Aishwarya and Aryaan Host India’s very own Desi Crime Podcast

In a nation steeped in ancient tales and modern marvels, a new kind of storytelling has emerged. The Desi Crime Podcast isn’t just a podcast; it’s a portal into the shadowy realm of Indian crime. Two young, inquisitive minds have taken the podcasting world by storm, transforming true crime into a thrilling, addictive experience.

With each episode, the hosts dive deep into the murky waters of real-life mysteries, unraveling complex cases with a blend of journalistic rigor and storytelling flair. From infamous cold cases to lesser-known crimes that have captivated the nation, they bring these stories to life with meticulous research and engaging narration.

Aishwarya Singh and Aryaan Misra found content in crime and started The Desi Crime Podcast together. This podcast brings listeners some of the most intense true crime stories from India and neighbouring South Asian countries.

Here’s a little about their success, backgrounds, the secrets behind their storytelling and factors that keep listeners coming back for more.

Who are the Hosts? Where do they come from?

The First Host, Aishwarya Singh, originally from India, has travelled far and wide, living in 20 cities across four countries on four continents before settling in the USA in 2019. She is a true crime enthusiast and loves to get her dose of thrill by listening to the Crime Junkie podcast in the dark. Besides her passion for true crime, Aishwarya has a strong interest in global security, particularly nuclear weapons. She gained valuable experience interning with Shelton Williams, who advised the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and served as a special assistant to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

When she’s not busy listening to podcasts or thinking about complex nuclear science, she studies for the LSAT, volunteers with Mothers Against Drunk Driving or browses high-end real estate listings on Zillow while dreaming of her future home.

The other host, Aryaan Misra is a fitness-loving guy who likes Joe Rogan and romantic poetry. His name means “destined to greatness,” and it was no surprise that he chose to create a podcast and taste this success. Aryaan grew up in India and like everyone else he was expected to pick a traditional career like engineering or medicine. But, he studied philosophy, which did not thrill his family. True to a philosopher’s spirit, Aryaan once wrote a campus letter advocating for free speech, which wasn’t that freely or warmly received. Aryaan has mentored future podcasters for Spotify and travelled through Africa and Asia by hitchhiking.

How did The Desi Crime Podcast come about?

The podcast was born when Aishwarya and Aryaan realised a gap in the true crime genre that spoke specifically about South Asian and especially Indian context. Their story began during their college days in Michigan, where they noticed the absence of such content. While in the US, they daily listened to true crime and investigative podcasts. But one day, as they sat together, one question popped up: “Why aren’t there any podcasts from India?” The idea for starting their own podcast was born out of the silence that followed this question. With a little bit of research, they realised the potential for this idea and got started.

Aishwarya and Aryaan’s journey to create the podcast began at an almost perfect time as well. While they were brainstorming and planning their launch, COVID-19 struck, colleges shut down and they had to return to India. While the pandemic itself was unfortunate, this break gave them the opportunity and time to work on their new venture.

The duo researched seriously and made sure every story they covered was well-documented, empathetic, and engaging. However, it’s also important to understand that they don’t run this podcast to glorify crimes and killings. The purpose is to raise awareness, highlight important details of various crimes and help their audience delve right into the complexity of every case they work on with them.

How do they choose their stories and what process do they undergo?

The research process for creating an episode is long and crucial for these podcasters. They ensure that every victim’s story is heard accurately. Their team focuses on reliable sources, starting with primary ones and then moving to secondary sources, such as books written by those connected to the case and interviews available online.
Academic research is crucial for them.
For covering the Nepalese Royal Family Massacre, they referred to a London professor’s paper as court documents are rare and hard to access in India. If such sources aren’t available, they reach out to people related to the case, like the police, victims’ families or even the victims themselves through social media, email or calls. This thorough research typically takes five to seven days per case to ensure all facts are accurate.

They make sure that the victim’s story is engaging to reach a wider demographic. They largely cover serial killings, financial fraud, crimes on dating apps, honour killings, ragging incidents and disappearances.
Such varied content keeps the podcast engaging for their audience and allows it to cover a wider range of cases simultaneously.

The struggles of collecting accurate data

A major challenge in researching cases is the lack of proper online databases and access to public records in India. Most of the time they don’t find key documents like FIR reports or court verdicts making it impossible for most cases. This makes it difficult to get reliable information, especially for older cases from the 70s, 80s, or 90s. This issue extends beyond India to countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where documented resources are often mishandled or lost.

Balancing empathy and humanity towards killers beyond their crimes

Both Aishwarya and Aryaan have covered over 120 true crime cases in the last four years. This presented the opportunity for them and their team to delve deeper into the mindset of criminals over time. But, they argue that criminals aren’t born that way; their actions are always shaped by past experiences. Criminality is learned over time and cannot be imitated or influenced that easily. The majority of the convicts they covered in their stories faced abuse, a terrible childhood, poverty and many more factors. Do not worry, nothing justifies their crimes. They only aim to present the stories honestly, without making the criminals look worse than they’re already perceived as.

Alarming listeners and understanding cultural context

The Desi Crime Podcast team first focuses on the impact of the case on the victims and their families. For cases like the Uphaar fire tragedy and the Yvonne Johnson case in Sri Lanka, family members appreciated the respectful coverage, as they prioritised the victim’s narrative. The second impact they aim for is raising awareness among their listeners. Crimes in South Asian nations often mushroom from deep-rooted social issues. For example, instead of lecturing on honour killings or violence against women, their team narrates a story, like the case of Qandeel Baloch, to raise awareness aligning with the audience’s approval.

The future of Desi Crime Podcasts: expanding and exploring

As the podcast has grown in popularity over the years, the duo are exploring exciting prospects for the future. Both Aishwarya and Aryaan wants to explore potential collaborations with OTT platforms for broader and high-budget projects.
They started their journey together as broke college students who bonded over late-night podcast sessions, to now being young creators filling a space in India’s true crime genre.
These creators have showed that passion, timing and determination can align to create something impactful. For those who grew up with shows like Crime Patrol, Saavdhan India or CID, The Desi Crime Podcast offers a familiar narrative.

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