Three Indian American comedians — Rajiv Satyal, Azhar Usman and Hari Kondabolu — are heading to India for a seven-city tour next month by invitation of the U.S. Department of State, as part of a goodwill program to promote better relations among diverse countries and religious faiths.
“Make Chai Not War,” starring the trio, will perform in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ranchi and Patna Jan. 4 to 19. “I have visited India many times, but I am especially excited to be bringing ‘Make Chai Not War’ to my parents’ country,” Satyal, a Hindu who created the show with his Muslim comedian friend Usman, stated in a press release.
“Sharing a laugh is universally one of the most powerfully positive experiences on the planet. I hope people will come with an open mind. We are coming not only to talk, but to listen.”“Make Chai Not War” has been breaking down cultural barriers since 2007, when it premiered at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. to predominantly Hindu and Muslim audience members, many of whom were not used to seeing comedians of their respective ethnicities making good-natured jokes about their religions.
The following year, a sold-out performance in neighboring Arlington, Virginia, caught the attention of the State Department. “By offending everyone equally, they seemed to offend no one,” wrote Ralph Dannheisser on America.gov. “The audience laughed at the observational humor, and even louder when the comics occasionally emphasized a point by using a Hindi or Urdu word.”
Usman said that he and his colleagues are sensitive to cultural differences between the United States and India, and will take extra care not to offend, at least not intentionally. "I am a believing, practicing Muslim," said Usman, who is based in Chicago. "This, to me, means that I won’t do sacrilegious, blasphemous or heretical material. I will, however, make fun of human stupidity, narrow-mindedness and religious fundamentalism. The key is to tap into issues that everyone can relate to and find what’s funny.”
“As with all live comedy, there is an element of trial and error,” said Kondabolu, a Hindu who lives in New York. “In terms of knowing the differences between Indian and U.S. culture, that's tricky because there is no singular American or Indian culture. Both are complicated nations and India is one of the most diverse places in the world. I really don't know what to expect, and that is both scary and very exciting for a performer.”
The upcoming show in India will comprise just Muslim and Hindu comedians because of the historical relationship between those faiths in South Asia, where tensions have sometimes erupted in violence.
Usman and Satyal believe that those incidents typically involve more radical factions, whereas the vast majority of Muslims and Hindus have lived together in harmony for centuries. Satyal hopes to experience some of that harmony, during the upcoming tour. “There would be a lot less trouble in the world if people could learn to not take themselves so seriously,” he said.
Satyal is “The Funny Indian” from Ohio whose witty, universal, and TV-clean act resonates with Middle America by covering everything from racial issues to soap bottles and politics. A former Procter & Gamble marketer, he has repeatedly opened for Dave Chappelle, Tim Allen, Kevin Nealon and Russell Peters.
He co-founded the world-touring “Make Chai, Not War” and “Funny ‘Cause It’s True,” a marketing consulting program based on humor. He has been featured on national TV and radio, in The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.
He does standup at over 40 colleges annually and appears regularly at major comedy clubs in Los Angeles. Usman is co-founder of the internationally acclaimed “Allah Made Me Funny – The Official Muslim Comedy Tour,” and has performed in over a dozen countries on five continents.
He was born and raised in Chicago by parents who emigrated from India. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago and The University of Minnesota Law School.
Kondabolu was born and raised in Queens, New York. He attended both Bowdoin College and Wesleyan University, graduating from the former with a B.A. in comparative politics in 2004. A former immigrant rights organizer in Seattle, he also earned a masters in human rights from the London School of Economics in 2008.
Kondabolu has appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” John Liver’s New York Standup Show and at the 2007 HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.