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# Desi Comedy Fest SoCal Tour – Hollywood Improv
**America's largest South Asian comedy festival comes to Hollywood!**
Get ready for an unforgettable night of stand-up comedy as Desi Comedy Fest brings 6 hilarious comedians to Hollywood Improv! From sharp cultural observations to outrageous personal stories, this lineup delivers diverse perspectives, unique comedic styles, and plenty of laughs.
## MEET THE COMEDIANS
**PARDIS PARKER**
Pardis Parker is a Canadian comedian, writer, actor, and filmmaker of Afghan heritage. He is the creator and star of Comedy Central's Mideast Minute, a 6-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee, and a frequent guest on Comedy Central's @midnight. He has performed stand-up at TED2021 and TED2022, and his comedy clips have amassed over 100 million views online. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and McSweeney's, while his films and music videos have earned over 80 awards and distinctions.
**ZAHID DEWJI**
Zahid Dewji is a New York City-based stand-up comedian and writer known for his sharp wit, clever observations, and irreverent humor. Born in Queens to East African Indian immigrant parents and raised in Houston, Zahid brings a unique multicultural perspective to his comedy. He is a former staff writer for NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and served as head writer for the Roast of Bert Kreischer and Roast of Whitney Cummings. He has toured with Whitney Cummings and Noel Miller, and his debut comedy special, Where Is God?, is available on YouTube.
**ALIYA KANANI**
Aliya Kanani is a Toronto-based comedian, actress, and writer known for her playful delivery, sharp wit, and comedy exploring identity, culture, and belonging. The daughter of Indian parents and raised across multiple countries, Aliya brings a global perspective to her stand-up. She has performed at Just For Laughs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Sydney Comedy Festival. Her award-winning solo show, Where You FROM, From?, has sold out at international festivals. As an actress, she earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination for her performance in Scarborough.
**DJ SANDHU**
DJ Sandhu is a Sacramento-based comedian whose razor-sharp wit, absurd observations, and unmistakable stage presence have made him a favorite with audiences across North America. He has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the World Series of Comedy, and shared the stage with Russell Peters, Theo Von, Sinbad, and Tommy Davidson. Born to Punjabi parents, DJ turns cultural identity, travel mishaps, and everyday absurdities into unforgettable laughs.
**SAMSON KOLETKAR**
Samson Koletkar, aka Mahatma Moses, is the world's only Indian Jewish stand-up comedian. His comedy blends his Indian upbringing, Jewish roots, and American life with wit, warmth, and a refreshingly clean style. He has performed across the U.S., Canada, and India, and has been featured on NPR, NBC, CBS, NDTV, and The Times of India. Samson is the co-founder of Desi Comedy Fest and founder of Comedy Oakland, voted Best Comedy Night by East Bay Express from 2016–2025.
**ABHAY NADKARNI**
Abhay Nadkarni is a third-culture comedian born in Delhi, raised in Doha and Bangalore, and now navigating American absurdity with a global perspective. Featured as a New Face at Montreal's prestigious Just For Laughs festival, Abhay has also performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. With over 100,000 online followers, his comedy combines silly jokes with sharp observations. His debut comedy special, Brown Jesus, is streaming on Amazon Prime. Abhay is the co-founder of Desi Comedy Fest.
## ABOUT DESI COMEDY FEST
Founded in 2014 by comedians Samson Koletkar and Abhay Nadkarni, Desi Comedy Fest is America's largest South Asian comedy festival.
What began as a San Francisco Bay Area comedy festival has grown into a nationally touring celebration of South Asian comedic talent, entertaining audiences in New York, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Texas, and beyond.
The festival showcases comedians from diverse backgrounds, bringing audiences together through humor that explores family, relationships, marriage, immigration, cultural identity, and the universal absurdities of everyday life.
**You don't have to be South Asian to get the jokes. You just have to love great comedy!**
**All performances are in English.**
Whether you're planning a date night, an evening with friends, or looking for live entertainment in Hollywood and Los Angeles, Desi Comedy Fest brings together an exceptional lineup of comedians for a night filled with laughter.
**One stage. 6 comedians. Countless laughs.**
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3896532-0
Facebook: https://go.evvnt.com/3896532-2
Instagram: https://go.evvnt.com/3896532-3
YouTube: https://go.evvnt.com/3896532-4
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3896532-5
