Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Angelic Hosts 2.3 – Kali is Dancing for Me
Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode Overview

This episode features a vivid, evocative radio drama adaptation of "Kali is Dancing for Me" by Tanika Gupta, read by Yasmin Wild. The heart of the story is Joya, a British-Indian woman visiting India with her mother, who experiences a powerful, mystical dream of the goddess Kali. As Joya connects with relatives and explores her roots, she navigates the complexities of her identity, womanhood, cultural expectations, and spirituality. The episode illuminates both family dynamics and the enduring influence of ancestral roots, blending humor, warmth, and introspection.

Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

Joya's Vision of Kali – The Dream (00:14–03:02)

• On her first night in India, Joya dreams of the Hindu goddess Kali dancing just for her—striking and otherworldly beneath a black sky and full moon.

• The dream’s details are intensely sensory:

  • "Kali was completely black, with fiery eyes, very red, shiny lips and a sweet face, and she smiled as she danced." (00:25)
  • Despite initial fear, Joya feels comforted and special.

• Over breakfast, Joya shares the dream with her mother, who recounts her own striking Kali vision from decades earlier, when she was pregnant with Joya.

  • In Ma’s dream, Kali is "beautiful blue," not black, with "streams of light and jets of tiny sparkling stars poured forth from her eyes, from her mouth, her outstretched fingertips and even her tongue." (02:09)
  • When Joya questions the meaning, Ma replies matter-of-factly:
    • Ma: "It means... that the force of Kali is strong within you." (02:50)

• Joya, agnostic but intrigued, muses: "After all, Kali was a goddess, a symbol of womanly force, of death and destruction... And she was scary." (03:02)

Family Revelations & Astrological Readings (03:24–06:37)

• During a family gathering, Joya admits wanting a break from family life, revealing her fatigue and mild depression, met with surprise from relatives.
• Bella Auntie (not a blood relative, but close family friend), offers Joya an astrological reading from a scroll ('Kushti'):
  • She tells Joya her dream was "very auspicious," and the goddess is sending a message. (04:24)
  • Predicts Joya has “four children,” including “the one you destroyed” (reference to an abortion decades earlier, handled with remarkable empathy):
    • Bella Auntie: "You were young. It wasn't the right man. You did the right thing." (05:00)
  • She reassures Joya about her marriage, health, and future: "You are a strong woman. Men are very attracted to you... Life is a bit of a struggle... Saturn has been an obstacle, but gradually things will ease for you. But you must go and pray at a temple to Kali." (05:30–06:19)
• Joya’s internal response is a blend of skepticism, pride, and guilt.

Cultural Pilgrimage & Identity (06:37–08:50)

• The next days are a whirlwind: shopping in Delhi, socializing, and, to Joya’s dismay, embarking on a sudden pilgrimage to Haridwar for holy Ganga water, at her mother’s insistence.
• During the journey:
  • Joya observes a cow being hit and notes increased anti-Muslim sentiment among locals, reflecting on growing divisions in India (07:16–07:56).
  • At the crowded, holy site, Joya feels both out of place (despite wearing a sari) and self-conscious as “about a hundred pilgrims had turned away from the temple and were staring at her instead.”
    • Joya: “Why are they looking at me?”
    • Ma: “Because you look like a foreigner.” (08:50)

Calcutta, Family Roots, and Kali’s Presence (08:50–12:30)

• Arriving in Calcutta, Joya reconnects with extended family. Memories of her deceased father resurface, especially in her interactions with Usher Aunty, who resembles him and shares his mannerisms (09:14–09:47).

• Even her intellectual, non-religious aunts are deeply affected by Joya’s Kali dream:

  • Usher Aunty: “Most Hindus would die for a dream like that... Must mean you have something of her inside you.” (09:47–10:10)
  • Durga Aunty: Obsesses over the dream’s details (smile, color, presence of skulls, style of dance). This scrutiny becomes a source of comic relief for Joya (10:10).

• Durga Aunty insists on a visit to the famed Kali Temple at Dakshineswar; a humorous interlude ensues as the aunts bicker over their ages (10:44–11:32).

• At the temple:

  • Joya is struck by the tranquility and the living presence of Kali in the shrine: "She took some burning joss sticks up to the image of Kali and stared... The face of the statue was the exact same one she had seen in her dream." (11:32–12:30)
  • Durga Aunty opens up about childhood traumas, being orphaned, and tells Joya she was believed to be their mother reincarnated to care for them. Kali is declared her protector, her dream validated:
    • Durga Aunty: “Kali had come to tell her something, that she was Joya’s protector, that the force of Kali was strong within her. It was a good dream, whether or not Joya chose to believe in it. There was no point in fighting the inevitable. Kali had come to dance for her and to tell her that she was her guardian angel.” (12:30)

Conclusion & Reflection (13:37–end)

• Back in London, Joya places a small picture of Kali in her study, feeling intergenerational ties:
  • "Kali reminded her of her Durga auntie, her Bella auntie, her Usher auntie, her Ma, and the grandmother she never met." (13:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joya (on her mother interpreting dreams):
  • “That’s about your anxiety of Sunita starting school. Or that’s obviously about your suppressed anger towards your old head teacher. Or simply, you’re so weird.” (01:44)
• Bella Auntie:
  • “Oh, you have a very good husband. He will always love you. Your health is not bad, but you have to watch your stress levels and your children will all be successful. One of them will be an acclaimed writer. No, Joya thought, I’m the acclaimed writer.” (05:12)
• Durga Aunty (on Kali’s dream):
  • “Most Hindus would die for a dream like that... Must mean you have something of her inside you.” (09:47)
• Final reflection:
  • “Kali reminded her of her Durga auntie, her Bella auntie, her Usher auntie, her Ma, and the grandmother she never met.” (13:37)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:14–03:02: Joya and Ma’s Kali dreams & their meaning
• 03:24–06:37: Family gathering, astrological reading by Bella Auntie
• 06:37–08:50: Delhi whirlwind, pilgrimage to Haridwar, questions of faith and identity
• 08:50–12:30: Calcutta visit, family connections, trip to Kali Temple, emotional revelations
• 13:37–end: Return to London and final reflection

Tonal Notes

The episode blends warmth, gentle humor, familial affection, and a thoughtful exploration of heritage, faith, and womanhood. Joya’s dry wit and pragmatism stand alongside her relatives’ lively beliefs and emotional histories, providing a nuanced portrait of negotiating identity between worlds.

Voices:

• Narration: Yasmin Wild
• Producers: Gemma Jenkins

If you haven’t listened:
This episode delivers an immersive, evocative personal story layered with humor, heart, and spirituality. It’s a gentle yet powerful meditation on family, culture, and the ways our ancestors—and their stories—haunt, guide, and protect us.