Desi invasion: 4 other comedians to know ahead of Dubai Comedy Festival

Courtesy Atul Khatri

Courtesy Kenneth Sebastian

Photo by Faizan Patel

Four top names from India will join local stand-up comedian Nitin Mirani for the Dubai Comedy Festival for a series of shows on Saturday October 17.

• Desi Invasion is on Saturday at Skydive Dubai from 8pm, doors open at 6pm. Tickets cost from Dh125 at www.dubaicomedyfest.ae

Abish Mathew

He has performed at the New York Comedy Club and is best-known for his YouTube series Son of Abish. But it is his regular appearances with comedy troupe All India Bakchod that cemented his popularity. Mathew, who last performed in Dubai in January, says he keeps his jokes clean so his parents can enjoy them.

Atul Khatri

Don’t be fooled by the salt-and-pepper hair and engineering degree. Khatri has found his niche as a mature entertainer, who does not rely on toilet humour to get laughs. From discussing his Indian-Pakistani roots to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, nothing will be off the table in his routine.

Kenneth Sebastian

"Kenny" – who rarely appears on stage without his guitar – likes to compare the quirks of his countrymen with people from other cultures. Sebastian says he knew what he wanted to do when he saw Jerry Seinfeld on the American TV show Seinfeld. With the boom of YouTube streaming, Sebastian began testing his material at comedy clubs in Mumbai and Bangalore, after which he began performing in comedy clubs in the United States.

Neeti Palta

Palta stumbled into comedy when she volunteered to do an improv piece in a show by Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood (stars of Whose Line Is it Anyway?), when it was touring India six years ago. Her comic timing was appreciated and there was no going back (to her career in advertising and writing for Galli Galli Sim Sim, India's version of Sesame Street). In a male-dominated industry, Palta stands out for her satirical observations on India's patriarchal society.