[Editor’s note: The following contains some spoilers for The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh.]

Summary

The Prime Video series ‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ follows an Indian family in America, navigating hardship and the pursuit of the American Dream with love and humor.

Naveen Andrews discusses his role as Mahesh, the family dynamic, and the balance of serious issues with lightheartedness in the show.

Andrews expresses curiosity about the potential for another season of the series.

The Prime Video original family comedy series The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh follows a family made up of parents Mahesh (Naveen Andrews) and Sudha (Sindhu Vee) and their three kids, Bhanu (Sahana Srinivasan), Kamal (Arjun Sriram) and Vinod (Ashwin Sakthivel), that has moved from India to start a new life in America, only to find themselves caught up with their neighbors in unexpected ways. Recounting events through flashbacks to a pair of investigators in an attempt to prove their innocence, each of the Pradeeps might see things a bit differently, but they clearly love each other and are just hoping to return to their pursuit of the American Dream.
During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Andrews talked about getting the unusual opportunity to do a half-hour comedy series, finding the right pace and energy for the scenes, what he most enjoyed about the dynamic between the parents, shooting the interrogation scenes, Mahesh’s relationship with neighbor Jimbo (Ethan Suplee), and how fans of Lost will probably always ask him about his time on that series.
‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ Is Different From the Projects That Typically Come Naveen Andrews’ Way

Image via Prime Video

Collider: The last time we spoke was for The Dropout and I also watched you in The Cleaning Lady, both of which are so very different from this series. When this came your way, what made you want to do this? What made you want to play this character? Had you thought about or been looking for anything like this or did this come as a surprise?
NAVEEN ANDREWS: It was a surprise, quite honestly. It’s interesting because it came from Michael Showalter, who directed The Dropout. When the script came, it was the format that was unusual for me, as a half-hour sitcom, but also the character. I’ve never played a character like Mahesh, who is so relentlessly optimistic, almost irritatingly so. And he seems to have a genuine curiosity and belief that goodwill and love will somehow allow him and his family to prevail in a foreign country.
I love that this is your family sitcom era but finding the right group of actors to make up a family can also be a super tricky thing. When did you first meet your TV family? Did you guys get to spend any time together, or was that very well-defined in the script?
ANDREWS: It was very well-defined in the script. Of course, we had a chance to meet up, right before we started shooting, with various dinners, etc. At the core of this particular piece is a certain kind of discipline. In order for scenes to work and flow, there’s a certain kind of pace and energy that everyone has to adhere to.

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The series is inspired by showrunner Vijal Patel’s life.

Every family has to have their own brand of chaos that seems natural to them, which is hard to do when you’re strangers thrown together, trying to be a family.
ANDREWS: My partner has four children. They’re all grown up now, but whenever they get together, it’s a chorus of creatures, like loud birds. It’s very different to my situation, where I had two boys, born apart and in different countries.
What did you most enjoy about the relationship between Mahesh and Sudha (Sindhu Vee)? There’s a little bit of a role reversal with them, in some ways.
ANDREWS: Yes. I loved the aspect of telepathy. You assume that kind of connection is very deep. But also, there’s their love for each other and their children, for the family unit. And there’s inherent respect for her, as an academic professional.
It’s fun to see how different they both are with the kids.
ANDREWS: Yes, it’s such a completely different dynamic. Different children reflect their own idiosyncrasies.
‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ Uses Humor To Confront Serious Issues

I don’t know that I’ve ever gotten to see a comedy series that’s centered around the interrogation of the family that it’s about. It’s definitely a very interesting approach. And somehow it also manages to keep things lighthearted. What was it like to find that balance between exploring some of these serious and real issues that they’re talking about, but also maintaining that lighthearted tone to it all?
ANDREWS: The very fact that we are using humor to confront these issues that are obviously complex and myriad, especially at a time like this, if it was straight drama, it probably wouldn’t work in the same way. If you’re using humor, you can suggest and be subversive in a way that is somehow more palatable.
It’s unusual to have so many interrogation scenes in a show that’s not Law & Order. Was it challenging to make those scenes interesting, since you were just sitting at a table and talking? What was it like to shoot those scenes?
ANDREWS: Obviously, that’s a very oppressive situation for an immigrant to find themselves in. It’s rather grim. But even in that arena, they’re able to develop relationships with their interrogators, which is based on a natural human curiosity.
And the interrogators are open enough to getting to know them that they then also start defending them.
ANDREWS: It’s interesting how empathy is developed with the so-called other. Our natural curiosity and our natural yearning to make contact with another being is not dictated by aggression, rage, or negative emotion. It’s interesting how the show allows that to happen.

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The series will see Andrews portray Robert Kamdar.

Because of neighborhood proximity, this family quickly finds their lives intertwined with the Mills family. Mahesh is hanging out with Jimbo, his son has a bit of a crush on his teacher, and his daughter can’t stay away from the neighbor’s son. What was it like to have that family to contrast with your family?
ANDREWS: I can’t help being Mahesh-centric because that’s how I approached this piece, but what was interesting was that, as we were filming and as the story developed, it almost seemed like Jimbo’s wife and Mahesh’s wife seemed like obstacles to them having their own relationship. How you define that relationship is still open to question.
What was it like to have Ethan Suplee to play off of?
ANDREWS: From day one, the characters are supposed to have an instant attraction, and that was there, for real. They’re almost like big children. Even when they have disagreements or a lover’s tiff, so to speak, it’s short-lived, almost like on the playground.
One of my favorite moments in the season is when your character is demonstrating what a French kiss is by kissing Jimbo on each cheek. Did that scene amuse you too? How many times did you find yourself having to kiss Ethan?
ANDREWS: Quite a few times. It was very cold that day, so we were literally comforting each other. The French kiss scene definitely informed when we were practicing archery together because things could happen between them that were not necessarily scripted.
Had you ever shot a bow and arrow before? Did you actually really get to do that for the show?
ANDREWS: I got to have archery lessons. We did learn how to do it. This profession is unpredictable.
Naveen Andrews Is Curious About What Could Come Next for ‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’

Image via Prime Video

Things are definitely left in a place where there are a lot of questions about what could be next for this family. Are you hoping to do another season, in order to get those answers yourself? Are you curious about what’s next for them?
ANDREWS: Yes. I’d like to know if Jimbo and Mahesh go on holiday together.

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He also discusses making the decision not to judge the real-life individuals that they were playing.

With all the characters you’ve played in all the projects you’ve done, people always come back to Lost and probably will forever. It was released this year on Netflix and 2024 was the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut. Have more fans wanted to talk to you about that show again recently, or do people always want to talk about that show?
ANDREWS: Pretty much all the time, yeah. Especially after the pandemic because a lot of people were indoors, binge-watching Lost. And you’re right, I think that will always be the case. I was very fortunate to be part of something that hit the zeitgeist at that time. I still think that first season holds up today, in terms of using the medium of TV in the way that it did back then.

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Release Date

October 17, 2024

Cast

Arjun Sriram
, Sahana Srinivasan
, Sindhu Vee
, Ashwin Sakthivel
, Naveen Andrews

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

1

The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh is available to stream on Prime Video. Check out the trailer:

Watch on Prime Video