Brown People We Know

Suraj Kandukuri
Brown People We Know

Brown People We Know is an interview podcast with South Asian Americans taking non-traditional paths. Past guests include a a world-touring Death Metal guitarist that retired and became a dentist, a single mother that became a Hindu priestess at age 62, and a professional dancer blending Bharatanatyam with Tap Dance on large stages like NYC's Lincoln Center. By sharing these stories, the podcast aims to break down stereotypes about South Asians and to reduce social pressures from within the diaspora community to take a certain path. BPWK has been featured in Forbes and News India Times, and in 2021, we received the Lions Share Podcast of the Year award.

  1. 08/03/2021

    Yawar Charlie - Gay Actor and LA Realtor on First-Time Home Buying & Wearing His Pakistani Heritage Proudly

    Yawar is a Gay Pakistani American actor-turned-real estate agent. Acting, for him, is a family business. Yawar’s grandfather, Noor Mohammed Charlie, was a pioneer in the Bollywood film industry until the India-Pakistan partition. And though his parents, successful actors themselves, discouraged Yawar from pursuing acting, he built a successful career in the industry. You may have seen him on shows like NCIS Los Angeles, Heroes, and General Hospital. Today, Yawar has shifted his focus to real estate. In 2016, he joined the real estate powerhouse, Aaron Kirman Group, which sold over $580MM in real estate in 2019 alone. He continues to sell homes, and you can watch him do so on The American Dream TV and CNBC’s Listing Impossible. In this episode, Yawar talks about community migration and why his family discouraged him from pursuing the family business of acting after they moved to the United States. He shares tips for first time home buyers and talks about selling to South Asian clients in a very competitive LA housing market. Lastly, he reflects on coming out as gay to his traditional Pakistani family and on having a very public marriage at the Grammy’s. Throughout the conversation it was amazing to hear about how his identity has played a role in his different careers and about the different ways in which Yawar wears his South Asian culture proudly.

    1 hr
4.8
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Brown People We Know is an interview podcast with South Asian Americans taking non-traditional paths. Past guests include a a world-touring Death Metal guitarist that retired and became a dentist, a single mother that became a Hindu priestess at age 62, and a professional dancer blending Bharatanatyam with Tap Dance on large stages like NYC's Lincoln Center. By sharing these stories, the podcast aims to break down stereotypes about South Asians and to reduce social pressures from within the diaspora community to take a certain path. BPWK has been featured in Forbes and News India Times, and in 2021, we received the Lions Share Podcast of the Year award.

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