As an Indian American, and more importantly, as an immigrant student, I crave representation in the media. Yet, every single time I begin watching an Indian American show, be it “Never Have I Ever” or “Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” I am disappointed. There is immense potential in the immigrant story. The opposing influences of one’s origin culture and external influences makes for a compelling narrative. There have been few successful attempts, such as Mira Nair’s “Mississippi Masala” and “The Namesake,” yet the lion’s share of representation in mainstream media remains cliched. The creator of my most recent watch, “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” is Western in all but name, and his portrayal of the attempt to grapple with any conflict is weak and unsuccessful. There is hardly any engagement with the contradicting- yet -coexisting nature of two or more cultures that forms the jagged-edged answer to the question, “Who am I?”

The immigrant experience is famously palimpsestic but TV series and shows—specifically ones centered on Indian Americans—often resort to portraying binary oppositions: the progressive children, usually born in America, and their unending tussle with their “backward” parents. The answer to “Who am I?” differs for everyone. Everyone identifies with their culture on different levels, and some choose consciously to adopt one culture as their own and let the other/s fade into the background. However, no show that I have seen so far makes an effort to explore the more nuanced and complex conflict, one that runs deeper than a parent protesting against the “Americanization” of their children, and lamenting the loss of their native culture.

“The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” is similarly disappointing. The content almost seems laughable, relying on heavily explored stereotypes to portray an antiquated India that existed multiple decades ago, perhaps a result of the creator not being exposed to the urban cosmopolitan India of today. India is portrayed as a suburb where peacocks roam freely, and every house has a swing. Daughters of the house do pooja, brothers play carrom harmoniously, and no one knows “what” Pittsburgh is. While the show makes a conscious effort not to portray America as a place that might be desirable for all, it still falls into the cliché of portraying India as exotic, and America as unknown. In the India I grew up in, middle class families—as the one portrayed in the show— travelled to the US often. They were clued in, and the cultural exposure was immense. When a show like “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” set in 2025 ignores the idea of social media, it only exacerbates the idea of the clueless immigrant.

For example, barely two minutes into Episode 1, Mahesh Pradeep, the father, quotes the Upanishads, an ancient Hindu text. My problems with this are endless. I have not met a single person who quotes the Upanishad without context or one who uses it in daily inane conversation. My next issue is that while the parents are presented as Indian citizens, and new immigrants, they do not have an Indian accent. They have an Indian American accent, which would be fine, if this show wasn’t trying to represent new immigrants. Assimilation is real, but for a couple that seems to cling so desperately to their fading Indian roots, their accent would not start morphing the second they set foot in America. Further, in my 17 years of life, there is not one Indian family I have seen in an airport, dressed like they have come straight from a haldi ceremony. Kurtas and saris are very much a part of Indian everyday dressing. However, for the strata of Indian society that the Pradeeps belong to, it is unrealistic that they enter a new life in what is essentially party wear, especially on a long flight. In the fast forward–2 years later–Bhanu continues to wear jhumkas with her Western outfits. This could have been a very powerful statement of both reclaiming her identity, and the successful mesh of two possibly opposing identities. The show, however, loses this opportunity, failing to explore a possible resolution of this cultural conflict.

A particular feature that stuck out to me was the dichotomy of how a family portrayed as so Hindu and conventional could be so clueless about their own beliefs. The daughter, Bhanu, reminisces fondly about the Ranganatha temple shining in the moonlight. Yet she doesn’t mind eating beef just to spite her mother, despite calling the cow a deity. Even this detail is wrong. Cows are not considered deities in India, but are respected as holy creatures and animals that support livelihoods and provide milk for families. The casual use of the term “Hindu racists” is a gross oversimplification of the political intricacies of India, and is offensive. The father describes a story from the epic Mahabharata, yet in a moment that could’ve been one of teaching, the show gets waylaid by oversimplification.

Whether the immigration officer mispronouncing Indian names–“Soda” for Sudha, “Mohawk”  for Mahesh,“Bonnaroo” for Bhanu, “Camel” for Vinod, “Window” for Vinod, and “Pardips,” for Pradeeps– was serious, or for comedic effect, I do not know. However, the former brings up the concern that the show not only misrepresents Indian Americans, but all the cultures that it explores. The latter comes across to me not as funny, but as grossly insensitive. When I met my friends at Pixel Fest 2025, they spent so long trying to get my name right, even when I told them it was okay to say whatever came naturally. I have met only welcoming people, who try to include me in the hotpot of culture that is America. “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh” is not only a disgrace to Indian Americans and their inner conflicts about their identity, but also the acceptance they receive in America. While I did see potential for it to have been an over-exaggerated, light hearted comedy about the struggles of immigrants, it fell into the TRP of cliches. Someday I hope I will start watching a Netflix show, and be able to scream that I relate. I will wait until some day, when I stick my serving spoon into this hotpot, I will find the perfect representation.