DESI SNL to be Presented at 2026 New York City Fringe Festival

Azhar-Bande Ali will present Desi SNL written, directed, and produced by Azhar Bande-Ali in partnership with Shreya Thakur and Sandalina Sattar. The production will be presented as part of the 2026 New York City Fringe Festival with FRIGID New York at wild project, with performances on Fri April 3 at 6pm, Mon April 6 at 7:40pm, Mon April 13 at 6pm & Sat April 18 at 8:40pm.

Desi SNL is an ensemble cast driven sketch comedy show reimagining the SNL format with monologues, the Weekend Update segment, and original skits rooted in South Asian culture— delivering sharp satire, bold performances, and unapologetically relatable takes on identity and diaspora life.  Ensemble cast of South Asian talent TBA. 

Azhar Bande-Ali (Lead Writer, Director, Co-Producer)  is a New York–based comedian whose work has been compared to Hasan Minhaj and Mike Birbiglia by critics, and he prays neither of them ever find out. He's won multiple Moth StorySLAMs and earned Best Comedy awards for his specials Curry & Catharsis (2024) and Bad Muslim (2025). After selling out four performances of Desi SNL debut in November 2025, he's now cooking up episode two with the best Southasian cast based in NYC. 

Shreya Thakur (Co-Producer) leads production, bringing hands-on experience across live and pre-recorded game show formats, with involvement in filming, editing, and on-set coordination to support the show's creative execution. 

Sandalina Sattar (Co-Producer, Public Relations) is a media host and storyteller shaping Desi SNL's public-facing voice and creative direction. She is the host of Spotlight with Sandalina, a talk show known for intimate, culturally resonant conversations with South Asian and Muslim creators and changemakers. Across platforms, she focuses on building spaces where humor, identity, and honest storytelling intersect to elevate underrepresented voices. 

Tickets ($28) are available for advance purchase now. The performance will run approximately 60 minutes. Performances will also be available to livestream.