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Actor and animal lover Sonali Bendre is back with The Happy Pawdcast Season 2, a series that celebrates the joy, companionship and lessons pets bring into our lives. In a conversation with CNBC-TV18, Bendre opened up about the show's evolution, her bond with her dog Icy and the growing compassion within India’s pet community.
"Season 2 is a deeper dive into what Season 1 was," says Sonali. "The whole point of the first season was that there’s so much information on social media — what works, what doesn’t, what’s real and what’s not. I would always ask my vet, and he’d say, 'You can’t believe everything you see online.' That’s when I thought, why not have a podcast where I can ask the experts myself, and let everyone be part of that conversation?"
Talking about how the podcast began, Bendre recalls, "It was guerrilla-style shooting. We found a tiny studio, and I got whoever was free in my office to help me. There were people, animals, and chaos, but it was beautiful chaos. The animals surprised us by behaving so well; each had its own personality. It was exhausting but so fulfilling."
The new season, she adds, builds on the overwhelming response from listeners. "We got a lot more questions this time. From that feedback, we decided to explore deeper topics — like therapy animals, how pets help in education, what it takes to run a good shelter, and how to identify best practices when volunteering."
This time around, the show also features several well-known pet parents. "I don’t like the word 'celebrity', but some of my friends who are pet parents are coming on the show with their pets. They all have such emotional, funny, or lovely stories to share," she says.
Also Read: We wanted an Indian version of the vampire, says Aditya Sarpotdar on 'Thamma'
The Happy Pawdcast Season 2 line-up includes Amala Akkineni, Rohan Joshi, Remo D’Souza, Diana Penty, Kubbra Sait, Karan Wahi, Tusshar Kapoor, and more.
The podcast's return comes at a time when India's pet care industry is booming. According to a 2024 report, Redseer Strategy Consultants, the market was valued at around $3.6 billion and is projected to grow to $7–7.5 billion by 2028.
IMARC Group projects the country’s pet-care products market to reach $13 billion by 2033, while Grand View Research estimates the services segment alone will grow at about 11% annually through 2030.
According to a report from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), India’s total pet population reached approximately 38.46 million in 2023, up from about 22.11 million in 2018, and is forecast to hit around 58.7 million by 2028.
Bendre has observed India’s evolving pet culture. "There’s a huge number of new pet parents. Some people even say, 'Let’s have a pet first and then decide if we want a baby.' Pets fulfil an emotional need, and as we move into cities and more isolated lives, they become our companions."
Bendre believes this bond isn’t new, though. "In India, we always had community dogs. They were part of the colony, someone or the other fed them. They were like our security too. Now, with high-rises and gated societies, that connection is changing, but I think the community of pet parents is filling that gap beautifully."
When asked about the recent debates around stray dog policies and the Supreme Court’s modified order, Bendre says she sees hope in how people have responded. "This is what I mean by a community. Five or six years ago, would you have imagined people coming out on the streets against a Court ruling, saying, 'No, this cannot be done'? It would have never happened. This community is finding its voice, and it’s growing."
As The Happy Pawdcast enters its second season, Bendre hopes the series continues to inspire empathy and awareness. "It’s a mix of information and emotion," she says. "Sometimes you can’t adopt a pet right now, but you can volunteer at a shelter or just learn what responsible pet parenting means. It’s about awareness and kindness — that’s what I want this podcast to spread."
The first episode of The Happy Pawdcast Season 2 drops on November 7 on RosePod’s YouTube channel.
Also Read: Haq review | A promising courtroom drama too steeped in melodrama
"Season 2 is a deeper dive into what Season 1 was," says Sonali. "The whole point of the first season was that there’s so much information on social media — what works, what doesn’t, what’s real and what’s not. I would always ask my vet, and he’d say, 'You can’t believe everything you see online.' That’s when I thought, why not have a podcast where I can ask the experts myself, and let everyone be part of that conversation?"
Talking about how the podcast began, Bendre recalls, "It was guerrilla-style shooting. We found a tiny studio, and I got whoever was free in my office to help me. There were people, animals, and chaos, but it was beautiful chaos. The animals surprised us by behaving so well; each had its own personality. It was exhausting but so fulfilling."
The new season, she adds, builds on the overwhelming response from listeners. "We got a lot more questions this time. From that feedback, we decided to explore deeper topics — like therapy animals, how pets help in education, what it takes to run a good shelter, and how to identify best practices when volunteering."
This time around, the show also features several well-known pet parents. "I don’t like the word 'celebrity', but some of my friends who are pet parents are coming on the show with their pets. They all have such emotional, funny, or lovely stories to share," she says.
Also Read: We wanted an Indian version of the vampire, says Aditya Sarpotdar on 'Thamma'
The Happy Pawdcast Season 2 line-up includes Amala Akkineni, Rohan Joshi, Remo D’Souza, Diana Penty, Kubbra Sait, Karan Wahi, Tusshar Kapoor, and more.
The podcast's return comes at a time when India's pet care industry is booming. According to a 2024 report, Redseer Strategy Consultants, the market was valued at around $3.6 billion and is projected to grow to $7–7.5 billion by 2028.
IMARC Group projects the country’s pet-care products market to reach $13 billion by 2033, while Grand View Research estimates the services segment alone will grow at about 11% annually through 2030.
According to a report from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), India’s total pet population reached approximately 38.46 million in 2023, up from about 22.11 million in 2018, and is forecast to hit around 58.7 million by 2028.
Bendre has observed India’s evolving pet culture. "There’s a huge number of new pet parents. Some people even say, 'Let’s have a pet first and then decide if we want a baby.' Pets fulfil an emotional need, and as we move into cities and more isolated lives, they become our companions."
Bendre believes this bond isn’t new, though. "In India, we always had community dogs. They were part of the colony, someone or the other fed them. They were like our security too. Now, with high-rises and gated societies, that connection is changing, but I think the community of pet parents is filling that gap beautifully."
When asked about the recent debates around stray dog policies and the Supreme Court’s modified order, Bendre says she sees hope in how people have responded. "This is what I mean by a community. Five or six years ago, would you have imagined people coming out on the streets against a Court ruling, saying, 'No, this cannot be done'? It would have never happened. This community is finding its voice, and it’s growing."
As The Happy Pawdcast enters its second season, Bendre hopes the series continues to inspire empathy and awareness. "It’s a mix of information and emotion," she says. "Sometimes you can’t adopt a pet right now, but you can volunteer at a shelter or just learn what responsible pet parenting means. It’s about awareness and kindness — that’s what I want this podcast to spread."
The first episode of The Happy Pawdcast Season 2 drops on November 7 on RosePod’s YouTube channel.
Also Read: Haq review | A promising courtroom drama too steeped in melodrama
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