BY SONAM MIRPURI
SAN FRANCISCO, CA-Sanjit Singh Nalwa, University of California, Berkeley graduate, better known as Sanj, 23, tried his hand at an assortment of entertainment related industries he thought would fit well; however, after attempting those career paths he realized they were not...
SAN FRANCISCO, CA-Sanjit Singh Nalwa, University of California, Berkeley graduate, better known as Sanj, 23, tried his hand at an assortment of entertainment related industries he thought would fit well; however, after attempting those career paths he realized they were not...
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for him. Therefore utilizing his prior experiences and figuring out which aspects he enjoyed and which he disliked, Nalwa persisted in his journey for the career that would be the most fulfilling.
“I originally thought about possibly pursuing acting, but quickly realized that I enjoyed the idea of acting more than acting itself. I acted a little when I was young, and then some more when I was older. I really didn’t like reading from a script. It felt unnatural. I realized that acting did not allow me to embrace my individuality in the way that best allowed for creative expression,” said Nalwa.
Coming to terms with the fact that his first career choice was not the best fit, he continued in his search to find the best career match for himself.
“That’s when I turned more towards music, as I had always loved singing. I’ve been singing for most of my life,” said Nalwa.
In an attempt to better himself for the possibility of a career in the music industry, Nalwa found a career possibility which he had never previously considered.
“I started standup comedy as a way to improve my stage presence for music. I ended up enjoying it and have done it ever since,” said Nalwa.
After many trials and errors, Nalwa finally came to the realization that comedy and being a standup comedian is the best fit in careers for him.
“I chose this industry because I enjoy that standup, is much more cerebral than other fields of entertainment. I also like that there is no ‘right answer.’ Standup is about finding out more about who you are,” said Nalwa.
Having started his standup comedy career in his hometown of San Francisco while attending UC Berkeley, Nalwa would schedule classes for a few days a week and after classes would participate in open mic nights.
In the beginning, for about a year, Nalwa would perform about three or four times a week. He was not ready to fully commit to the idea of being a comedian and doing standup comedy due to a fear that he would fail; therefore, he did not push himself too much.
“I realize now that my reluctance to try my best was a defense mechanism. I purposely didn’t give comedy my all initially. That way, even if I failed, I could brush it off as a lack of effort on my part. ‘Well, I wasn’t trying anyway’ is a much more comforting excuse than ‘I tried and still didn’t succeed,’” said Nalwa.
In 2016 while taking a summer course and residing in Berkeley, Nalwa came to the realization that he did not want to do comedy as a hobby but as a career. Residing in Berkeley at the time facilitated his career in comedy.
Once UC Berkeley reopened in the fall of 2016 Nalwa decided to put his all in his coursework at school and toward his standup comedian career. For the next year and a half, he pushed himself to be successful in both his academic and comedic careers. He spent most of his day out of the house striving to be as dedicated as possible.
“I would wake up at 4:30 reaching Berkeley at about 7:30. I’d then attend class from 8 am to 6 pm. I was also taking as many units as possible so that I could graduate early. I was also double-majoring. After class, I would rush to San Francisco to do several mics there. Then I would head down to San Jose to do several mics there. On my way, I would often hit a few mics in the Peninsula (around Palo Alto). I got back home at 3 am,” said Nalwa.
With the understanding that the entertainment industry would have its share of challenges due to its high reward, Nalwa having faced the expected obstacles continued and decided not to let it affect him as he gets paid to do what he loves.
“The uncertainty that comes along with being an entertainer will always be there, but it definitely beats working a regular office job. I work really hard now. I mean the hours are way more than if I was doing a regular job. But at least now I know that all the hard work I put in directly benefits my vision for my career and future,” said Nalwa.
Bringing together fellow South Asians based out of the Bay Area who share similar backgrounds and perspectives, Nalwa started Typecaste Comedy, a South Asian standup comedy group. Founded in 2018, he and his friend Ryan Sudhakaran formed the idea of the group then recruited Richard Sarvate and Priyanka Wali.
“By meshing Indian and American cultures, our distinct perspectives hope to paint a broader picture of the Asian American experience. While our jokes cover topics ranging from cultural stereotypes to silly observations, a message of social consciousness underlies our humor. We hope our comedy not only makes audiences laugh but makes them think as well,” said Nalwa.
Typecaste Comedy has performed at various clubs, colleges, and festivals around the US. Columbia University, University of California San Diego, University of Delaware, San Francisco Sketchfest, Burbank Comedy Festival, and Desi Comedy Fest to name a few. For more information follow Typecaste Comedy on Instagram @type_caste_comedy and contact them for bookings by emailing [email protected].
“I originally thought about possibly pursuing acting, but quickly realized that I enjoyed the idea of acting more than acting itself. I acted a little when I was young, and then some more when I was older. I really didn’t like reading from a script. It felt unnatural. I realized that acting did not allow me to embrace my individuality in the way that best allowed for creative expression,” said Nalwa.
Coming to terms with the fact that his first career choice was not the best fit, he continued in his search to find the best career match for himself.
“That’s when I turned more towards music, as I had always loved singing. I’ve been singing for most of my life,” said Nalwa.
In an attempt to better himself for the possibility of a career in the music industry, Nalwa found a career possibility which he had never previously considered.
“I started standup comedy as a way to improve my stage presence for music. I ended up enjoying it and have done it ever since,” said Nalwa.
After many trials and errors, Nalwa finally came to the realization that comedy and being a standup comedian is the best fit in careers for him.
“I chose this industry because I enjoy that standup, is much more cerebral than other fields of entertainment. I also like that there is no ‘right answer.’ Standup is about finding out more about who you are,” said Nalwa.
Having started his standup comedy career in his hometown of San Francisco while attending UC Berkeley, Nalwa would schedule classes for a few days a week and after classes would participate in open mic nights.
In the beginning, for about a year, Nalwa would perform about three or four times a week. He was not ready to fully commit to the idea of being a comedian and doing standup comedy due to a fear that he would fail; therefore, he did not push himself too much.
“I realize now that my reluctance to try my best was a defense mechanism. I purposely didn’t give comedy my all initially. That way, even if I failed, I could brush it off as a lack of effort on my part. ‘Well, I wasn’t trying anyway’ is a much more comforting excuse than ‘I tried and still didn’t succeed,’” said Nalwa.
In 2016 while taking a summer course and residing in Berkeley, Nalwa came to the realization that he did not want to do comedy as a hobby but as a career. Residing in Berkeley at the time facilitated his career in comedy.
Once UC Berkeley reopened in the fall of 2016 Nalwa decided to put his all in his coursework at school and toward his standup comedian career. For the next year and a half, he pushed himself to be successful in both his academic and comedic careers. He spent most of his day out of the house striving to be as dedicated as possible.
“I would wake up at 4:30 reaching Berkeley at about 7:30. I’d then attend class from 8 am to 6 pm. I was also taking as many units as possible so that I could graduate early. I was also double-majoring. After class, I would rush to San Francisco to do several mics there. Then I would head down to San Jose to do several mics there. On my way, I would often hit a few mics in the Peninsula (around Palo Alto). I got back home at 3 am,” said Nalwa.
With the understanding that the entertainment industry would have its share of challenges due to its high reward, Nalwa having faced the expected obstacles continued and decided not to let it affect him as he gets paid to do what he loves.
“The uncertainty that comes along with being an entertainer will always be there, but it definitely beats working a regular office job. I work really hard now. I mean the hours are way more than if I was doing a regular job. But at least now I know that all the hard work I put in directly benefits my vision for my career and future,” said Nalwa.
Bringing together fellow South Asians based out of the Bay Area who share similar backgrounds and perspectives, Nalwa started Typecaste Comedy, a South Asian standup comedy group. Founded in 2018, he and his friend Ryan Sudhakaran formed the idea of the group then recruited Richard Sarvate and Priyanka Wali.
“By meshing Indian and American cultures, our distinct perspectives hope to paint a broader picture of the Asian American experience. While our jokes cover topics ranging from cultural stereotypes to silly observations, a message of social consciousness underlies our humor. We hope our comedy not only makes audiences laugh but makes them think as well,” said Nalwa.
Typecaste Comedy has performed at various clubs, colleges, and festivals around the US. Columbia University, University of California San Diego, University of Delaware, San Francisco Sketchfest, Burbank Comedy Festival, and Desi Comedy Fest to name a few. For more information follow Typecaste Comedy on Instagram @type_caste_comedy and contact them for bookings by emailing [email protected].
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