The Untold Truth Of Family Karma's Shaan Patel

It seems that reality TV fans already can't get enough of the hit Bravo show, "Family Karma" after only two seasons. The series follows the lives of a group of young and wealthy Indian-American friends who live in Miami, often in the same homes as their traditional families. Notably, since its debut in March 2020, the show has been praised for depicting Indian culture and for being the first reality TV show that features an all-Indian cast.

One of the stars of the series is Shaan Patel, who, despite being one of the youngest in his friend group, seems to have his life together the most. According to his Bravo bio, at only age 24, Shaan launched his own "real estate and design construction firm." And it probably doesn't hurt that his bio says he "[comes] from one of the first wealthy Indian families to settle in the community."

Yet, unlike a lot of his "Family Karma" cast-mates, Shaan is also not afraid to break some of the usual Indian traditions, like moving out of his family's home before getting married, which is something he's been very open about. These days, Shaan is engaged and is seemingly planning a wedding while fans wait to see if there'll be a Season 3 of the show for them to see it. With a groundbreaking reality series, a growing business, and a happy relationship, it seems that Shaan has a lot going on. So let's learn a bit more about the reality star.

"Family Karma's" Shaan Patel isn't just a reality TV star; he's also a successful entrepreneur, thanks to the business he started with his father. According to ShowBiz Cheatsheet, Shaan came up with the idea after studying architecture in grad school and returning home to Miami. He recalled, "I came back here, my dad had just sold his business and I was like, 'Hey, let's do this.' Like, let's do something together.'" Shaan continued, "I just started basically building stuff and selling stuff. So I design, build and sell."

So Shaan and his dad, Dipak Patel, went on to create the Tanin Group, which according to their website, is "a full service design, construction, and real estate firm, specializing in South Florida." Shaan dished, "We build semi-luxury brand new construction," adding that things are going well. "People love our products and we're building in many cities so it's for young professionals," he said. 

One of those cities is, of course, his hometown of Miami. In 2020, the Miami Herald reported that the Tanin Group was building a $4 million townhouse development there. According to the Tanin Group's website, it'll feature, "eight premium townhomes built in two phases," which will include "premium finishes, expansive rooftop terraces, and contemporary character." Shaan also frequently posts about his company and their creations on their Instagram, by sharing design plans, the construction process, and even completed designs. It's clear that Shaan still keeps very busy even when the cameras aren't rolling.

While some of his cast-mates on "Family Karma" are still searching for love, it appears that Shaan Patel is officially settling down with his partner, Pooja, whom he started dating right before filming the first season. He told BollySpice, "It actually was at the end of our first date when I told her, 'Oh by the way, I am on a reality show that is going to start filming soon.' I didn't think I was going to get a second date!" He added that eventually Pooja "came around" and "ended up loving being a part of it."

Pooja definitely didn't mind since, on Valentine's Day 2021, Shaan announced their engagement on his Instagram. He wrote in the caption of a photo showing off Pooja's ring, "Thank you [Pooja] for loving me, holding me, and treating me like I'm the only person in the world. I can't wait to share my life with you." That March, Shaan went on to share several photos from their lavish engagement party. Shaan posted about the importance of the engagement ceremony in his culture in that it's about "bringing our families together and strengthening the promise we made to each other."

Yet, it's not just their engagement that Shaan has gushed about. In fact, there are photos of Pooja all over Shaan's Instagram. And he's certainly not hiding that he's in love with captions like "no one loves me like you do." It seems for Shaan and Pooja, their relationship isn't just for the cameras.

Shaan Patel may have followed family tradition by getting engaged to be married to a woman who is also Indian, but unlike some of his "Family Karma" co-stars, Shaan decided to move out of his parents' home and in with his fiancé Pooja before they officially tie the knot. While that may not be how it's usually done in conservative Indian families, Shaan explained to Showbiz Cheatsheet, "We don't keep it a secret." He added, "A big Indian thing is brushing things under the rug, but we didn't want that specifically."

Luckily for Shaan, he said his "parents are super supportive," adding that despite their culture, "I knew going into that, they'd do that no matter what." Space is probably best for Shaan and his family anyway, especially since Shaan said, "I told my dad, 'If we're going to work together, we can't live together.'" Unfortunately, Shaan did mention how Pooja had it "a little harder, being an Indian woman," when telling her family.

While we're sure Shaan and Pooja's townhouse is nice, it must have been hard for Shaan to leave his family's expansive and luxurious compound. He gave fans a tour of it on Instagram where he pointed out how it has "two pools, a tennis court, two home gyms," as well as "a playground and a trampoline, and obviously four acres of land." He also acknowledged in the caption that it was the "lucky way that we were able to live."

While living life on camera isn't the norm for most, it appears that for Shaan Patel, it just became another part of his "routine." He revealed to BollySpice that it was "really overwhelming at first with all the people and the sound and the cameras," but added, "You get used to it like everything else ... it is like 'Oh my God this is part of my life that never happened before.'" Yet Shaan admitted that doing "Family Karma" did come with its issues like "dealing with my personal relationships alongside my filming commitments."

It seems Shaan's family had a harder time ignoring the cameras. He dished on the "Reality Tonight!" podcast, "We're very hospitable people so when there are camera crews in our house, we're going to try and feed them... My mom was always like 'oh how many people do you have, should I make lunch?'"

Yet, for Shaan, doing the show is about more than just fame. He explained to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "I hope that 'Family Karma' is able to tell genuine stories of my friends and I that shows viewers there is more than one way to live the Indian-American experience." He said the reception has been positive, telling BollySpice, "I think it is remarkable for so many people to see people that are like them on TV." He added, "The most heartwarming message that I have gotten is just little things, like 'Oh my God, I can't believe someone's eating khichdi with their hands on TV."

"Family Karma" star Shaan Patel may not live with his family on their compound anymore but that doesn't mean they still aren't super close. Shaan told BollySpice, "Obviously, you can tell by the show that the parents just absolutely, without conditions, love their kids." He added, "My parents are like super down to do whatever to support us and support whatever I wanted to do."

Shaan has also pointed out that it helps their relationship that his parents aren't as conservative as some of the others on the show. He told "Reality Tonight!," "I've been very lucky ... my mom is very open, she's very much like 'Tell everyone everything, I don't care' ... we're big on not trying to hide stuff."

Outside of the show, it's evident that Shaan has a special relationship with his family from his Instagram. In a photo he shared of his parents, Shaan gushed in the caption, "None of this would be possible without these two. My day ones." Shaan appears to be just as close with his siblings, Kayla and Dillon Patel. Not only did Shaan express his support on Twitter when Dillon got into business school, but he's also posted photos of them together celebrating the holidays. Shaan put it best when he said, "I think that is why so many people love the show so much is watching that love from the family and between the family — that is so contagious and you just want to keep watching it."

Shaan Patel's show may be called "Family Karma" but fans know that most of the series focuses on his friend group. Yet despite the drama that makes for good TV, Shaan told BollySpice that the reality show actually made their relationships stronger. "We are the only seven people in the world who know how each other feels so I think at the end of the day, through ups and downs, it does bring us closer," he said.

Yet, after watching back what was caught on camera, Shaan has heard some not-so-nice things that his friends have said about him, like some calling him "pretentious." However, he didn't seem phased and told People's "Reality Check," "I don't mind being labeled pretentious ... if that's the worst thing you can say about me, then I'll take it."

That kind of conflict may stem from how he and his friends practically grew up like siblings. He confessed to Showbiz CheatSheet, "There's definitely some male rivalry like one-upmanship, that happens. But it's all people you've known since you were little so it's natural." He did add, "The parents increase that because they compare their kids with each other." Yet at the end of the day, it appears that the feuds are never worth ending a friendship. Shaan explained, "These people are friends that are like family, we have to keep seeing each other, we go to all the same events. So it would be difficult to move forward if they couldn't resolve it."

It's obvious that "Family Karma's" Shaan Patel loves his hometown of Miami, Florida. Not only is his Instagram handle @shaanmiami, but he even writes in his bio, "My fave things are Miami, Whiskey, & [Pooja]." It probably helps that Shaan's family has a deep history with the city. He told Showbiz CheatSheet that his grandfather had been there since the 1970s and after "partnering with other Indian families ... he was able to start an annual Diwali party that blossomed into the many parties and associations that define the Indian community in Miami today."

Shaan's involvement in city initiatives also proves his devotion. He detailed them to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel saying, "I created and write Miami Grid, Miami's only urbanism and planning blog. I am the vice chair of the board of directors of Transit Alliance Miami and I am on the executive board of Miami Forward, a coalition of community organizations working to better Miami at the county level."

Outside of business, it seems that Shaan just loves what the city has to offer. He revealed that he and his fiancé, Pooja, "love to explore Miami and often visit Miami Beach, Design District, Little Havana and more." He's also posted photos on his Instagram of him and Pooja hanging out on Miami Beach, checking out local art exhibits, and kayaking at Oleta River State Park. He even shares the locations when he's at his favorite restaurants, cafes, and bars around Miami, perhaps so followers know where to visit.

Shaan Patel may be open about his life on Bravo's "Family Karma," but when it comes to his finances, he's kept that pretty private. Yet perhaps we can get a better idea of Shaan's net worth by comparing him to his co-stars. According to The Cinemaholic, Brian Benni is worth around $300,000 and Vishal Parvani about $750,000, while Article Bio says Anisha Ramakrishna's net worth is around $100,000. With that said, it could be assumed that Shaan Patel is worth anywhere from $100,000 to $750,000, but most likely on the higher end since he has a successful business and a wealthy family.

According to Bravo, Shaan started his company, The Tanin Group, at only 24-years-old and since then has begun building a $4 million townhouse development in Miami (per the Miami Herald). While Shaan is finding success through his own work, it's clear he comes from a rich family that doesn't mind flaunting their money. Shaan explained in particular to Showbiz CheatSheet how his grandfather "decided to make life-sized marble statues of all the members of this family."

It appears that Shaan would rather spend his money on travel over statues. In 2021 alone, he shared Instagram photos from trips that he and his fiancé Pooja took to Tulum, Mexico, and New York City. They also plan to have what's expected to be an expensive and lavish destination wedding in the Dominican Republic. From the look of Shaan's lifestyle, it seems he really must have good "family karma!"