Comedian and writer Nimesh Patel is set to premiere his new stand-up comedy special, Instant Karma, on Netflix on Tuesday, April 1st.
Instant Karma marks Patel’s first hour on Netflix following a set on their stand-up series Verified Stand-Up and several independent specials. Directed by Mookie Thompson, it sees him dive deep into the experience of growing up as a first-generation Indian American. Nimesh, the loveable outlaw of his family, breaks down his relationship with his traditional parents, the mischief he caused as a kid, and whether or not he’s become a better person now that he’s an adult (he hasn’t).
Patel filmed the hour at NYU’s Skirball Center, where he studied pre-med and finance before pivoting to stand-up, and jokes, “My parents spent $200,000 for me to get a degree in finance. Zero return on that investment.”
Over the past four years, Patel has toured more than 80 cities, with social media clips from his journey amassing hundreds of millions of views. His YouTube hours Thank You China, a nod to his use of TikTok to spread his stand-up, and Lucky Lefty, an hour about having testicular cancer “for three business days,” have also together garnered millions of views.
Patel became the first Indian-American writer on Saturday Night Live in 2017, that same year writing for Hasan Minhaj when he hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner. He also wrote for Chris Rock when he hosted the Academy Awards, was a writer on Season 2 of NBC’s A Little Late with Lilly Singh, and served as a producer on the hit TBS series Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.
