The Funny Indian Newsletter, Vol. 210
March 2024: First Quarter
Welcome
Welcome to The Funny Indian Newsletter!
I know you almost certainly will NOT be in New York City on Thursday, May 9th, but the great thing about NYC is that we all know at least ONE person there. Could you please, pretty please, with sugar on top, forward this email to your friends in that great metropolis? And if you ARE there, come?
Why? Because I’m screening the standup special that I shot in LA+Cincinnati!
Of course, I'm doing a lot of marketing, but in my experience, the most effective method is when good people like YOU encourage your people to come.
The link is at FunnyIndian.com. That also includes a bunch of info about me. These three videos are on the ticketing page, but just in case your friends have no idea who the heck I am (and hey, they're good for a laugh)...
2-min I AM INDIAN video.
4-min standup about doctors at Hollywood Laugh Factory.
9-min standup opening clip from my Dry Bar special, just released.
I'm not posting this publicly, but as a show of my appreciation, your folks can use the code IGot5OnIt for an extra $5 off. And anyone who buys anytime in March with the code will get the early bird special of $17.85 (including all fees).
And now, my Musings and Updates. Read on to see where I’m appearing publicly and which two comedians I’m crossing paths with this month… Enjoy.
Musings
96th Academy Awards Best Picture Review
Contains NO Plot Spoilers
Whew. I finished watching all 10 films nominated for Best Picture from 2023 just in time for the Oscars. My rankings:
Oppenheimer. 98%.
Anatomy of a Fall. 91%.
The Zone of Interest. 90%.
Poor Things. 89%.
The Holdovers. 88%.
Past Lives. 87%.
American Fiction. 80%.
Killers of the Flower Moon. 75%.
Barbie. 67%.
Maestro. 65%.
I wouldn’t recommend doing what I did, watching all but one of the Best Picture nominees in the span of three weeks. It’s like eating nine rich desserts in a row, instead of spacing out that hazelnut ice cream sandwich, molten lava cake, salted caramel pie, classic tiramisu, peanut butter crunch, croissant pudding, jumbo brownie, sacher torte, and gulab jamun.
And these flicks are pretty rich. What they can do with movies today is astounding. This is the year they restored my faith in the medium. For some time now, I’ve been upset that cinema was dead. But they’re back. And as my brother, Vikas, told me, it’s no coincidence that it’s inversely proportional to the comic book bombs. (It’s about time.) These feature films are a reminder of how much better movies are than television. There’s a reason there’s a big screen for them.
Click here to finish reading on Substack.
Updates
See
Future:
03/29: Ali Malik & The Homies @ Haha Comedy Cafe (N. Hollywood, CA)
04/11: Adam & Friends @ State Social House (Hollywood, CA)
04/16: Private Event @ The Hollywood Improv (W. Hollywood, CA)
04/17: Cinnamon @ Emerson College (Hollywood, CA)
04/20*: Bollywood! @ the Fitton Center (Hamilton, OH)
*Super excited to come home to my birthplace to MC this Bollywood program my Mom is organizing! It’s a family affair. Of course, Brown people know all about Bollywood. The uniqueness of this event is it’s meant to be an introduction for everyone (from Black to White) who’s ever wanted to know more about Bollywood. (The Bo-Curious?) Tickets WILL sell out. Get yours today!
04/26: Opening for Hasan Minhaj @ Brady Music Center (Cincinnati, OH) (pic)
05/04: My Friends Are Funny @ Lightbox Theater (San Diego, CA)
05/09: Standup Comedy Special Screening (New York, NY)
Past:
03/01: The Joker’s Wild — Parkwest Bicycle Casino (LA, CA)
03/06: The Ice House (Pasadena, CA)
03/08: The She-Suite Summit (Virtual)
03/19: Cinnamon @ Emerson College (Hollywood, CA)
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Laugh
Since this is a FUNNY Indian Newsletter, I present here the 5 funny things that I saw, heard, wrote, or remembered for the last month... otherwise known as FIVE - Funny Indian's V Events.
5. My all-time favorite tennis player Andre Agassi reveals his secret for how he consistently beat Boris Becker. Apparently, Boris was speechless. Guess the cat had his tongue.
4. What’s going on in Pennsylvania? Sen. John Fetterman and Gov. Josh Shapiro are both funny. Great current pop culture dig against my wife’s state.
3. This is the one I saw live…
2. I rarely share a street joke but this felt relevant…
1. Dre’s Anatomy. Though maybe Dr. Dre should’ve been the only doctor. Snoop Dogg could’ve been the emotional support animal. 50 Cent the tip. And Eminem the twist on the Junior Mint in the operating theater.
Close
THANK YOU to all of you for your support. You are my true core of fans — I couldn't do this without you.
Love,
- Rajiv