BBC News Hindi has launched the second season of its acclaimed podcast Kahaani Zindagi Ki based on a true life story. The weekly podcast will follow the journey of Ravi Prakash, who discusses how his terminal cancer diagnosis came as a complete shock to him, how he battles with cancer on each level that entails not just dealing with his personal trauma but demonstrating a strong will to reconstruct his life to live longer with his family, and at the same time dealing with exorbitant medical expenses for cancer treatment.
Each episode is filled with inspiring chronicles by Ravi who was told that he had only eighteen months to live when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2021. Being a non-smoker, it was a huge shock for him to process the diagnosis, but he was determined to surpass the eighteen month timeline. With tremendous positivity, Ravi says: “As a father I am not done with my responsibilities, I want to live at least until the middle of next year when my son graduates from the university. I want to see him settled.”
In this podcast series, the BBC’s Sumiran Preet Kaur, who’s battled with cancer herself, has a heart-warming conversation with Ravi on his hopes and aspirations of fighting terminal cancer. He reflects upon moments of joy and celebration, breakdowns, yet bouncing back with the desire of reconstructing his life. He shares his ‘on the go’ accounts of chemotherapy sessions, or when he goes for a family holiday, and celebrates his birthday.
Rupa Jha, Head of News, BBC India says: “This new season of Kahani Zindagi Ki will take the audiences to a journey which makes one believe in the indomitable spirit of humans. Through the life of Ravi Prakash in conversation with Sumiran, we want to normalise conversation around cancer. This is one series which will be a handbook of life for many of us.”
BBC News Hindi’s Kahaani Zindagi Ki also delves into the innovative technology that is used in cancer treatment, which comes at a huge cost for the patients. It is often unaffordable without the support of family and friends; as a result a lot of people need to fundraise in order to save the lives of their loved ones.
This podcast series launched on 13th of January and will have a new episode releasing every Friday. It will be available on the BBC News Hindi website, BBC News Hindi YouTube channel, BBC News Hindi FaceBook, and on all major podcast platforms including Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify and Apple.