INDIA WEEK @ LINCOLN CENTER
Comedy Gets Spicy! Celebrate Diversity, Cultural Exploration and Inclusion Through Comedy
Get ready for a night of humor intertwined with cultural exploration all brought to you by a powerhouse lineup of comedians whose Indian heritage infuses into their comedic brilliance.
NYLaughs is proud to present a celebration of India’s rich cultural influence on comedy, featuring comedians of Indian descent. For one week on Lincoln Center’s campus, various events will highlight the vibrant traditions and contemporary contributions of Indian culture throughout the arts. We promise an evening of laughter, enlightenment and karmic namaste on July 10 in Jaffe Drive which will be the delicious spicy side to the NYLaughs curated main course on July 13th in Damrosch Park, where audiences are invited to sample a comedic treat for an evening headlined by Aasif Mandvi, He’s joined by insightful comedian Hari Kondabolu, whose documentary about The Simpsons, The Problem with Apu, is used in school curriculums across the country and Aparna Nancherla, named one of “The 50 Funniest People Right Now” by Rolling Stone. Hosted by the also Emmy-nominated hilarious Kiran Deol, you won’t want to miss this enriching fall-out-of-your-chair event! Line-ups are subject to change.
For more info on this free performance and obtaining Fast Track tickets, check Lincoln Center for details here.
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NYLaughs is excited to be back this summer with its highly anticipated series of free comedy performances, offering New Yorkers a much-needed laughter intervention! NYLaughs is thrilled to join forces with Lincoln Center for it’s summer programming for our fourth year, a celebration of collaboration and giving back to the community. Our calendar has expanded to 8 nights. Now New Yorkers have a place to laugh every Wednesday at 8pm. Best of all, admission to all shows is free!
This remarkable program is made possible by the generous support of various organizations. In addition to Lincoln Center, NYLaughs would like to extend its gratitude to the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council for public funding; A.R.T./New York; A.R.T./New York’s NYC Small Theatres Fund made possible with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul. We thank the New York City Council for Discretionary Funding in addition to the Honorable Gale Brewer and Keith Powers for their ongoing support of NYLaughs’ programming and mission.
Please follow us for details on talent announcements. Talent line-ups are subject to change. Contact details and information for the public can be found by visiting www.nylaughs.org, calling 917-727-5233 or following NYLaughs on twitter / X @NYLaughs or Instagram #NYLaughs.
Lineup
Aasif Mandvi Headliner
Aasif Mandvi is currently a Series Regular on the one-hour drama, EVIL for Paramount+. Under his production banner, Fat Mama Productions, Mandvi is also the host, creator, and executive producer of WOULD I LIE TO YOU for the CW in partnership with “Evil” creators, Robert and Michelle King. He is widely known for his work as a correspondent on the multi Emmy-winning show, THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART. Mandvi is the recipient of the Peabody Award for his web series HALAL IN THE FAMILY, in which he starred, co-wrote and Executive Produced. HALAL garnered over 500 million media impressions within days upon launch and addressed, through parody and satire, Islamophobia.
Kiran Deol Host
Kiran is a comedian who was recently named one of Entertainment Weekly’s “11 Asian American Comics Who Killed It This Year.” As an actor, she starred on the NBC/Hulu comedy Sunnyside, in addition to other shows like How to Get Away with Murder and Modern Family. She’s a co-host on Crooked Media’s Hysteria podcast and a touring stand-up comedian who headlined the NY Comedy Festival, the Kennedy Center, and more. As a writer/director, Kiran has made films for HBO and Sundance, been nominated for an Emmy, and shortlisted for an Academy Award.
Hari Kondabolu
Hari Kondabolu is a comedian, writer and podcaster. The NY Times called him “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today” and described his 2018 Netflix special “Warn Your Relatives” as “an incisively funny and formally adventurous hour that reveals a comic in command of his powers.” It was named on many “Best of” lists, including for Time, Paste Magazine, Cosmopolitan, E! Online, and Mashable. He was also named one of 2018 “Comics To Watch” by Variety. He currently co-hosts the Netflix food competition show “Snack vs. Chef” with Megan Stalter. In 2017, his truTV documentary “The Problem with Apu” was released and created a global conversation about race and representation. The Nation described it as “a devastating critique of the ultimate comedic sacred cow: The Simpsons.” It is now used in high school, college and grad school curriculums around the country.
Hari has also released two comedy albums, “Waiting for 2042” & “Mainstream American Comic”. Additionally, he has performed on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with David Letterman and among many others. He is also a former writer & correspondent on the much loved, Chris Rock produced FX show “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.”
A regular on the public radio, Hari is a regular panelist on the NPR game show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me.” As a podcaster, he co-hosted the popular “Politically Reactive” with W. Kamau Bell. He is a former immigrant rights organizer in Seattle who worked under the leadership of now-Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Hari also earned a Masters in Human Rights from the London School of Economics in 2008. He was the “Artist In Residence” at NYU’s APA Institute for the 2014-2015 Academic Year and at Shangri La Museum in Honolulu in 2018.
Aparna Nancherla
Aparna Nancherla is an acclaimed comedian, writer, and actor. Praised by critics and fans alike for her distinctive dry, existential, and whimsical sense of humor, Aparna has toured her standup comedy extensively around the U.S. and the world. A true multi-hyphenate, Aparna’s work spans film, TV, podcasts, and books. Aparna presently hosts “The Introvert’s Survival Guide,” a new eight-part self-help interview podcast that premiered on Audible via Fresh Produce Media, which features a plethora of notable guests such as Seth Meyers, Elyse Myers, and Eric Smith. On TV, Aparna has starred in many memorable roles on such series as Peacock’s LOPEZ VS LOPEZ, Max’s SEARCH PARTY, Netflix’s SPACE FORCE and BOJACK HORSEMAN, and Comedy Central’s CORPORATE. Her TV stand up appearances include Netflix’s THE STANDUPS, HBO’s TWO DOPE QUEENS, and Comedy Central’s THE HALF HOUR. Aparna’s late-night standup debut was on TBS’s CONAN in 2013 and she was one of the breakout “New Faces” at the prestigious JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL in Montreal. She’s since made appearances on THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT, LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS, and THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN.
Asif Ali
Asif Ali is currently starring in the forthcoming Hulu series, “Deli Boys.” He started his career as a club grown comic & improviser who has become a heavily credited tv/film actor. He’s appeared on the Emmy Nominated series Disney+ Marvel WandaVision, The Mandalorian, Netflix Bojack Horseman, & more. When he isn’t acting, Asif is touring with Jo Koy honing his craft in preparation for his comedy special. Standup is his first love & his bits have been featured on Comedy Central, Netflix is aJoke Fest, and FOX.
