Named as one of TimeOut’s 2020 “10 Comedians To Watch”, Sahana Srinivasan They are a spectacular actor, comedian, and filmmaker. They are originally from Dallas, Texas with a film degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Sahana has been featured in Brainchild, Insecure, Fear the Walking Dead, Minx, Grownish, and For All Mankind. Additionally, they were exclusively chosen to participate in the 2022 CBS Diversity Showcase.

Sahana is a rising star, empowering those around them to be compassionate towards themselves and others. Through their professional career, Sahana hopes to uplift those to elevate themselves outside of their comfort zone, pursuing their own sense of individualism.

They are featured in the newest Amazon Prime Video comedy, The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, released on October 17. The series puts a comedic twist on the immigrant experience, with Sahana playing the role of Bhanu Pradeep.

**Left:**
Black Vest + Trousers: Kaos / IG - @kaosofficialpage
Shoes: Anine Bing - @aninebingofficial
Earrings: ZYNNIA Collective - IG: @ZYNNIACOLLECTIVE
Rings: ZYNNIA Collective - IG: @ZYNNIACOLLECTIVE
**Right:**
Suit Blazer + Skirt: Kaos / @kaosofficialpage
Boots: Jeffrey Campbell / @jefferycampbell
Earrings: Studio Cult / IG: @Studiocult.Co
Gold Rings: Christine Bukkehave / IG: @christinebukkehave

As a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, do your Texas roots influence your work in any way?
I definitely did not feel like I fit in as a queer person of color living in Texas, so I think that built some resilience and an urge to fight for my community that likely aﬀects what kind of projects I gravitate towards. I also love doing a southern accent and I guess I can do it well. I like doing this well-meaning slightly oddball southern mom character on my Instagram stories from time to time. I majored in film at UT and there’s a huge network of UT film and theatre alum in L.A. which is awesome. I will say, pursuing acting and comedy in my suburban hometown of Allen, Texas felt special because it wasn’t nearly as much of a “thing” as it is in L.A., and I made way more art for art’s sake. I’m still trying to go back to that version of myself because that’s when I enjoyed it the most.

White Gown: Kristina K / IG - @kristinakofficial
Earrings: Veronica Tharmalingam / IG- @veronicatharmalingam

Who is your biggest inspiration?
My friends are truly my biggest inspiration! Every time I see a friend crush onstage it gives me a huge sense of community and hope. Especially when there’s an overwhelming scarcity mindset in the industry, it’s nice to know that I can overcome that and just feel happily inspired by my friends. Also, my cat. She’s more present than anyone I know. She doesn’t know what an S Corp is. (Neither do I) She doesn’t care who likes her Instagram story cause she doesn’t have one and she never will. I love her.

How did you step into the acting industry?
I’ll admit, I’m actually a nepo baby…My dad played the Pi in Life of Pi. Besides that, as a kid I was interested in art in many forms; painting, music, dance, impressions, etc. But acting for TV/film specifically stood out the most to me when I started taking acting classes at around 13 years old. I got signed through a workshop there and started sending in self-tapes and flying out to L.A. for callbacks. It felt surreal to be in school in Texas while also flying out for auditions. I did my first ever standup set when I was 15, and it was mostly shock value…There are one or two jokes from that set I think would still land today, but most of that set was crazy-town. I posted a lot of silly character videos to Facebook, the first one being my take on how annoying “hipsters” are (maybe distracting from the fact that I was a wannabe hipster myself). But my real start was through performing comedic impressions of Tamil TV serials at local South Asian-run talent shows and holiday parties that my family or people in our community would host.

Dress - Alexis / IG - @Shopalexis
Earrings - ZYNNIA Collective - IG: @ZYNNIACOLLECTIVE

Do you have any memorable moments while on set for The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh?Filming was fun, but honestly my favorite moments happened off-set at the hotel we all stayed at. It was like summer camp but extremely cold (because Toronto). Ashwin Sakthivel and Arjun Sriram, who play my brothers on the show, very quickly became the real-life little brothers I never had. I remember making an embarrassingly bad mango lassi together with limited ingredients in our tiny hotel kitchen…I mean you really can’t mess that up it’s just mango and buttermilk and somehow we did. We also freestyle rap battled each other with some beats Ashwin produced; we were always laughing and being so endearingly annoying, or at least I hope it was endearing. The weather made going out a huge feat so the cast would get together on weekends for cozy pizza and movie nights. It really felt like family.

How do you step into a new role? Do you have any special habits, rituals, or practices?
I used to think pages and pages of writing and scribbling on scripts was the only way to sort of prove my work ethic as an actor, but that’s not really how my brain works - I like visuals and talking through stuff out-loud, whether that’s by myself or preferably, through rehearsing with other actor friends. I love making mood boards and collages that showcase the general vibe of the character I’m playing. The one I made for Bhanu had a lot of color, a bicycle, and photos of me in high school where I’m giving deadpan. Music plays a big part too; I’ll naturally over time curate a playlist that reminds me of my role or my time filming. I try to maintain a good balance between imaginative work and personalizing when it comes to prepping for a role. Ideally, I go with the approach that gets me to enjoy the process the most and have fun performing.

Black Vest + Trousers + Coat: Kaos / IG - @kaosofficialpage
Earrings: ZYNNIA Collective - IG: @ZYNNIACOLLECTIVE
Rings: ZYNNIA Collective - IG: @ZYNNIACOLLECTIVE

How were you able to form a connection with your character Bhanu Pradeep?
I think my high school self could really relate to Bhanu’s inner conflict; she constantly questions mainstream opinions, but she also wants to fit in. That was at least my interpretation of her; she wears a traditional bindi everywhere because it’s cute, but she also wears a plain white t-shirt to “blend in.” She’s annoyed by seeing white people everywhere in America but also crushes on a white guy with a one-syllable name who isn’t nearly as smart as she is. I think I was a bit more theatrical and weird when I was a teenager but we get to see that side of Bhanu when she’s comfortable around Stu. My connection to Bhanu felt pretty natural, but I exaggerated the wry, sarcastic attitude.

Out of all the characters you have played, which one do you feel the most connected with?
I would say Brainchild, but I’m literally playing myself. Even then, “Brainchild Sahana” was a heightened, more constantly enthusiastic version of myself. I felt pretty connected to Bhanu, but maybe it’s partly because it was the role I dedicated the most time to. Playing Athena in Fear the Walking Dead was intense because there were a lot of heart-breaking scenes that made me feel a strong bond to her. I guess it’s hard to choose! To an extent, all the characters I’ve played represent a part of me that I slightly exaggerate for the role, so I really feel connected to them all.

Suit Blazer + Skirt: Kaos / IG - @kaosofficialpage
Pumps: VALENTINA RANGONI / IG - @VALENTINARANGONIOFFICIAL
Earrings: Studio Cult / IG: @Studiocult.Co
Gold Rings: Christine Bukkehave / IG: @christinebukkehave
Coat: Icona / IG: @icona.official

What was it like to host an original Netflix science show (Brainchild)?
Brainchild was one of the most fun gigs I’ve done because I don’t actually have a huge background in science (shh), so every experiment we did felt new and exciting. I definitely had some imposter syndrome about that at first, but it became my superpower; the whole idea was to do a science show that didn’t talk down to kids, and the fact that I was learning along with my audience made that happen naturally. I was also living in New York for the first time while starting standup comedy, which was the perfect place to do that. I really had sense of routine that made me feel fulfilled; I’d host the show during the day and then go to open mics and shows at night. Because I was getting into joke writing more, the writers on the show were open to me ad-libbing and tagging a bunch, which made my brain feel happy and challenged.

Can you share any future projects you are excited about?
I did a fun episode of a Disney Plus show that should come out early next year! And I do live comedy around town.

What legacy do you want to leave behind?
I hope at the very least I can encourage people to be kinder to themselves. I hope people embrace being cringy and make a fool of themselves for the sake of letting in more joy. I want people who feel like they’re a little weird or don’t fit in to feel less alone! And I hope everyone remembers me as cool and funny and hot.

CREW CREDITS:
Talent: Sahana Srinivasan
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Photographer: Aaron Jay Young
Fashion Stylist: Toye Adedipe
Hair: Richard Grant for Exclusive Artists using Oribe Haircare
Makeup: Cassandra Paige
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Anna Yim, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine

Sahana Srinivasan, Now In Amazon Prime's "The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh"