Desi Comedy Fest | NYC | Sun Mar 22 7:30pm at The Bell House

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 excited to bring Desi Comedy Fest to The Bell House, one of Brooklyn’s most iconic cultural venues and a cornerstone of New York’s vibrant live arts scene. With a rich history of hosting groundbreaking music, comedy, and storytelling — and a reputation as a favorite stage of both emerging talents and established performers — The Bell House embodies the creative energy and community spirit that define New York nightlife.

Presenting Desi Comedy Fest here celebrates a perfect artistic synergy: a festival dedicated to elevating sharp, boundary-pushing South Asian comedic voices paired with a venue known for unforgettable live experiences and crowds who come for both heart and humor. In this dynamic, intimate setting, every laugh lands with impact, and every voice is heard loud and clear.

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.

- Ayanna Dookie is a stand-up comedian, writer, storyteller, and Lupus Advocate. The daughter of immigrants, Ayanna’s humor is reflective of growing up Brown, Black, woman, and first generation American. She has been featured on HBO's Pause with Sam Jay, truTV’s Laff Tracks, 2 Dope Queens on WNYC, NPR’s Snap Judgement, Fox’s Laughs, and AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live. Her writing can be seen on BET’s 50 Central and MTV's Wild n' Out. As a Lupus Advocate and warrior, she produces an annual comedy show with the Lupus Foundation of America to raise awareness and funding for the advancement of Lupus research. Ayanna is also the founder, producer, and co-host of Hydroxychloro QUEENZ: a podcast on living with Lupus.

- HARI KONDABOLU: Hari Kondabolu is a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian, writer, and podcaster celebrated for smart, incisive humor that blends politics, identity, and culture with laugh-out-loud insight. The New York Times called him “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today,” and his specials — including Warn Your Relatives and Vacation Baby — have been praised on Hulu and across top publications. In 2017 he released the documentary The Problem with Apu, sparking global conversation about race and representation. Hari has also released comedy albums, appeared on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Show with David Letterman, and co-hosts acclaimed podcasts including Politically Re-Active.

- MADDY KELLY: Maddy Kelly is a New York–based stand-up comedian, writer, and podcaster originally from Vancouver, Canada. Known for her sharp wit and viral comedy clips, she was named a Just For Laughs “New Face of Comedy” and has appeared on The Standup Show with Jon Dore, The Debaters, and New Wave of Standup. Maddy’s work spans live performance, digital media, and podcasting — including co-hosting award-winning series like Let’s Make a Sci-Fi and Let’s Make a Rom-Com. Her comedy blends relatable life experience with clever observational humor.

- SHAFI HUSSEIN: Shafi Hussain is a New York–based comedian and writer originally from Bangladesh. He moved to the U.S. to study chemical engineering before falling in love with stand-up, quickly becoming a staple of the NYC comedy scene with regular performances at top clubs and festivals. Shafi has been named one of New York’s Funniest Stand-Ups by the New York Comedy Festival and made his TV debut on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. He’s toured nationally and internationally, released his debut special Not From Here, and produces acclaimed shows like Penthouse Comedy Show and NYC summer comedy events.

URLs:
YouTube: https://go.evvnt.com/3501768-4?pid=11710
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3501768-5?pid=11710

Artists: Samson Koletkar, Abhay Nadkarni, Ayanna Dookie, Hari Kondabolu, Maddy Kelly, Shafi Hossain

Time: 19:30 - 21:00