Growing up queer, brown and ambitious in a conservative South African Indian household comes with rules, expectations and a lot of things no one is allowed to say out loud.
In Qualified Disappointment, comedian and actor Prev Reddy turns that silence into comedy. From choreographing braai dances to surviving family WhatsApp groups, Prev learned early how to perform, deflect and entertain his way through a world obsessed with appearances and the fear of becoming a disappointment.
Prev delivers a moving memoir about tradition, taboo and the pressure to live a life that looks respectable from the outside, charting his journey from a glitter-loving child in Durban to an internationally recognised social media star and stage performer. Hovering over it all is his alter-ego, Aunty Shamilla. She is opinionated and watchful – the familiar voice of community judgement, reluctant affection and unsolicited advice. Deeply honest and unapologetically bold, Qualified Disappointment is for anyone who has felt like an outsider in their own home and fought to stay soft, funny and powerful anyway.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prev Reddy is an award-winning comedian, actor and digital creator based in Johannesburg. He holds a BA in Motion Picture Medium and is known for his viral sketches and stand-up work exploring identity, queerness and cultural contradiction with heart and humour. Qualified Disappointment is his debut book, adapted from his one-man show Prev Reddy is a Triple Threat, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2024 and was performed in London in 2025.
'Qualified Disappointment: A Memoir' is published by Pan Macmillan South Africa