True Fiction Project – S7 Ep 1: "Not Quite"

Host: Reenita Hora
Guest: Aneri Shah
Release Date: November 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This vibrant episode of the True Fiction Project explores “Not Quite,” a comedy pilot by multifaceted creator Aneri Shah. With wit and emotional candor, Shah shares her zigzag journey from the expected path of a South Asian pre-med student to being a queer comedian, filmmaker, and passionate advocate for authentic self-expression. The conversation delves into her projects – the Eyebrow Queens podcast and the forthcoming semi-autobiographical “Not Quite” – examining the challenges and joys of reinvention, queer representation, and South Asian womanhood. The episode concludes, as always, with a creative fiction segment, dramatizing pivotal themes from Shah’s real-life experiences.

Key Discussion Points

Aneri’s Creative Journey & Reinvention

• Early Life & Storytelling Roots
  • Aneri recalls being a lifelong reader and writer, starting at age three or four with cassette-aided books and imaginary audiences.
  • Despite her creative interests, family expectations as a South Asian led her towards pre-med in college.
  • “Because I’m South Asian, I was obviously pre med in college.” (03:42 – Aneri Shah)
• Career Detours & Finding Her Path
  • Dropped out of grad school amidst a quarter-life crisis, leaving medicine behind.
  • Entered advertising and tech (Bonobos, Shutterstock), then entrepreneurship, before returning to film and writing five years prior.
  • “[Film and storytelling is] where I was always meant to be.” (04:10 – Aneri Shah)

Eyebrow Queens: The Podcast

• Genesis and Concept
  • Sparked by pandemic relocation to LA and a hunger for artistic community, initially featuring informal interviews in her apartment.
  • The show became an extension of her pilot, fostering connection with non-conformist South Asians, especially queer women.
  • Unique “eyebrow” motif: “Because the eyes are windows to our soul, but the eyebrows are a window to our chaos.” (08:09 – Aneri Shah)
• Quirky Rituals & Cultural Bonds
  • Each episode asks guests about their "emotional relationship to their eyebrows"—surprisingly revealing and often humorous.
  • Renita shares a personal memory of learning to thread eyebrows alongside family stories, showing how beauty and identity intertwine.

"Not Quite": The Comedy Pilot

• Origin of the Title & Core Themes
  • Originally called “Lonely Girl”; the new title reflects shedding labels and embracing ambiguity:
    • “We are not quite anything. We're not quite gay, we're not quite South Asian.” (10:10 – Aneri Shah)
  • Inspired by her bisexual/queer awakening in her 30s, the show chronicles how tossing out old identities opens new possibilities.
  • “Strength is actually feeling emotion.” (12:22 – Aneri Shah)
• Semi-Autobiographical Storyline
  • Protagonist Lila (modeled on Aneri) blurts “I’m gay!” post-egg-freezing, blowing up her life and relationship.
  • The show follows her journey through queer reinvention, navigating romance, South Asian family expectations, and artistic ambition.
  • Lila’s friendship with Asma, a married Muslim friend, explores the push-pull between authenticity and performance in women’s relationships.
• Representation & South Asian Queer Visibility
  • Discussion highlights the dearth of queer South Asian women leads in American media:
    • “Can you think of one queer South Asian show?” (17:14 – Aneri Shah)
  • Addresses the complexities of owning one’s sexuality as a South Asian woman, and how “Not Quite” aims to break that barrier.

On Emotions, Sisterhood, and Adulting Outside Parental Influence

• From Constant Performing to Feeling
  • Shift from the entrepreneur’s mask to an artist’s vulnerability—“It’s not easy to figure out how to manage actually feeling emotion after a lifetime of saying, I don’t have any.” (12:07 – Aneri Shah)
• The Sisterhood Lens
  • Focus on friendship’s evolution as women “stop performing”—a call for emotional authenticity and self-inquiry beyond societal roles.
• Avoiding the Parental Gaze
  • Defends intentional minimization of parental storylines:
    • “There’s something powerful about a South Asian woman’s experience not being through just the lens of her parents… I want to establish them as adult women first.” (20:35 – Aneri Shah)
  • Host and guest agree: South Asian stories need space to explore adulthood and identity beyond family expectations.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Identity:
  • “We’re not ever quite anything. There’s actually success in admitting that we don’t know anything.” (10:48 – Aneri Shah)
• On Representation:
  • “It’s not just about putting a South Asian woman on the screen. It’s like, can you feel her? Can you feel her feelings?” (19:32 – Aneri Shah)
• On Emotional Truth:
  • “Strength is actually feeling emotion.” (12:22 – Aneri Shah)
• On Eyebrows as Metaphor:
  • “The eyes are windows to our soul, but the eyebrows are a window to our chaos.” (08:09 – Aneri Shah)
• On Parental Archetypes:
  • “Do you ever meet any of [Sex and the City’s] parents?” (20:35 – Aneri Shah)

Notable Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Highlights/Details | |------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:20–04:21| Aneri’s nonlinear creative career | From pre-med to copywriting, tech, entrepreneurship, film | | 05:00–06:02| The documentary “I’m Doing My Job” | Story prompted by cousin's ER experience at peak COVID | | 06:16–07:54| Moving to LA & starting Eyebrow Queens | Building community, podcast concept, connecting with other artists | | 08:09–08:26| Eyebrow Queens naming story | Iconic quote about eyebrows & self-expression | | 10:02–11:24| “Not Quite” explained | Why the show’s about labels, reinvention, and not knowing | | 12:04–12:27| Emotional honesty as strength | Shift from performing to feeling | | 13:34–15:22| Characters & South Asian women’s friendship | Protagonist Lila, friend Asma, adulthood, women’s relationships | | 16:35–18:13| South Asian on-screen evolution | Mindy Kaling’s impact, lack of queer South Asian women representation| | 20:35–20:58| On parents in South Asian narratives | Prioritizing adult stories outside parental gaze | | 24:58–27:39| “Not Quite” fiction segment (trailer) | Dramatized scenes, humor, and the “I’m gay” egg-freezing moment |

Podcast Fiction Segment: "Not Quite" Audio Story

[24:58–27:39] A lively, comedic dramatization inspired by Aneri’s life. Scenes weave together moments of awkward and honest queer coming-of-age, from the post-surgery gay-outing (“We got 14 eggs. I’m gay.”) to dating mishaps, friendship fallouts, and the raw humor of South Asian womanhood bucking convention. Themes include:

• Navigating new dating dynamics
• The discomfort (and comedy) of shedding old scripts
• Friendship strain and renewal
• The messiness and magic of being "not quite" anything

Socials & Where to Find Aneri Shah

Instagram/TikTok: @QueenAneri (KWEENANERI)
Podcast: Eyebrow Queens (Queens spelled KWEENZ: @EyebrowKweens)
Streaming: Spotify, Apple, plus Instagram/TikTok
Open DMs for future guests and feedback.

Final Reflections

This episode serves as an exuberant, vital look at the evolution of South Asian women’s stories—from expectation-burdened silence toward vibrant, emotionally resonant visibility. Shah’s work—across documentary, podcasting, and the invitingly offbeat “Not Quite”—insists on the full dimension of identity: messy, contradictory, unlabeled, and deeply felt.

To connect, submit a story, or contribute as a writer:
www.renita.com/contact

“It’s about time we walked the path.” (20:18 – Aneri Shah)