of this podcast series on love and relationships. From how the DW and Indian Express collaboration came to be…
Oct 27, 2021 · 26:58
Although, the right to practice any religion is enshrined in the Indian constitution and the Special Marriage Act allows it, marriages between people of different faiths are rare…
Oct 20, 2021 · 26:03
In this episode, we hear from listener Kheyali, who is struggling with wearing the "divorcee" label as a young woman in India. The divorce rate may have doubled in the country…
Oct 13, 2021 · 30:50
This week we hear from a listener struggling with feelings of shame about his sexuality because of society’s narrow and degrading views on homosexuality. While India overturned…
Oct 6, 2021 · 23:37
Our listener has an awkward moment after her mom finds the morning after pill in her bag. She also wonders how to reassure her boyfriend she's having a good time in bed. In this…
Sep 29, 2021 · 25:40
How do I keep my relationship going when I'm thousands of miles from my boyfriend? How do we communicate and trust each other? Gauri, a 22 year-old student from Bangalore sent us…
Sep 14, 2021 · 1:48
Want to talk about sex openly? Are you figuring out how to be happily single? Or are you at odds with your family over your partner choice? Love Matters is here to help you…
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