Desi SNL is a live sketch comedy show celebrating South Asian culture, performed on stage in New York City. Created and directed by Azhar Bande-Ali, the show brings together writers, actors, and comedians from the diaspora to make people laugh at the things we all recognize but nobody's said out loud. Our debut run in November 2025 sold out four shows.
"A lively act of cultural translation... gleefully inhabits the grammar of American late-night comedy while infusing it with the textures, tensions, and tonalities of diaspora life."
"It's a funny, warm and joyful experience."
"Amplifying voices that are underrepresented in US media with well-honed humor."
Photos from the November 2025 debut. • Nader Farzan
Photos from April 2026 Episode 2. • Nader Farzan