Aqsa Altaf, director of the Disney+ short “American Eid”, joins us from LA! She talks to Sikandar and Sofia about growing up in a migrant community in Kuwait and becoming the breadwinner of her family at the age of 18. Aqsa also discusses moving to the US, her short film “One Small Step”, working with child actors, and the barriers that those of lower socioeconomic status face while pursuing the arts. We also celebrate being named one of the Best 20 Muslim Podcasts by Feedspot, woo!
Read MoreShahjehan Khan, co-founder of The Kominas and the host of the “King of the World” podcast, joins us from Boston! Shahj opens up about his early life and struggles with anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. He also discusses the beginning of The Kominas and their early notoriety, meeting Riz Ahmed, and being featured in the documentary “The Birth of Punk Islam: Taqwacore”.
Read MoreCannabis journalist and screenwriter Abdullah Saeed, of VICE’s Bong Appetit and HBO’s High Maintenance, joins the pod. Abdullah chats with Sofia and Sikandar about how he hooked up with Muslim punk group The Kominas, his column Weediquette, travelling to Nepal to film Mad Honey, the history of cannabis in South Asia, and much more.
Read MoreLatif Nasser, the host of WNYC’s Radiolab and Netflix’s “Connected”, joins The Halal Gap today! Latif talks about studying theatre at Dartmouth in hopes of becoming a playwright, getting his PhD at Harvard, what drew him into podcasting, as well as “The Other Latif” and Abdul Latif Nasser’s recent release. Latif, Sofia, and Sikandar also discuss the best sports movies and whether or not potatoes are overrated.
Credit: WNYC Studios for Latif’s headshot.
Read MoreProfessional gamer turned stand-up comedian Danish Maqbool drops in on The Halal Gap to chat with Sikandar about his unconventional journey. Tune in to hear DMaq talk about finally moving out of his moms basement, why he left gaming right before the boom, roasting people on Clubhouse, and the impact of Azhar Usman and Ramy Youssef on his career.
Read MoreArtist and painter Aadil Abedi joins The Halal Gap to chat with Sofia and Sikandar. Listen in to hear about his move to India to chase his Bollywood dreams, how he turned painting from a hobby to a career, creating Islamic art, and his favorite Madhuri Dixit movie(s).
Read MoreillMuslims co-founders Rummi Khan and Sadaf Javaid join hosts Sofia and Sikandar on this edition of The Halal Gap. Tune in to hear Rummi and Sadaf discuss the growth of illMuslims, their definition of community, the genesis behind “Wallah She’s Funny,” and much more!
Read MorePakistani-Canadian actor and model Daniel Malik joins Sofia and Sikandar on this edition of The Halal Gap. Daniel joins us to discuss his journey from modelling to acting, identity, surviving the year that was 2020, and where to find the best donut.
Read MoreToday on The Halal Gap: filmmaker Shehroze Khan joins hosts Sofia and Sikandar to discuss how to make it in the film industry without going to film school, why he turned down an offer to work on a Netflix show, and navigating the film industry as a Muslim. Shehroze also discusses his new short film ‘Chocolate’ and sheds light on the meaning behind the Mosquers-finalist piece ‘The Traveller’.
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