A queer South Asian woman’s story takes center stage at the start of season 7 of the True Fiction Project! I’m Reenita Hora, your host, diving into the groundbreaking world of queer storytelling with writer, comedian, and filmmaker Aneri Shah. We’ll explore her journey from pre-med student to documentary filmmaking, her Eyebrow Queens podcast, and her television comedy pilot she’s written called, Not Quite, which is about queer reinvention. Aneri discusses creating LGBTQ+ content that challenges cultural norms and the absence of South Asian women filmmakers creating authentic bisexual coming-out stories. This episode features a concept teaser called Not Quite, demonstrating emotional authenticity in creating authentic LGBTQ+ content about cultural identity and women’s friendship dynamics.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How queer South Asian representation is breaking new ground in television through comedy writing and independent film production that centers around South Asian women filmmakers
The creative journey from documentary filmmaking about ER physicians during the pandemic to developing LGBTQ+ television pilots that explore bisexual coming-out stories and cultural identity exploration
The power of podcast creation as a tool for discovering your voice and building community around queer South Asian representation and non-conformist life paths
How creative reinvention happens gradually through embracing uncertainty, shedding labels, and creating LGBTQ+ content that explores women’s friendship dynamics and self-actualization
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Aneri Shah, a South Asian woman filmmaker creating LGBTQ+ content about flawed, funny women and her creative reinvention journey from pre-med student to documentary filmmaking
03:52 Creating I’m Doing My Job documentary about ER physicians during the COVID-19 lockdown
09:07 Discussion of Not Quite, LGBTQ+ comedy pilot exploring bisexual coming out stories, cultural identity exploration, and shedding labels in your thirties
18:30 The importance of emotional authenticity in queer storytelling and representing South Asian American experience beyond parental relationships
22:45 Listen to Aneri Shah’s concept teaser called Not Quite.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Queer South Asian representation in media is virtually nonexistent for women—while there are examples with men like A Nice Indian Boy, there are no fully realized queer South Asian women characters on screen, making LGBTQ+ television shows.
Emotional authenticity is the true superpower in queer storytelling—it’s not just about putting a South Asian woman on screen, but making audiences feel her emotions deeply
Creative reinvention and coming out isn’t just about sexuality—it’s about questioning all the labels and assumptions you’ve made about yourself, from career paths to life goals, and recognizing that South Asian Women filmmakers can tell stories beyond the lens of parental approval
Women’s friendship dynamics shift dramatically when one friend stops performing and the other continues—exploring how South Asian American experience friendships evolve when someone begins self-actualizing is a universal theme that resonates across all women’s relationships
ABOUT THE GUESTS:
Aneri Shah is a writer, comedian, and filmmaker obsessed with telling stories about flawed, funny women – because perfect is boring. She hosts Eyebrow Kweenz, a salon-style podcast where guests blurt out their truths, is developing Not Quite, a comedy pilot about her queer reinvention, and directed I’m Doing My Job, a feature documentary about women of color ER physicians during the pandemic. She’s adept at transforming her trauma into comedy with heart.
Instagram.com/eyebrowkweenz
Eyebrow Kweenz | Podcast on Spotify
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