Advertise on podcast: Spotlight with Sandalina

Srishti Sharma, a South Asian comedian by night and fintech engineering manager by day, created LinkedUP, a live comedy dating show where Love Island meets LinkedIn. She talks about growing up in Mumbai, leaving Amazon after seven years as a software engineer, starting stand-up in Seattle, and turning a club booker’s request for an “Indian dating show” into a dating show run like a tech job interview. She opens up about being single at 30 in New York City, brown parents and marriage pressure, Botox and beauty standards, hating online dating, and why live events will outlast AI slop. Plus, a round of “Rate Our LinkedIn Profiles” and the contestant who disrespected her on her own show. Chapters: 00:00 - TRAILER 01:17 - MEET SRISHTI SHARMA 01:43 - LIFE STORY SEGMENT 05:47 - HOT SEAT SEGMENT 08:26 - RATE OUR LINKEDIN PROFILES 15:33 - SHADOW SEGMENT 22:29 - SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT 23:57 - HOW LINKEDUP STARTED 24:40 - DATING LIKE A TECH JOB INTERVIEW 25:49 - CONTESTANT DRAMA & CO-HOSTS 28:23 - BACHELOR VS BACHELORETTE 31:46 - LIVE EVENTS VS AI SLOP 32:37 - WHAT’S NEXT & FINAL MESSAGE This Comedian Turned LinkedIn Into a DATING Show | Srishti Sharma | S5E04 Srishti’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/srishti7337/ #SrishtiSharma #ComedyDatingShow #LinkedUP #DatingShow #StandUpComedy #DesiComedy #NYCComedy #IndianComedian #DatingInNYC #ComedyPodcast

Pakistani Muslim comedian Danish Maqbool opens up about racism, religion, faith, marriage, and his new stand-up comedy special "Free Danish." From growing up as the first brown family in his New Jersey neighborhood to becoming a top-1% Halo pro gamer, Major League Gaming commentator, and the cashier on Ramy (Seasons 2 & 3), Danish shares the full journey behind his comedy career.  Danish's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmaq1/ Chapters: 0:00 Trailer 1:17 Intro 1:42 5-Minute Life Story 6:14 Hot Seat 10:04 Game: Mosque or Comedy Club 12:35 Shadow Segment 19:30 Spotlight Segment 19:42 Pro Gaming 24:45 Ramy Show 27:56 Free Danish Special 37:58 Closing Messages 39:47 Outro -- #PakistaniComedian #MuslimComedian #StandUpComedy #DanishMaqbool #FreeDanish #ComedySpecial #DesiComedy #ComedianInterview #NYCComedy #Ramy

South Asian actress Shreya Navile joins us to discuss Bollywood’s beauty standards, body image, rejection in the Indian film industry, and her Netflix debut in Best of the Best! She shares her journey from dreaming of Bollywood as a child to finding a role where she could embrace her individuality and showcase her talent. Discover the story behind Netflix’s South Asian dance comedy, representation, and breaking stereotypes. Chapters: 00:00 - Teaser & Episode Introduction 02:46 - The Five Minute Life Story: Upbringing & Acting Origins 04:20 - Dance Roots, Theater, and College Years 09:07 - The Hot Seat Segment: "Best of the Best" Cast Superlatives 11:49 - The Shadow Segment: Surviving Industry Rejection 14:19 - Navigating Body Image & Body Neutrality 18:42 - The Spotlight Segment: Reviewing Best of the Best 23:03 - Character Breakdown: Bringing "Deepica" to Life 26:50 - Working with the Creators & Authentic Representation 30:49 - The Audition Process & Building Cast Camaraderie 35:35 - Dance Boot Camp & The Power of South Asian Comedy 37:33 - Final Thoughts & Outro -- Shreya's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shreya_navile/ #ShreyaNavile #BestOfTheBest #Netflix #Bollywood #SouthAsianRepresentation #BodyImage #DesiActors #Hollywood #IndianActress #NetflixComedy

Pakistani child TV star turned stand up comedian and actor, Mohtasham Yaqub opens up about growing up in Islamabad, getting bullied while on PTV, and starting over in America after a failed audition for The Voice led him to stand-up comedy. He talks about desi gender roles, unlearning misogyny, doing stand-up in Urdu, opening for Zayn Malik with Usama Siddiquee, and why brown comedians in New York lift each other up. Plus, a round of "Things My Mom Said Were Haram" and his upcoming movie Rest and Relaxation. Chapters: 00:00 - TRAILER 01:14 - MEET MOHTASHAM YAQUB 02:04 - LIFE STORY SEGMENT 06:19 - HOT SEAT SEGMENT 09:04 - THINGS DESI MOMS CALLED HARAM 12:17 - SHADOW SEGMENT 18:19 - SPOTLIGHT SEGMENT 20:07 - HOW STAND-UP STARTED 25:51 - STARTING OVER IN AMERICA 28:29 - AKAASH SINGH & ZAYN MALIK 32:09 - BROWN COMEDIANS SUPPORTING EACH OTHER 35:22 - TOUR PLANS & FINAL MESSAGE --- Mohtasham's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moecomedyy/ #MohtashamYaqub #PakistaniComedian #StandUpComedy #DesiComedy #NYCComedy #MuslimComedian #UrduComedy #ZaynMalik #ComedyPodcast #BrownComedians

S4E10: Meet Tavi Gandhi— a South Asian pageant queen and influencer. She is the winner of Miss Grand New Jersey and was the youngest in the Top 20 of this year’s Miss Grand USA! In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BROWN GIRL TAKES PAGEANT CROWN We talk about Tavi’s upbringing between Ohio and New Jersey, her Punjabi and Sikh identity, and the formative experiences that shaped her confidence and ambition. In the Hot Seat, we jump into rapid-fire questions, and in Shadows, we unpack her mental health journey — from bullying and struggles with anxiety/depression to learning how to protect herself in highly visible spaces. In Spotlight, we explore how she took the pageant crown while challenging beauty norms, being flattened dimensionally with pretty privilege, answering political questions on stage, breaking into tech and entrepreneurship with ventures like the Lazrani clothing line, and more! Tavi’s IG: @tavigandhi (https://www.instagram.com/tavigandhi/) Tavi’s Tik Tok: @tavigandhi (https://www.tiktok.com/@tavigandhi) Tavi's YouTube: @tavigandhi (https://www.youtube.com/@TaviGandhi) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E09: Meet Priya Mia— an Indian-Bengali creator, fashion / beauty influencer, corporate strategy consultant, and PharmD! In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BENGALI GIRL CRAFTS VIRAL NEW YORK WARDROBE We talk about Priya’s upbringing as the daughter of Indian immigrants, how her cultural identity shaped her relationship with fashion, and what it means to carve out space as a Bengali creator in New York. In the Hot Seat, we dive into rapid-fire Q&A, and in Shadows, we explore the pressures of existing between two worlds — the professional and the creative. In Spotlight, we discuss her viral style evolution, balancing a PharmD background with fashion content, navigating the internet as your boss, redefining what South Asian representation looks like in today’s fashion industry, and more! Priya’s IG: @priyamia (https://www.instagram.com/priyamia/) Priyas Tik Tok: @priya.mia (https://www.tiktok.com/@priya.mia) Priyas YouTube: @priyamia (https://www.youtube.com/@priyamia) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space 📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E08: Meet Dr. Mohamad Yasin— a Pakistani, Muslim doctor and content creator! You may recognize him as “Scrubby Mo” In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BROWN BOY FIRST-GEN DOCTOR HAS JOKES We talk about Dr. Mohamad Yasin’s upbringing and family life in Long Island, his Muslim identity, and the journey that led him to become a first-generation doctor. In the Hot Seat, we get into rapid-fire questions, and in Shadows, we unpack the darker side of social media— from hate comments and insecurities to navigating loneliness behind the screen. In Spotlight, we explore how he balances his life as a practicing DO and content creator, his path to medicine, the realities of social media at work, and how humor and purpose shape his vision for the future! Mo’s IG: @scrubbymo (https://www.instagram.com/scrubbymo/) Mo’s Tik Tok: @scrubbymo (https://www.tiktok.com/@scrubbymo) Mo’s YouTube: @scrubbymo (https://www.youtube.com/@Scrubbymo) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E07: Meet Sagar— a South Asian content creator focusing on comedic skits and wellness. He’s also a PharmD, marketer, and personal trainer! In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BROWN BOY GOES FROM PHARMD TO VIRAL REELS We talk about Sagar’s upbringing in New Jersey, his high school experience, and the moment he pivoted from PharmD life into content creation. In the Hot Seat, we dive into rapid questions, and in Shadows we explore his mental health journey and the social media dopamine loop. In Spotlight, we unpack his transition from pharmacy to becoming a viral wellness + cultural creator— tackling Kurta Marathon activism, Big Pharma criticism, the opioid crisis, the Trump-era healthcare landscape, Ozempic takes, personal ethics, South Asian skit inspiration, collaborations, and more! Sagar’s IG: @thesagarparekh (https://www.instagram.com/thesagarparekh/) Sagar’s Tik Tok: @thesagarparekh (https://www.tiktok.com/@thesagarparekh) Sagar’s YouTube: @sagarparekh (https://www.youtube.com/c/SagarParekh) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E06: Meet Mina— a Pakistani founder and influencer. You may recognize her as the founder for the Kismet Reserve, her vintage watch empire as featured in the Boston Globe! In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: PAKISTANI FOUNDER BUILDS VINTAGE WATCH EMPIRE We talk about Mina’s upbringing in Cambridge, MA growing up in a post-9/11 America with immigrant parents, early political activism, and developing her Muslim identity. In the Hot Seat, we get into rapid fire Q&A, and in the Shadows, we sit with the emotional gravity of losing her brother. In Spotlight, we dive deep into how she built Kismet Reserve from scratch — becoming a Pakistani founder pioneering the vintage watch space, her Boston Globe feature, speaking up online, building community spaces like The Chai Room, and more! Mina’s IG: @minahasan (https://www.instagram.com/minahasan/) Mina’s Tik Tok: @morefromminaa (https://www.tiktok.com/@morefromminaa) Mina’s Youtube: @minahasann (https://www.youtube.com/@MinaHasannn) Kismet Reserve: https://thekismetreserve.com 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E05: Meet Faaris— a Pakistani rapper. You may recognize him from the viral Zayn Malik lookalike competition, or his collaborations with various artists. He also just did 2M+ streams on Spotify in 2024 alone! In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BROWN BOY LOOKS LIKE ZAYN, RAPS LIKE HIMSELF We talk about Faaris’s upbringing in Austin, his family background, and his path to breaking into the music industry with viral milestones and millions of streams. We explore rapid-fire questions in the Hot Seat, delve into Shadows around excessive female attention, comparison traps, and public perception, and then spotlight his journey as a South Asian rapper in a white-dominated music industry. We also discuss his viral Zayn Lookalike moment, major performances at SXSW and Masala Mixtape, hit singles like “MEMO” and “All or Nothing,” his inspirations, creative process, and more! Faaris’s IG: @faaris.mp3 (https://www.instagram.com/faaris.mp3/) Faaris’s Tik Tok: @faaris.mp4 (https://www.tiktok.com/@faaris.mp4) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E04: Meet Mussab Ali— Jersey City’s mayoral candidate (aka “Black Zohran Mamdani”) with a Pakistani, Muslim identity. He was the formerly elected President of the Jersey City Board of Education, has his JD from Harvard Law, and is a cancer survivor. As BOE President, he made headlines as the youngest elected official in Jersey City history, and at the time, was the youngest Muslim elected official across the United States. His main competitor is Jim McGreevey, the disgraced former governor of New Jersey who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal and corruption allegations. ❗10/14 TUES IS THE JERSEY CITY VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE❗ In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: ❓WHO IS MUSSAB ALI❓ ✏️MUSSAB ALI’S PLATFORM✏️ 🔦GRILLING MUSSAB ALI🔦 🗳️ELECTION INFO🗳️ We talk about Mussab’s family’s immigrant story, term on BOE bringing clean drinking water to Jersey City schools, battle with cancer, academic journey across Rutgers and Harvard Law, endorsements, cradle to career initiative, multifaceted platform, and more. We also grill him across Islamophobic/Zionist Q&A, Zohran Q&A, Competitors Q&A, Platform Q&A, and Online Criticism Q&A. Stick around until the end for key election information and how to get involved! Mussab Ali’s Website (election info, volunteer, donate): https://www.ali2025.com/ Mussab’s IG: @mussabalijc (https://www.instagram.com/mussabalijc/) Mussab’s Tik Tok: @aliforjc (https://www.tiktok.com/@aliforjc) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E03: Meet Ashna— a South Asian model and influencer. She is the brown girl on every billboard; you may recognize her as she’s been on Cover Girl, Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and the NYFW runway! In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BROWN GIRL ON EVERY BILLBOARD We talk about Ashna’s upbringing near Chicago, initial path to med school, rapid fire Q&A, eating disorders, mental health, journey into modeling, first big break, skillset evolution, how to model 101, being brown in a white industry, Ashna & Rohil’s wedding, relationship support through creative career, redefining relationship with social media, plans for the future, and more! Ashna’s IG: @ashnagray (https://www.instagram.com/ashnagray/) Ashna’s Tik Tok: @ashnagray (https://www.tiktok.com/@ashnagray) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 25-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E02: Meet Usama— a Bengali, Muslim comedian. You may recognize him from his recent special and Fall 2025 Tour USAMA BIN LAUGHIN’! He was also a finalist on America’s Got Talent and a guest on the Stephen Colbert show. In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BENGALI COMEDIAN GETS CANCELED ON NATIONAL TV We talk about Usama’s upbringing in red Texas, initial path to med school, rapid fire Q&A, a personal roast for the host, growing up as “Usama” post 9/11, getting canceled in headlines for America’s Got Talent, embracing physical imperfections, performing on Stephen Colbert, the USAMA BIN LAUGHIN’ special and tour, Hajj experience, parents’ view on his comedy, plans for the future, and more! USAMA BIN LAUGHIN’ tour: https://www.usamastandsup.com/shows USAMA BIN LAUGHIN’ special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3NH-WEGUGI Usama’s IG: @usamastandsup (https://www.instagram.com/usamastandsup/) Usama’s Tik Tok: @usamastandsup (https://www.tiktok.com/@usamastandsup) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 24-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

S4E01: Meet Shevya— a Desi pop star singer. In this episode we cover a variety of topics across our 4 segments: 📚LIFE STORY📚 🔥HOT SEAT🔥 🤫SHADOWS🤫 🔦SPOTLIGHT🔦: BROWN GIRL PIONEERS DESI POP GENRE We talk about Shevya's upbringing, eduction, career, rapid fire Q&A, heartbreaks that made their way into songs, insecurities, online hate, self-image, IG story drama, criticism of Bollywood, decision to remain an independent artist, early innings with Tik Tok covers, biggest hit “Nasha”, future projects, and more! Shevya’s IG: @shevthehev (https://www.instagram.com/shevthehev) Shevya’s Tik Tok: @shevthehev (https://www.tiktok.com/@shevthehev) 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 Every Sunday 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 24-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts

Join us backstage with Raja Kumari at Masala Mixtape by And Aur. We sat down with Raja Kumari: an AMA-Winning, Grammy-Nominated artist redefining global music. She joined us fresh off her powerful new album “Kashi to Kailash” while decked out in a show stopping collaboration with Kalki Fashion. Raja also owns Godmother Records, a label creating a safe space for women in music. Raja’s IG: @therajakumari (https://www.instagram.com/therajakumari/) Stream Raja’s Music: https://linktr.ee/therajakumari 🎧 Streaming Platforms / Social Media: https://linktr.ee/spotlightwithsandalina  📧 Feel free to reach me at [email protected] 📼 Together, we will go on a vulnerable deep dive into the journeys of South Asians / Muslims in the creator space  📍NYC  📅 S4: Fall 2025 🎙️ Hosted by Sandalina Sattar, a 24-year-old Muslim, Pakistani woman living in NYC. Sandalina is a full-time finance professional, Tik Tok content creator, and founding event host of Wholesome Hangouts