Related Articles
If you’re looking for a travel show that blends culture, identity, and a uniquely Malaysian perspective, Nandini Mana?! might be your next obsession.
The series is hosted by Nandini Balakrishnan, a familiar face from SAYS’ video content.
In this project, she takes on a bigger mission. Over two months, Nandini will travel across parts of Asia and Europe while uncovering surprising cultural, linguistic, and historical links to Malaysia.
The catch? She is only allowed two flights, must stick to a daily budget of RM170, and has three personal rules in every country: eat only local food, learn five phrases in the local language, and collect one matchbox as a keepsake.
The journey starts in Sri Lanka, with a story many Malaysians have never heard.
In the first episode focusing on Sri Lanka, Nandini visits Colombo, Trincomalee, and Jaffna. Her focus is to understand the Tamil diaspora and how it overlaps with Malaysia’s multicultural identity.
One highlight from the episode is her visit to a Sri Lankan Malay woman’s restaurant. It is a lesser-known story, but Sri Lanka has its own Malay community, shaped by centuries of migration.
The debut episode has already passed 211,000 views, and the trailer has attracted over 262,000 views and nearly 500 comments on Instagram. Clearly, audiences are drawn to this type of grounded, relatable storytelling.
You can watch the first episode below:
From South Asia to Europe, the series tracks connections many of us overlook.
After Sri Lanka, Nandini takes a ferry to Tamil Nadu, where she travels through Trichy, Madurai, Pondicherry, and Chennai. From there, she flies to Istanbul before continuing overland through Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
This is not a luxury trip filled with five-star hotels and curated tours. The videos show her taking public transport, navigating unfamiliar places, and trying to connect with people on a personal level.
Each episode is short, around two to three minutes long, and will be released weekly on SAYS’ Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
Ultimately, Nandini Mana?! is part travel vlog, part cultural deep dive, all told through a Malaysian lens.
“I wanted to explore places that feel far from Malaysia but are actually deeply linked to us — through food, migration, language, or shared history,” Nandini explains.
She says the goal is not to educate in a formal way, but to offer moments of reflection that feel honest and relatable. Her style is informal, often humorous, and driven by curiosity.
“Connections and threads exist everywhere, and I want to show it in a way that feels honest, raw, and very Malaysian. Jom lawatan sambil belajar with me!”
Follow Mashable SEA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Cover image sourced from SAYS.
