The Funny Indian Newsletter, Vol. 225
June 2025: No Kings But Short Kings
Welcome
Welcome to The Funny Indian Newsletter!
Here are my Musings and my Updates…
Musings
Continuing My Series on Happiness… here are some tips on things to do:
#1: Be optimistic. Yes, some of this is in your genes. But optimism is a mindset and it can be learned through practice. Optimists have more fun. Sure, we're spectacularly wrong sometimes, but only at the end. We have a lot more good times during the journey, which is the majority of the ride, anyway. The end is short. To wit: I was doing standup in the Belly Room at The Comedy Store here in LA. The show was Crack’EmUp Thursdays; most of the room was Black. I asked this woman in the front row, “What’s your favorite movie?” She replied flamboyantly, “My life’s a movie, baby.” Big laugh. I waited. And then: “Well, I hate to ruin it, but you die at the end.” Huge laugh. Including her. From a performance standpoint, it was a massive risk. But philosophically, it’s not something she didn’t already know. She knows she dies at the end. However, she’s living her best life right now. My advice to you? Be like that Black woman in the front row.
I’ll one-up myself: I was in the crowd when my old roommate, comic Hasan Minhaj, interviewed TV legend Norman Lear. His most outstanding piece of advice was this: live your life as if the world were created just for you. That blue sky? For you. That cool car that just shot down the street? For you. You don’t have to “own” it. It’s still here for your enjoyment. It's a spectacular point-of-view.
Of course, I suppose it has its limitations. As the old joke goes:
The Smiths are heading out to work in the morning.
Across the street, they see another couple, the Joneses.
Mr. Jones brings Mrs. Jones in for a kiss and lays a passionate one on her that goes on for 15 seconds.
Scowling, Mrs. Smith asks, “How come you never do that?”
“Because I don’t know her that well.”
Click here to finish on Substack.
Updates
See
Future:
07/15: The Nitecap (Burbank, CA) — Gonna record this one!
Past:
06/01: Akshaya Patra Gala (Boston, MA)
06/07: HaHa Comedy Club (N. Hollywood, CA)
Like
Years ago, an Imran worked on a committee to throw a Diwali party here in LA. I walked up to him and told him I'd never seen a Muslim involved in a Hindu event; moreover, the next time they plan a Muslim event, I'd love to join. Our community needs more of that, especially with everything going on in the world. Imran and I ended up becoming friends.
So when Publicist Anita Chatterjee-Varma graciously extended an invitation for me to attend an Eid event at The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., I changed my flight to go into DCA instead of LGA—and most everyone who knows me knows NY is my favorite city in the world (hence the hat). Though I always welcome the opportunity to return to my old stompin' grounds of our nation's capital, it was a bit of a sacrifice: I cut my time in the Big Apple to two days and missed meeting my brothers.
Still, it was worth it. Thanks, Anita, for all the introductions to many fine people (on both sides) and for publicly recognizing me in front of this eclectic group.
So many of our best ideas are both selfless and selfish: Selfishly, I wanted to meet PBS NewsHour Co-Host Amna Nawaz, and hang with Deli Boys Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh. Selflessly, I thought it important that the creator of the I AM INDIAN video stand in solidarity with our Muslim friends. And watch the NBA playoffs. Super fun hanging with Asif & Saagar's cousins+friends, grabbing dinner with the two of them, and watching basketball into the night. Be sure to tune in to watch Deli Boys on Hulu and visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Eid Mubarak!
Ask
Who are the top South Asian standup comics from North America*?
Click here for some great answers on Facebook.
Ask
I was moderating a panel at a corporate gig when somebody asked... "What if we don't want to move up? What if we just want to do a good job in our current role?" I gotta say. That option has never occurred to me in my life. I don't know if it's the Indian or the American in me, but I can never imagine being satisfied with my current station. Happy, yes. Content, no. Anyone else like this or am I sick in the head? Guess you could answer "yes" to both.
Click here for some great answers on LinkedIn.
Like
This organization finally booked me to give my happiness talk, #Gruntled.
The contact said, “The only hesitation I had was whether people would listen to you. After all, you’re giving advice, but you’re this funny, handsome, successful man with a beautiful family and home.”
I replied, “You know the only thing I’m gonna take out of this is that you called me handsome.”
Like
May 2025 was the craziest travel month I've ever had…
Here are the moments from the road and some I missed at home, some of which began in April...
17 April: My Dad's brother Vimal Satyal and his wife Barbara Powell flew in from Brisbane.
1 May: We had Ami & Sagir and their parents over.
2 May: Show at The Lyric Hyperion.
3 May: Party at home.
4 May: We took Vim 'n Babs to LAX for their return flight.
6 May: IFFLA.
7 May: I flew from LA to Florence, Italy.
8 May: I drove from Florence to Poppi (Tuscany).
9 May: I emceed a Haldi and Sangeet for an Indian (obviously) wedding.
10 May: I emceed and performed standup for the wedding.
11 May: Show - Green Mic Comedy - Paris, France.
12 May: After shoe shopping and a stop at Angelina for petit dejeuner, I flew back to LA.
13 May: I spent one night in LA to see Harsha's parents and say goodbye to our wonderful tenant, Landyn Zane.
14 May: I flew to Chicago O'Hare to drop my Mom off to see her friends (the Jains) and then flew to DC to attend an Eid event at The Smithsonian, hanging with Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh into the night.
15 May: I flew to NY.
16 May: I went to the New York Stock Exchange.
17 May: I flew to Chicago to go to the ISKCON Temple with Hema Malini.
18 May: Show for the ISKCON Temple.
19 May: Hung with our Chicago friends.
20 May: We flew back to LA.
21 May: Lunch with my publicist Fred Anderson.
24 May: Saturday Faturday Neighbor Hang.
25 May: Short film shoot with Conan's head writer, followed by a hang with the Dhamijas.
30 May: I flew to Boston and did karaoke till 5 AM.
31 May: I hung with friends.
1 June: I did my 29th show for Akshaya Patra USA.
2 June: I'm flying home from Boston to LA.
Click for the full post on Facebook and on Instagram.
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. Enjoy.
FINALLY. Spaceballs 2!
Bill Maher at it again.
The Director who shot a sketch I was in sent me one of his previous sketches. All parents who’ve had teenagers will probably relate.
Throwback to a Louis C.K. classic: Clifford the Big Red Dog.
An oldie but goldie. Santino tells a Jewish joke.
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