Desi Comedy Fest | New Jersey | Fri Mar 20 8pm at New Brunswick Performing Arts Center

Desi Comedy Fest is the Biggest South Asian Comedy Festival in America. Our mission is to showcase the funniest South Asian comedians from around the world & create a unique live comedy experience for the South Asian diaspora.

We’re thrilled to bring Desi Comedy Fest to New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, one of the region’s most distinguished and dynamic performing arts destinations. Since its opening, this state-of-the-art cultural hub has anchored New Brunswick’s vibrant arts district with world-class theater, music, dance, and live performance, showcasing the very best in regional and national talent.

Hosting Desi Comedy Fest here underscores our shared commitment to bold voices and unforgettable live experiences. With exceptional acoustics, a welcoming atmosphere, and a calendar filled with celebrated performances, this venue elevates comedy into an art form — where sharp cultural insights and standout stand-up land with clarity and impact.

The evening’s lineup includes…

- SAMSON KOLETKAR: Samson’s comedy is a unique fusion of his Indian upbringing, Jewish roots, and American life—delivered with wit, warmth, and quick, engaging humor. Known for his cerebral and refreshing clean style, he’s performed across the U.S., Canada, and India, and has been featured on NPR, NBC, CBS, NDTV, The Times of India, Ha’aretz, and more. He’s the co-creator of Desi Comedy Fest, founder of Comedy Oakland—winner of East Bay Express’s Best Comedy Night (2016–2025), and headliner of the Mahatma Moses Comedy Tour. Statistically improbable, culturally conflicted, and hilariously consistent, Samson brings smart laughs to every stage he hits.

- ABHAY NADKARNI: Abhay Nadkarni is a third culture comic, born in Delhi, raised in Doha and Bangalore, now navigating American absurdity with a global point of view. He was featured as a New Face at Just For Laughs in Montreal, has performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and co-founded Desi Comedy Fest and The Setup, a speakeasy style comedy show in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Over 100,000 fans follow him online for silly jokes and sharp takes. His debut comedy special Brown Jesus is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

- ALI MEHEDI: Ali Mehedi is a New York–based stand-up comedian, producer, and writer originally from Bangladesh. After studying and starting his comedy journey in Canada, he now performs regularly at top NYC clubs like Broadway Comedy Club, Greenwich Village Comedy Club, and The Stand. Ali blends immigrant perspective, cultural identity, and global observations into his comedy and has been featured in the New York Comedy Festival, NYC FunnYmmigrants, and Halifax Comedy Festival. He’s a World Series of Comedy winner, StandUp NBC semi-finalist, and creator of Laughing Lassi — New York’s leading South Asian comedy showcase — as well as the podcast Unsupervised.

- DANISH MAQBOOL: Danish Maqbool, a New Jersey-born comedian now residing in Brooklyn, has been featured on seasons 2 and 3 of RAMY. Notable for his recent stand-up release on Don't Tell Comedy in January 2024, Danish has opened for comedy heavyweights including Hasan Minhaj, Ramy Youssef, Mo Amer, and Akaash Singh. With a sharp wit and relatable humor, he's swiftly becoming a standout talent in the comedy scene.

- SABEEN SADIQ: Sabeen Sadiq is a stand-up comic, actor, and writer based in New York. Her comedy has been described as whimsically honest and even “I didn’t think she’d talk about that,” with topics ranging from her Muslim upbringing and family dysfunction to being related to white people (surprise!!).

- SHAUNAK GOKHINDI: Shaunak Gokhindi is a NYC based comedian who has featured on Don't Tell Comedy, Netflix is a Joke Radio. He performs across the country at clubs, festivals and colleges. He is a big fan of Doritos. Along with his stand-up, Shaukan is also a writer, director, and actor who has garnered millions of views across social channels for his sketch comedy. He has worked with brands like Adobe, Home Depot, Dr. Squatch, and more to help tell stories, and create engaging comedic content.

- ZUBI AHMED: Zubi Ahmed is a Bangladeshi-American comedian, writer, and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Known for her sharp, off-beat humor and fearless voice, she co-hosts Kutti Gang, a live comedy showcase featuring South Asian, women, queer, and non-binary performers. Zubi wrote and directed the comedy web-series Polterheist, which has played at film festivals, and also created the talk series Late Afternoon with Zubaira. Her comedy blends cultural identity with irreverent storytelling.

URLs:
YouTube: https://go.evvnt.com/3501760-4?pid=11710
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3501760-5?pid=11710

Artists: Samson Koletkar, Abhay Nadkarni, Ali Mehedi, Danish Maqbool, Sabeen Sadiq, Shaunak Gokhindi, Zubi Ahmed

Time: 20:00-21:30