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In the latest episode of Portrait of a Fangirl podcast, host Jenna Wrenn spoke with TikTok star and advocate for South Asian voices, Shiv Reddy.

Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast

The Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast is a series from the team at the Temple of Geek. Portrait of a Fangirl initially began as a web series and has now expanded into a podcast series as well. You can watch and listen to the series both here and on our YouTube channel. The podcast is currently in its second season.

Hosted by Jenna Wrenn, at the core of the project is the importance of telling the stories of women who have found inspiration, growth, and power through fandom.

You can listen to the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast directly on this page or stream it on Apple Podcasts / Google Podcast / iHeart Radio / Spotify and wherever you stream your podcast. You can even watch it on our YouTube channel. You can also find us on social media on Instagram and TikTok.

How TikTok Star Shiv Reddy is Changing the Narrative

Shiv Reddy is a wedding photographer who started creating content online because she enjoyed watching TV shows and movies while editing photos. Initially, she did text reviews on social media but later moved to create content on TikTok, specifically about projects featuring South Asian actors and stories. Inspired by her own background, Shiv works to give voices to creators talking about these projects and the surge of South Asian-led projects being produced.

@shivalry_inc

Heeramandi Review on @Netflix #netflix #heeramandi #slb #indian #bollywood #urdu #india #desi #southasian #netflix #netflixoriginal #netflixseries #filmtok #tvshows

♬ original sound – Shiv | Film & TV Reviews

Shiv has always been a fangirl, particularly of Disney Pixar movies. However, her passion for fandom has evolved. Now, she also finds immense joy in celebrating the success of Brown women in the entertainment industry and the spaces they occupy. Shiv’s content is important because it provides representation for many viewers who haven’t seen themselves reflected on screen before or in spaces dedicated to discussing film and television.

We talked a little bit about all these different South Asian countries and that’s something that I’m really hopeful and passionate about seeing more of on screen. That all starts with getting better representation behind the lens first of course. But I recently went to South by Southwest and there was such a diverse selection of films at that festivalm from various South Asian countries–whether it be Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India–and I was enamored. I was like if this is what our future looks like, I’m so grateful that more people are trying to get careers in these industries so that we get to see these types of stories and characters unfold.

We focus a lot about cultural representation in today’s landscape, and I actually just want to see more people that look like me doing regular things. I say this all in a lot on different interviews and I feel like it maybe isn’t as straightforward as people are thinking, but it is. What I’m saying simply: I just want to see brown people doing regular things. I just don’t need them to be culturally rooted all of the time. I do think that’s very important that we see those types of stories as well, but there’s there’s something that’s so joyous in something like a main character that looks like you and just being able to relate to them on a very basic level.

When Shiv first started creating content, she didn’t expect many people to be interested. However, a trifecta of media featuring South Asian representation (Bridgerton, Turning Red, and Ms. Marvel) helped her content gain traction. There is a supportive community of creators online who share similar interests in film and television that Shiv enjoys connecting with them.

She feels that Indian cinema is often misunderstood or overlooked.  Shiv wants to educate people about the vast amount and variety of films produced in different languages across India. Ironically, TikTok is banned in India, so most of her audience isn’t even in the country.

About our Host

Host and executive producer of the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast, Jenna Wrenn, is also an entertainment correspondent for Temple of Geek.  Jenna has conducted interviews with talent such as Max Brooks, Christopher Paolini, Rachel Smythe, and Ashley Eckstein and has written several articles for Temple of Geek covering conventions, anime, pop culture, and much more.

A historian by trade, a writer by passion, and a cat mom by birthright. Jenna loves to travel, forge new connections, and cosplay. Jenna is excited to bring more fascinating interviews to viewers/listeners of the Portrait of a Fangirl podcast.

More episodes from season two of the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast

• Episode 4: From Retail to Red Carpet with Amanda Castrillo (4/25/2024
• Episode 3: The Evolutions of Fangirling with Tara Sands (4/16/2024)
• Episode 2: Fandom as a Window to the World with Alice Fanchiang (3/29/20214)
• Episode 1: Fandom in Academia With Dr. Sabrina Mittermeier (3/15/2024)

Check out season one of the Portrait of a Fangirl Podcast

• A Conversation With Author EK Johnston (11/10/2023)
• Rachel Smythe Roundtable Interview at New York Comic Con 2023 (10/19/2023)
• Inclusivity and the Authentic Self in Content Creating (10/3/2023)
• Emily Zemler on “The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town” (9/8/2023)
• Kayleigh McKee on Creativity, Industry, and Personal Growth (9/1/2023)
• A look at Fandom From Behind the Scenes – POAFG Podcast (8/15/2023)
• Discussion With Graphic Novelist Ghezal Omar (7/20/2023)
• The Art of Fangirling With “Let’s Play” Creator Leeanne Krecic (7/19/2023)
• Interview with Ashley Eckstein – Her Universe Fashion Show (6/28/2023)