Sisters of Defiance

Nikita Gill has become one of the most influential poets and writers of her generation. Through her bestselling books, she's built a global community of millions, using words to help women reclaim their voices, rewrite old stories, and rediscover the power that's always been within them. But it hasn’t been an easy path to success…
In this episode, Nikita joins Anita to talk about leaving India for the UK in pursuit of a dream that many people around her couldn't understand. Going against her family's expectations, she arrived with little more than determination, working as a cleaner and a carer while chasing a career in writing, long before she found her breakthrough in the literary world.

Nikita also opens up about surviving a coercive and abusive relationship, growing up searching for representation as a brown woman in the creative industry, and why rejecting patriarchal expectations has become central to both Nikita's life and her work.
This is a conversation about resilience, feminine power, and having the courage to bet on yourself - even when nobody else can see the future you're fighting for.
Nikita’s new book, Styx: The River is out now www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Styx-The-River/Nikita-Gill/9781398537194
Content warning: This episode contains discussions about domestic abuse. We know these experiences can be difficult to hear about, so please listen in the way that feels right for you. If you need support, or if this episode raises concerns for you or someone you know, you'll find details of organisations that can help below.

National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247 - nationaldahelpline.org.uk
Women’s Aid - womensaid.org.uk
Stop Hate UK - stophateuk.org/report-hate-crime
If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…
Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani
Nikita - @nikita_gill
Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient + Brave

https://ancientandbrave.earth/
*True Collagen Clinical Studies: *Independent, double-blind, randomised, and placebo-controlled 12-week clinical trial in 60 healthy UK females aged 35-55. Average change from baseline in the True Collagen group (n=30), measured using skin assessment instruments. All changes shown were statistically significant from baseline and compared with placebo. Individual responses may vary.

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/

00:00:00 Coming up
00:00:48 Introduction
00:03:15 Welcome & deep breath
00:07:04 Stepping into acting
00:08:17 Childhood & rebellion
00:12:00 Expectations of Nikita
00:13:52 Racism on the birthing table
00:17:35 Defying her parents to leave India
00:21:04 Surviving an abusive relationship
00:29:13 Ancient & Brave ad
00:30:48 Ancient & Brave Weekly Ritual
00:35:21 Finding success & backing yourself
00:39:56 Wanting a soft girl life
00:42:55 Being seen and South Asian women being invisible
00:47:51 Gatekeeping in the arts & ageism on screen
00:51:32 Homecoming to India
00:54:13 Library of Wisdom
00:58:28 Through the portal
00:59:34 Dance playlist
01:00:58 Question from a Sister
01:03:44 Quickfire questions
01:05:55 Outro
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deborah Meaden is one of Britain’s most formidable businesswomen - a hugely successful entrepreneur, investor and the longest-serving female Dragon on Dragons’ Den. From starting her first business at just 19 to building and selling a multimillion-pound company, Deborah has spent decades breaking glass ceilings and taking up space in boardrooms.
But the road to millions was anything but straightforward. In this episode, Deborah talks candidly about the businesses that failed, losing all her money and starting again, buying the family business from her own parents, and what really changed when she became a millionaire. She opens up about resisting the pressure to “act rich”, the judgement she’s faced for choosing not to have children, and why she believes more women need to be in the rooms where the biggest decisions are made.
Deborah also discusses her long-standing fight for a different kind of business - one that values people and planet - and why tackling the climate crisis remains one of the causes she refuses to stop making noise about.
If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…
Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani
Deborah - @deborahmeaden
Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com

00:00:00 Coming up
00:00:51 Introduction
00:02:50 Welcome & deep breath
00:06:31 Early childhood
00:09:18 Courage from family
00:12:08 Struggling with school
00:15:48 Butlin’s & the boardroom
00:20:13 Importance of confidence
00:23:12 First business failures
00:32:18 Buying out the family business
00:37:45 Taking risks and selling her business
00:40:02 How wealth changed her life
00:44:35 Ancient & Brave ad
00:46:50 Ancient & Brave Weekly Ritual
00:50:31 The myth of ‘having it all’
00:52:09 Marriage and not having children
01:00:40 Dragon’s Den
01:05:18 The climate crisis & business
01:08:00 Data centres & AI
01:11:41 Library of Wisdom
01:12:55 Dance playlist
01:13:29 Through the portal
01:16:49 Quickfire questions
01:21:54 Outro
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maxine Peake has never been particularly interested in fitting in, or taking no for an answer.
From refusing to leave drama school when she was told she wasn’t cut out to be an actor, to securing her RADA scholarship with a bold promise to “rob a bank” if she couldn’t afford it, Maxine has always followed her own path. In this episode, she joins Anita to talk about growing up working class in the North, finding her place in an industry that didn’t always make space for women like her, and learning to trust her own voice.
Maxine opens up about the classism and typecasting she experienced early in her career, specifically around being northern and overweight, and the pressure to conform to other people’s expectations of what an actress should be. She also speaks candidly about the personal and professional consequences of speaking out on political issues - including public backlash and losing work - as well as the pressures of social media and comparing yourself to others online.
Now in her 50s, Maxine is busier than she’s ever been, with her career continuing to accelerate and no signs of slowing down. She reflects on finding creative freedom later in life, trusting her instincts, and why refusing to accept no for an answer is one of the most powerful things you can do.
You can watch Maxine’s new show Last Seen on Apple TV now

If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…

Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani
Maxine - @betteblavatsky
Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com

00:00:00 Coming up
00:00:49 Introduction
00:02:48 Maxine’s current career
00:04:38 Navigating politics and getting acting roles
00:06:28 Working with Michaela Coel and Kate Winslet
00:11:58 Childhood & being defiant
00:15:02 Starting acting and dealing with rejection
00:17:18 Family dynamics
00:22:47 Joining the Communist Party and political roots
00:25:14 Class stereotypes, accents, and privilege in Acting
00:31:16 Persisting with acting
00:35:22 Getting in to RADA
00:36:51 Clubbing with Sara Cox
00:39:30 Ancient & Brave ad
00:41:47 Ancient & Brave Weekly Ritual
00:46:18 Securing the RADA scholarship and auditioning for Richard Eyre
00:51:33 Working with Victoria Wood on Dinner Ladies
00:53:45 Backlash over Political Statements
01:00:15 What’s next for Maxine
01:05:00 Library of Wisdom
01:06:42 Playing Myra Hindley
01:09:06 Dance playlist
01:10:56 Anxiety and hormonal changes
01:12:47 Through the portal
01:15:37 Quickfire questions
01:22:35 Outro
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sindhu Vee has one of the most impressive but unexpected CVs in British comedy - she’s been an academic at Oxford University, an investment banker at a global company, became an award-winning standup after having 3 children and has even pivoted into acting. One thing is true; she has never wanted to fit into a box.
In this episode, Sindhu joins Anita to talk about the importance of culture, growing up with a stammer, refusing an arranged marriage and learning from an early age how to see men as her equals. She shares what it was like taking on men in the boardrooms and on the trading floor, leaving everything to become a mother and making the unlikely leap from finance into comedy.

Through it all, she reflects on the rebellious streak that has always been part of who she is - and why following your own intuition is so important.

You can see Sindhu live on her UK tour Swanky here

If you enjoyed the show, follow us at…
Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Anita - @itsanitarani
Sindhu - @sindhuvee

Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani

And if you've got thoughts, questions and comments, you can email us at: hello@sistersofdefiance.com

00:00 Coming up
00:59 Introduction
02:51 Sindhu questions her defiance
06:11 Growing up in India and breaking the rules
11:03 The scholarship interview
18:28 Sindu's upbringing and family expectations
29:05 Refusing an arranged marriage
38:33 Ancient & Brave ad
40:49 Ancient & Brave Weekly Ritual
44:46 Leaving academia for investment banking
49:23 Navigating a male-dominated workplace
54:19 Overcoming a childhood stammer
59:01 The cost of motherhood
01:06:48 Sindhu’s Swanky tour
01:07:34 What’s next for Sindhu
01:11:53 Library of Wisdom
01:13:55 Dance playlist
01:14:34 Through the portal
01:16:18 Quickfire questions
01:18:48 Outro
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sisters, we are so back! Sisters of Defiance, nourished by Ancient + Brave, returns for Series 2, with 10 more extraordinary women joining Anita in her home for honest, funny and emotional conversations about the moments of defiance that have shaped their lives.
There are some very special Sisters lined up for this series, with plenty of stories of courage, rejection, reinvention, resilience and finding the confidence to do things your own way.
Series 2 returns Tuesday 20th October, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.
In the meantime make sure you:
Follow us on Instagram - @sistersofdefiance
Subscribe to us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsanitarani
Sisters of Defiance is nourished by Ancient & Brave
https://ancientandbrave.earth

Our official charity partner, Choose Love, is a movement of people who are putting love into action. They get emergency aid and life-changing support directly to displaced communities, fast. You can donate to Choose Love here:
https://donate.chooselove.org/campaigns/donate/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.