Now streaming on Prime Video, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh is a modern sitcom that centers on a family adjusting to life in Pittsburgh after moving from India. Created by Vital Patel, the show follows the Pradeep family as they navigate cultural differences, form connections with quirky neighbors, and face unexpected, often humorous, twists — all told through interrogation-style flashbacks.
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The series costars queer actors Sahana Srinivasan (Grown-ish, Brainchild) and Nicholas Hamilton (Gen V, It). Together, they bring a distinctive mix of humor, teenage angst, and romance to their roles as members of the Pradeep and Mills families. Srinivasan plays Bhaandu Pradeep, a rebellious high school teen navigating her new crush and the challenges of a new life and school in the U.S. While this series marks a significant milestone in her career, it is not her first time breaking barriers. Srinivasan made waves on Grown-ish for portraying one-half of TV's first Indian lesbian couple, a role she feels proud of but also acknowledges is long overdue.
"I hear that [my character was a first] and I'm like, 'Oh, that's awesome, but also, it's kind of sad. Why is that? Why am I the first to do these things?' I feel like we need to see more of this kind of representation,” Srinivasan says. “It's equally exciting and a little bittersweet to be a trailblazer in that way.”
Sahana’s reflection underscores how far the entertainment industry has come in terms of representation, but also how much further we still have to go. The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh is a significant step forward, featuring an all-South Asian main cast, a rarity in Hollywood, and giving visibility to a community often underrepresented on-screen.
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“It's a South Asian family and I felt very comfortable walking on to set being like everyone looks like me. There's just an immediate level of comfort like right away. It's like I'm with my family. I'm with people who get me and are also kind of dealing with the same kind of anxieties on set,” Srinivasan says. “I'm sure also coming into it and there's a lot of like new faces on the show too, and I think we all just clicked and got along so well.”
As for the on-screen romance between Srinivasan’s character and Hamilton’'s Stu, the chemistry between the two is palpable, with a few steamy moments unfolding in the early episodes. Hampton, who is gay, says working closely with Srinivasan in scenes was “pretty special.”
“I remember the first talk we had, we had an intimacy coordinator because of course, as you should,” Hamilton says. “But the first talk I had with [the coordinator] was that you should let Srinivasan know that I’m gay. … It just makes it so much less stress and pressure on it, especially when you've got those physical scenes.”
Watch the full interview with Srinivasan and Hamilton above. The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh is streaming now on Amazon Prime.
