| Neel Nanda was an American-Indian stand-up comedian. He came into the limelight with his performances on the shows ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (2015) and Comedy Central’s “Adam Devine’s House Party” (2019). He died on 24 December 2023 in Los Angeles, California. |
| He was born in Atlanta to immigrant Indian parents. His love for comedy started when he was a kid. He used to watch Comedy Central’s “Adam Devine’s House Party” and share his favourite jokes with friends in middle school. Neel once talked about his love for comedy during a media conversation. Neel Nanda said, 'When I was in high school I started writing my own jokes using the structure of some of the jokes I had previously stolen. I filled up a notebook of jokes and didn’t realize until college that I could go to an open mic and tell them.' |
| Neel Nanda started appearing in stand-up comedy shows when he was 19 years old. |
| In 2013, Neel Nanda moved to Los Angeles, California, and began his career as a stand-up comedian. He quickly gained recognition in many LA comedy stages after he performed at various comedy platforms such as “The Laugh Factory,” “The Comedy Store,” “The Improv,” “The Ice House,” “The Comedy Bar,” and “Just For Laughs.” He then toured across the country with many popular comedians like Adam DeVine, Ron Funches, Eric Andre, and Iliza Shlesinger. |
| In 2014, he starred on IFC’s “Garfunkel and Oates Show” where he performed as a gay Indian guy who was dating Riki Lindhome. |
| Neel Nanda also showcased his talent on several American television shows and networks and made his TV debut on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show in 2015. There, he delivered a funny set about his Indian parents, his girlfriend, and his rap dreams. |
| In 2016, he appeared on Comedy Central’s show titled “Adam Devine’s House Party” and played a rapper named Lil Neel. His TV appearances continued with MTV’s show “Acting Out” in 2016, where he reenacted some of his stand-up jokes with some renowned actors. |
| In 2016, Viceland’s Flophouse featured Neel Nanda at an LA house party. Neel had a stand-up special on Hulu’s show “Coming to the Stage” in 2017, where he cracked jokes about his gay experiences, his girlfriend’s magic wand, and his love for pineapple juice. |
| In 2018, Neel Nanda shared his insights and stories about comedy and life on Amazon Prime’s “Inside Joke.” In the same year, during a media interview, Neel Nanda counted the shows he had appeared as a standup comedian. He said, 'I’ve always wanted to do a set on late night, and ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ was my first choice. So the fact that it came together kind of blew my mind. I’ve performed on other networks like Comedy Central, Hulu, Viceland, etc., but ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ was the first place I performed where my parents were a fan of the host.' |
| Later, Neel Nanda hosted a weekly show titled “Unnecessary Evil” at the Westside Comedy Theater in Los Angeles. |
| In 2023, Neel celebrated his 32nd birthday by performing at a comedy club in Toronto. He had also promoted his 'birthday weekend' show at Toronto’s “Jokers Theatre” and “Comedy Club” on Instagram. Nanda’s family and girlfriend requested not to disclose the details of his death. His manager, Greg Weiss, confirmed his death in a media statement on 24 December 2023. |
| Weiss said, 'My client of over 11 years has passed. Neel was not (only a) great comic (but) a good friend and a fantastic human being.' |
