Neel Nanda (1991-2023) was an American-Indian stand-up comedian who gained fame for his performances on the shows ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (2015) and Comedy Central’s show ‘Adam Devine’s House Party’ (2019). He died on 24 December 2023.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Neel Nanda was born in 1991 (age 32 years; at the time of death) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. to Indian immigrant parents. He developed a love for comedy as a child, watching shows like ‘Adam Devine’s House Party’ on Comedy Central and sharing his favourite jokes with friends in middle school. Once, during a media conversation, he revealed that he began writing his jokes when he was in high school. He 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.”
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Madhu Sudan Nanda, and his mother’s name is Meenu Nanda. He has an elder sister named Vani Nanda.
Wife
Neel Nanda was unmarried.
Relationships/Affairs
He was in a relationship with Emily Carver.
Signature
Career
Neel Nanda began performing at stand-up comedy shows when he was 19 years old and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2013 to pursue a career in standup comedy.
In LA, Neel quickly gained recognition for his performances at various TV series such as “The Laugh Factory,” “The Comedy Store,” “The Improv,” “The Ice House,” “The Comedy Bar,” and “Just For Laughs Gags.” He went on to tour 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 played a gay Indian guy dating Riki Lindhome.
Neel also featured on various American TV shows, making his first appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2015. During the show, he shared humorous stories about his Indian parents, his girlfriend, and his aspirations in rap.
In 2016, Neel Nanda appeared on Comedy Central’s “Adam Devine’s House Party” in which he acted as a rapper named Lil Neel. He also featured on MTV’s “Acting Out” that year and reenacted some of his stand-up jokes with well-known actors. In Viceland’s “Flophouse” in 2016, Neel Nanda was featured at an LA house party. He 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 talked about comedy and life on Amazon Prime’s “Inside Joke.” In an interview that year, he listed the shows where he performed as a stand-up 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.”
Neel Nanda also hosted a weekly show titled “Unnecessary Evil” at the Westside Comedy Theater in Los Angeles.
Death
In 2023, Neel Nanda celebrated his 32nd birthday with a comedy performance at a club in Toronto. He promoted his “birthday weekend” show at Toronto’s “Jokers Theatre” and “Comedy Club” on Instagram. He died on 24 December 2023, and his family and girlfriend wished to keep the details of his death private. The cause of his death was not disclosed as per the request of his family and girlfriend. [1]Variety His manager, Greg Weiss, confirmed the death news in a media statement and 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.”
Facts/Trivia
- He followed a non-vegetarian diet. [2]Neel Nanda’s Instagram Post
- Neel Nanda was an animal lover. He had a pet dog and frequently shared pictures of his pet on various social media platforms.
- During his free time, he enjoyed travelling to faraway destinations, dancing, hiking, scuba diving, and swimming.
- Neel Nanda occasionally smoked cigarettes.
- He was seen drinking alcohol on different occasions.
References
↑1 | Variety |
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↑2 | Neel Nanda’s Instagram Post |