Here’s a look at some of the top Indian stand-up comedians in America, as the comedy scene continues to grow with many different shades of brown.
He first noticed when he starred in and created the Giant Human comedy sketch on MTV. The comedian, who has diversified into being an actor, writer, director, and producer, is best known for playing Tom Haverford in Parks and Recreation. In 2018, he made history by becoming the only Asian to win a Golden Globe for acting on TV.
Ansari was born in South Carolina to a Muslim family that migrated from Tamil Nadu, India. Both his parents are doctors.
Ansari was on the TIME magazine’s list of the most influential 100 people in 2016. He continues to make history with his newer formats, and he was on the TIME magazine’s list of the most influential 100 people. Last year, he had his special comedy fifth. After the hugely successful Madison Square Garden Live, Ansari is now right with his special comedy fifth.
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Mindy Kaling.
Late Night and Ocean’s 8, Time in a Wrinkle, Before Night The, as well as comedies like Ralph Breaks It and Inside Out, she has also heard Despicable Me in her career film works. She is also known for her work on Hulu’s Funeral and Weddings Four, as well as being the co-creator of the popular NBC series Champions. She is also a nominee for the Outstanding Comedy Writing Emmy Award in 2020. The latest series on Netflix, Never Have I Ever, depicts the coming-of-age of an American Indian teenager, which has become one of the most-watched shows of the year. Kaling has become a household name with her project The Mindy Project, where she serves as a director, producer, writer, actor, and comedian. She has also toured the country as a stand-up comedian, both as a solo act and with groups, after graduating from college in New York City.
She gave birth to a daughter in 2017. She was part of the comedy troupe at Dartmouth College where she studied. Mindy Vera Chokalingam was born in Cambridge, England to Indian and Bangladeshi parents, and when she was less than a year old, her family emigrated to the United States.
From small performances to being on TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in 2019 – what a tradition! While his dad thought he would just be a doctor, Minhaj secretly started performing stand-up comedy when he got involved in a minor car accident on his way to study at a nearby library. He knew his dad would bust him if he found out about his small-time furtive performances, so he decided to hide it. Minhaj’s dad eventually found out about his comedy performances and realized that his son should continue to be a comedian, as he effectively uses humor to fill the gap between society and the experiences of immigrants. Minhaj remains one of the few political satirists who effectively checks all the lists as a commentator, producer, writer, and TV host. As an American Indian comedian, he continues to delight audiences with his stand-up act, The Patriot Act. Perhaps it was during his speech as the featured speaker at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2017 that Minhaj won the hearts of all immigrants.
Residing in New York City, he resides with his wife Bina and their daughter. As he incorporates his background in political science into his comedic performances, he offers commentary on a wide range of topics, including politics and civics. He pursued a political science degree at the University of California and was raised in California, where his parents immigrated. Hailing from Aligarh, India, Minhaj comes from an Indian Muslim family and has been honored with the Peabody Award. Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, particularly for an immigrant artist in America, established a new standard for political comedy. His debut stand-up comedy special, Homecoming King, received exceptional reviews on Netflix. Minhaj gained prominence in 2014 through his work on The Daily Show.
He was born in Flushing, New York to Indian parents from Andhra Pradesh. The documentary “The Problem with Apu,” which examines how the character Apu from “The Simpsons” stereotypes Indians, starred and was directed by Kondabolu. This documentary has been one of Kondabolu’s most important contributions to American comedy, but he has also had success with his stand-up comedy albums. He has appeared on a number of British shows and has made many popular appearances on Comedy Central. He performed stand-up comedy on “Late Night with David Letterman” and had instant success when he appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2007. In 2006, he had a big break when he was spotted performing at the Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival, where he was booked by HBO’s Comedy Festival. Kondabolu began his career as a stand-up comedian in Seattle during the early 2000s and has since become a podcast host, filmmaker, and actor. He is credited with being one of the first Indian Americans to explore the stage of stand-up comedy.
Aasif Mandvi, born in Mumbai, India and raised in Britain, emigrated to the United States with his Muslim family before starting his career in comedy stand-up. He has appeared in many films as the Mystic Masseur and began his career in off-Broadway productions. He has also been a co-producer and actor on the HBO series The Brink. His popular restaurant, Sakina’s, has won numerous awards, and he has also won a Peabody award for his web series Halal in the Family. However, in 2015, Mandvi left the show that expanded his comedy stand-up career, which focused on immigrant identities and race in the West. He began appearing as an occasional correspondent.
Among the noteworthy individuals are: the millennial Abby Govindan, as well as Alingon Mitra, Raajeev Aggerwhil, Aparna Nancherla, Vidur Kapur, an Indian American stand-up comic who identifies as gay, and Paul Varghese, renowned for his appearance on the popular reality show Last Comic Standing. Additionally, there are several other Indian American comedians in this group, all striving to establish themselves in the mainstream comedy scene.
Russell Peters.
How come Russell Dominic Peters, a Canadian, is included in the roster of Indian American stand-up comedians?
He now resides in Los Angeles. Peter’s inspiration comes from being a stand-up comedian of the American Indian generation, which is why he became the first Indian heritage comedian to break into the Big League in North America. It is a powerful and simple reason.
In 2015, he secured the 4th spot with a total earnings of $19 million. Back in 2013, he achieved the impressive feat of being the third highest-paid comedian according to Forbes, raking in a whopping $21 million. During the early stages of 2009, he released his second DVD/CD combo titled Red, White and Brown, which was made available in Canada and the US. This followed the success of his debut comedy album Outsourced in 2006. The pivotal moment in his career came in 2004 when he appeared on the Canadian TV comedy show Comedy Now!. His performance was later uploaded on YouTube, where it went viral, marking a significant turning point for the Toronto-born Peters, who is of Canadian Indian descent.
Dan Nainan.
Nainan Dan, born in Indiana, Bloomington, is the son of a child psychologist from Japan and a nuclear physicist from Kerala. He accidentally came across the world of stand-up comedy during his time as a senior engineer with Intel Corporation and created an impression among the audience when he performed as a professional comedian in the inaugural American all-year show of consumer electronics in Las Vegas.
Updated on April 03, 2023The Top Indian American comedians are considered the Who’s Who of the Desi stand-up world.The Top Indian American comedians are considered the Who’s Who of the Desi stand-up world.