Tackling loneliness in India

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 11 October 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

India is known for its close knit families and communities, but modern work practices mean more and more people are living far from home, and suffering from loneliness. Reporter Sumedha Pal in Dehli shares the stories of some of the people in India who are trying to find creative solutions to connect with others. Animated film 'K-pop Demon Hunters' has topped streaming and music charts globally, pitting a demon hunter girl-group Huntrx against a would be soul-stealing boy band, Saja Boys. It's an English language film, but Koreans have taken the protagonists to heart, as BBC Korean Yuna Ku reports. Plus, why do mosques in Kashmir have such a distinctive look? We discuss with Aliya Nazki from BBC Urdu.

This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world.

Presented by Faranak Amidi

This is an EcoAudio certified production.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:06.0	Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service.
0:13.8	You're listening The Fifth Floor.
0:17.6	The Fifth Floor, you know you.
0:20.0	You're a bit of the fifth floor, Farn listening. This is the fifth floor
0:23.2	Farnak Amidi, Sobath.
0:26.7	This is the fifth floor
0:28.5	at the heart of global storytelling
0:31.2	with BBC journalists from all around the world.
0:35.0	I'm your host, Faranak Amidi.
0:47.6	We live in an ultra-connected world, but does that mean we are less lonely?
0:54.1	According to the World Health Organization, one in six people around the world are affected by loneliness, no matter their
0:56.0	age or social status. Also, loneliness is linked to approximately 100 deaths per hour. Today, we'll
1:04.1	hear from people in India who are trying to find creative solutions to connect with others.
1:09.5	Reporter Sumit Ha Pal has been working on this story, and she joins me from Delhi.
1:14.5	Samadha is great to have you on the fifth floor.
1:16.8	Thank you.
1:17.4	Thank you.
1:18.2	Samadha, we often associate India and Indian culture with large families and tight-knit communities.
1:25.8	So how big is this problem of loneliness at the moment in the country?
1:30.6	And what is causing it? So in India, of course, there is a great emphasis on community, on families,
1:37.5	and on specifically spaces where individuals and groups could have come together,
	...

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