The Curious Case Of... with Ira Khan

Ira talks to Nikhil and Bakul about the growing use of mental health terms — how they’ve become more accessible, and at times, misused. They explore when labels can help us make sense of our experiences, and when they might limit us or shift responsibility.

It’s a conversation about finding balance — and learning how to engage with these terms more thoughtfully.

It’s a conversation about languag...

Ira talks to the guest about their journey with mental health, shaped by growing up in an environment where abuse was normalised. Space is held for their experiences with suicidality and self-worth, which continue to influence who they are today. They discuss what healing, rebuilding relationships and moving forward has looked like.

It’s a conversation about survival, understanding, and living with what we’ve bee...

Ira talks to Dr. Abhijit Nadkarni about understanding addiction — how to tell the difference between deeply enjoying something and being unable to step away from it, and what that distinction really means.

They explore the biology of addiction, while also asking where our scope for change lies — often in the psycho-social spaces of support, structure, and daily choices. The conversation turns to what help actuall...

Ira talks to her guest about navigating divorce while raising young children — making the decision to separate, holding personal pain, and still creating stability for the kids. They reflect on the added responsibility of parenting, and the effort it takes to set aside feelings about a partner so children can continue to see their father simply as their father, while constantly trying to understand what they need and how best...

What does it mean to show up for someone you love when the path ahead is turbulent and unclear?

In this episode, Ira talks to Amrit Bakshy about his journey as a father to a daughter living with Schizophrenia. He reflects on the early days — when information was scarce, fear was high, and every decision was consequential and how all those experiences slowly reshaped his life, his priorities, and his own understanding.

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What makes someone start therapy?

And what actually changes when you stay with it?

In this episode, Ira talks to Kenny Sebastian about his personal journey with therapy — what got him started, how he navigated the taboo in the early days, and how therapy helped him understand himself more clearly.

It’s a conversation rooted in lived experience. Through Kenny’s candour and humour, it helps set expectations around w...

Why do we use labels for understanding people?

What does “normal” mean — and who decides what’s normal for someone else?

In this episode, Ira talks with Divyanshu about how the meaning of “normal” shifts across contexts — from evolutionary needs to social expectations. They explore why labels continue to exist despite being limiting, and how questioning them can help us reframe our e...

What does it mean to love and respect your child — fully, exactly as they are?

In this episode, Ira talks to Sushama about her journey as a mother to a child with autism. She shares how she never asked “Why me?” or “Why now?”. Instead, she focused on her role as the parent. What she could do to equip her child to best deal with the world that might not always be kind to her. Because some struggl...

In this episode Ira talks to Anissa about her journey as a mother to a child with OCD — at first, simply responding to what was in front of her without realising how severe things were. 

Even with financial resources, it took time, mistakes, and learning to understand the illness and the weight of caregiving.

Because curiosity is what turns confusion into understanding.

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In this episode, Ira talks with Vijay Nallawala about his journey with Bipolar Disorder. Together, they reflect on what happens when pain gets romanticised, why early treatment matters, and how hope can still coexist with struggle.

It’s a conversation about honesty — about seeing things as they are, not as they’re often portrayed or what we may like them to be.

Because understanding starts with aware...

How much of who we are comes from where we come from?

And how do we make peace with the parts of our story that began before we had a say?

In this episode, Ira sits down with Nuzhat Khan to explore the complicated relationship between our parents, our past, and the people we grow up to be. Seen through a psychoanalytical lens, it emerges as a conversation about understanding without resentment, and healing without losing acc...

Why is it so hard to find a clear reason when it comes to the mind?

In this episode, Ira talks with Swanand Kelkar about his experience, being the child of someone living with a mental illness and how his understanding of mental health has shifted over the years. From searching for neat explanations to recognising that sometimes, there isn’t a simple “why.”

It’s a conversation about letting go of the need to...

The internet is a permanent part of our lives. It isn’t going anywhere.

But then, neither is your child’s curiosity.

In this episode, Ira sits down with Kiran Rao and Dr. Shekhar Seshadri to talk about raising kids in a screen-saturated world — how to prepare them for the world (whatever that world may look like), and how to adapt our parenting to the fast-changing realities of the digital age. The positive...

How does someone end up in addiction without even realizing it’s happening?

And what does it take to find your way out?

In this episode, Ira sits with Dr. Azhar Hakim, who shares his deeply personal journey through addiction — from the slide into it, to the moment he realized he was unwell, and what getting help truly meant.

This is a conversation about feelings of inadequacy, denial, despair, confusion... and aw...

What is lived experience — and what is the role of lived-experience of a mental illness in our regular understanding of mental health and illness?

In this episode, Ira speaks with Dr. Kavita Arora about how reflecting on personal experiences can open up doors that science alone can't access. How engaging in conversations about lived-experience shapes how individuals and caregivers navigate their treatment and recovery ...

What is therapy — and does it work?

What should you expect from it? And what’s expected of you?

If you've ever been curious about starting therapy (or unsure if it’s “for you”), this is a space to explore the basics — without judgment, pressure, or jargon.

In this episode, Ira chats with Radhika Bapat to discuss what therapy really is, what one should and should not expect from it, ...

Hosted by Ira Khan, the show invites you to slow down and get curious about the complexities of mental health and mental illness — not just as clinical terms, but as real parts of real life.

In a world flooded with advice, opinions, and endless content, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and walk away with more confusion than clarity. This podcast is a counter-space. A space for asking instead of assuming. For listening inst...