The SafeTea Podcast

You’ve seen her bring the laughs on stage (and play Akbar’s drag twin in their short, Poreless). But behind the comedy, Sureni Weerasekera carries the layered story of a queer Sri Lankan-American trying to find her voice in a world that didn’t always make space for it.

In this episode of The SafeTea Podcast, Sureni talks about growing up in an immigrant family in San Diego, busking on the streets (with her father's permission), and navigating the pressure to choose security over self-expression. She shares what it took to drop out of Berkeley, pursue stand...

You’ve seen her light up the screen in Orange Is the New Black, Encanto, and Jane the Virgin - but behind the smile, Diane Guerrero has lived a story of survival, silence, and stunning transformation.

In this episode, Diane opens up to Akbar about losing her parents to deportation, growing up alone, and learning to rewrite her own narrative. From her first acting class (thanks to a crew of nightlife guardian angels) to finding purpose through storytelling, Diane gets real about what it means to reclaim safety, joy, and identity on your own terms.

Fo...

Before she was everyone’s favorite on The Real Housewives of New York, Jessel Taank was already a force in the fashion world as an all-star publicist, global nomad, and barrier breaker. In this episode, Akbar gets real with Jessel on her path from London to NYC's fashion scene, how she landed RHONY (without ever seeing the show) and her creation of ŌUSHQ, a platform to uplift South Asian fashion and artisans.

Follow Jessel: instagram.com/jesseltaank

Follow ŌUSHQ: instagram.com/OUSHQ

Follow us: instagram.com/thesafetea | instagram.com/akbar.hamid

YouT...

In this episode of The SafeTea, actor Saagar Shaikh (Marvel’s Ms. Marvel, Hulu’s Deli Boys) takes us through the real behind-the-scenes of breaking into Hollywood as a brown, Muslim, first-gen creative. From TaskRabbit gigs to beard oil startups, getting fired by his own dad to landing his first audition tape that changed everything—this is the truth behind the “breakout.”

We talk about:

Why representation without nuance isn’t enoughHis 10 year journey to landing his first Marvel role (with no credits to his name) The full-circle moment of playing a Muslim character who’s just... humanG...

Can you hold onto your culture, your family, and your queerness—all at once?

In our first interview of The SafeTea podcast, Akbar sits down with IRL couple Dr. Roshan Sethi (writer/director of "A Nice Indian Boy") and actor Karan Soni (Deadpool, Ghostbusters) to talk about the layered journey behind their new film A Nice Indian Boy—and the one they’ve been living off-screen. From redefining what makes someone “out,” to grappling with family fears, to finding empowerment in brown love, this is a conversation rooted in truth and tenderness.

We get into:

Growing...

In this debut episode, host Akbar Hamid opens up about his journey from growing up as a closeted queer Muslim with zero representation — to launching his own agency, starring in a Tribeca-bound film, and starting this podcast to pay it all forward.

He introduces the S.A.F.E.T.E.A. framework: to be Seen, Accepted, Free, and Empowered — and the responsibility that comes with it: to Transform, Elevate, and Affirm others.

This is for anyone who’s ever felt like they had to hide who they are just to survive. Come for the honest...

What does it really mean to feel safe? Not just physically... but emotionally, culturally, spiritually?

The SafeTea Podcast is where the tea is hot, but healing is hotter.

Each week, our host Akbar Hamid - a proud queer, South Asian, Muslim disruptor - sits down with cultural changemakers for honest yet hilarious conversations about everything from grief to growth and visibility to vulnerability. Prepare yourself for some breakthroughs!

Make sure to subscribe and grab your cup... because the real tea is SafeTea.

Follow Us!

@theSafeTea on YouTube

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