Comedy Karma

When Aliya Kanani was growing up, she dreamed of becoming an actress, but there was one problem: film and television rarely featured anyone who looked like her. In the season finale of Comedy Karma, host Aditya sits down with Aliya Kanani, the Canadian Screen Award-nominated comedian and actress, to talk about embracing her Tanzanian-Indian-Canadian identity, becoming a touring comedian, and what...

As a late bloomer to the comedy scene, Fady Kassab arrived almost fully formed. Within just a couple of years of performing, he was winning awards, selling out shows, and sharing stages with some of Australia’s most acclaimed comedians. With sharp wit and fearless honesty, Fady has carved out a distinct voice in the Australian comedy landscape. In this episode of Comedy Karma, Fady shares lessons...

After the sudden passing of a close relative, Stella Wu had a realisation: 'What’s the point? We’re all going to die anyway.' That thought pushed her to quit her stable banking job and enrol in a comedy course - and she hasn’t looked back since. Now, she’s shaking up the Australian comedy scene. Defying her 'womanly duties', dismantling cultural norms, and making sure racists know that she definit...

Guneet Kaur’s mum reckons The Age’s comedy reviewers must be dishing out five stars to everyone - but despite the skepticism at home, Guneet is making waves in the comedy scene. In this episode of Comedy Karma she shares the backstory to the jokes earning her glowing reviews. Guneet joins Aditya to talk about navigating cultural expectations, her evolving relationship with her heritage, and the fi...

Growing up in refugee camps in Sudan, Joe White could never have imagined the incredible success that awaited him. In this episode, Joe sits down with Aditya to share his inspiring story - from playing soccer with migrant kids to selling out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and eventually performing stand-up comedy on stage at the Opera House. In this episode you'll hear Joe's best jokes on...

In her late teens, Mae Da moved from Iran to Australia. From awkward attempts at modest uniforms to navigating high school mean girls, the culture shock of starting over in a foreign country hit hard. Years later, she’s turned pain into punchlines - using comedy as a powerful tool for healing, connection, and laughter. In this episode of Comedy Karma, Mae Da shares her journey into stand-up, and t...

Paul Ndungu believes Kenyans are among the world’s finest storytellers. In this episode of Comedy Karma, he joins Aditya to unpack the stereotypes he's had to challenge since moving to Australia. Paul chats about braving the Adelaide comedy scene, his family's memories of Kenya's independence, and the irony of having his first "third-world" experience as an economic migrant.

What happens when someone asks about your "breed" instead of ethnicity? Comedian William Wang turns awkward encounters into comedy gold while exploring themes of cultural identity, the one-child policy's impact, and why some audiences don't always appreciate his humor.

Shash's father prides himself on having a son living in Australia, it's a shame that he quit his corporate job for comedy though. In the second episode of season two Aditya chats to Indian Australian comedian Shash Kapur.

Ting Lim had never imagined the lessons she had learnt from her Malaysian mother would come in handy when she moved to Australia.

Since moving to Adelaide from Delhi at the age of twenty-one, Chetan Singh has been a runner-up at the prestigious RAW comedy competition and opened for some of the biggest names in Indian comedy. We listen to some of his best jokes, including one about his attempts to destroy small talk in Australia. He talks to Aditya about finding white men with long hair intimidating, the joys of catching the...

Sami Shah is an award-winning stand-up comedian, presenter and author. We listen to some of his brilliant jokes, including one about being cat-fished into coming to Australia. Sami and Aditya chat about being told to be grateful for living in Australia, feeling more at home in the USA, Sami’s sixty-minute debut performance, why he thinks Melbourne has the worst comedy audiences and much more. Warn...

Urvi Majumdar moved to Australia from Calcutta when she was six. She is now a full-time stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter. We listen to some of her jokes, including one about why she hated eating fruits when she was growing up. She talks to Aditya about changing her name, struggling with adjusting in Australia as a shy kid with an Indian accent, seeing the positive side of her dad’s obsess...

Krutika Harale was headhunted by an Australian company while living the digital nomad life in Bali. She is a stand-up comedian, graphic designer and writer who grew up in Mumbai and now lives in Melbourne. We listen to her jokes, including the viral hit about her learning how to steal in Australia. She talks to Aditya about a graduation ceremony that made her want to move to the US, attracting thi...

You might have seen or heard the work of comedian, writer and actor Suren Jayemanne on SBS’ Celebrity Letters & Numbers, ABC’s Question Everything, Tonightly and more. He has performed solo shows at the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals, the Adelaide Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe. Suren’s Sri Lankan parents moved to Australia in the eighties. He grew up in Sydney and is now a professional stand-...

Award-winning comedian, screenwriter and actor Sunanda Sachatrakul was born in India, raised in Bangkok, and lived in New York and Los Angeles before making Naarm Melbourne her home. She decided to leave the USA for Australia after Trump came to power. We listen to some of her jokes, including one about giving interviews in an American accent. She talks to Aditya about coming out as queer to her f...

Amna Bee is a Pakistani-Canadian-Australian stand-up comedian and writer who feels at home wherever she goes. Her solo comedy show has received rave reviews across Australia. We listen to some of her brilliant jokes, including one about why she hates new age Yoga studios. She talks to Aditya about the similarities between Australia and Pakistan, growing up with abusive humour, landing in Canada a...

When he moved to Australia, Suraj Kolarkar was a pro at dodging dusters and chalk in classrooms. Suraj has acted in big-budget Hollywood shows like Shantaram and God's Favourite Idiot; he hosted the podcast 'My First Year in Australia' on SBS and is a full-time stand-up comedian. We listen to some of his favourite jokes, including one about the similarities between Jesus and Sachin Tendulkar. Sura...

Sri Lanka-born Sashi Perera has garnered millions of views for her comedy videos online, which led to her receiving a lot of hate and love. We listen to Sashi’s jokes, including one about her remembering a racist song she once sang in school. She talks to Aditya about setting boundaries between the Sri Lankan community, working as a refugee lawyer, realising she can date other ethnicities, facing...

Dr Ahmed Kazmi brings new meaning to the term slashie. He's a Dermatologist, GP, comedian and cabaret artist who's based in Melbourne. His recent stand up shows include 'Dr Ahmed Gets Hitched: My Big Fat Gay Greek Pakistani Wedding' and 'Taste of Your Own Medicine: The Doctor’s Turn Being the Patient'. In this first episode of Comedy Karma, Dr Ahmed chats with host Aditya Gautam about his singing...

Join the ever-curious stand-up comedian Aditya Gautam as he chuckles along with Australia's funniest comedians from the South Asian diaspora. They exchange jokes, stories, gossip, life lessons, and a little good karma.