Abby Govindan’s key to comedy is her community
She sat with writer Aleenah Ansari to tease her upcoming tour and share how she found her comedic voice
Words by Aleenah Ansari
In her current show and solo act How to Embarrass your Immigrant Parents, comedian Abby Govindan starts by acknowledging that she’s really proud of her Indian heritage, and that their accent is the least funny thing about them. “The Indian adults I’m surrounded by give me material naturally,” she adds. Throughout the special, she shares various messages from her family in response to convincing everyone on X (formerly Twitter) that she created the show Emily in Paris as a prank, celebrating accomplishments, and how they feel about her comedy career. Throughout it all, it’s clear that Govindan’s show is a love letter to her community.
We sat down with Govindan to learn more about how she’s finding her comedic voice, what makes her feel grounded, and the stories she’s telling on her upcoming tour, which kicks off Oct. 16 and runs through Nov. 11.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Aleenah Ansari: In your recent show, you talk about how you feel like you’re meant to pursue comedy. How did you know about this yourself?
Abby Govindan: I felt a calling toward entertainment and writing and loved making people laugh; however, I never saw anyone that looked like me doing a comedy special on Netflix, and I didn’t know it was an option.
Although my college was very supportive of my pursuit of comedy while I was there, I did get rejected from the college comedy troupe. If I had given up the moment I got rejected, I wouldn't be where I am now. I’ve learned to see rejection as an opportunity to work on my craft, get feedback, and try new things.
I’ve also come a long way since I started taking comedy classes and doing open mics. A lot of great things happened early on: I went viral for a post on Twitter (now X) in 2018 about PTSD and got to open for some really big names early on, including Russell Peters and Hasan Minhaj, and these moments opened up a lot of doors for me.
AA: How has your approach to comedy changed over the course of your career?
AG: Being in the entertainment industry can make you feel like getting older is a terrible thing, but I feel like being good doesn’t come from youth—it comes from experience. I’m a better performer this week than I was years ago. I was told that you don’t even find your comedic voice until year 15, and I’m excited that I get to be on this journey.
AA: What do you want attendees or viewers to notice about your comedy sets?
AG: I feel the most moved by comedy that teaches me something about myself, the world, or the person on stage, and I want my comedy to do the same thing. Early in my career, I knew I wanted to make my own niche and type of humor. I also didn’t want to make jokes about my parents wanting me to become a doctor or use an accent to make fun of my parents. I also want to be able to share how I’ve overcome generational curses as a second-generation Indian American and child of diaspora.
All of us know a celebrity who has stopped speaking out on important issues after they reached a certain level of fame, and I never want to do that. I’ve been feeling a lot of anger around gender-based violence, something that affects people in every country, including people in my ancestral homeland of India. I also know that the only difference between me and someone in Palestine is who we were born to, and I feel so moved by that that it feels impossible not to be enraged enough to constantly yell about it from the rooftops.
AA: What helps you stay grounded in what really matters to you?
AG: This year, I shifted to focus on building community. I’ve organized several fundraisers for Palestine and even hosted a single’s night at my rock climbing gym, and am starting my own soccer league. As much as possible, I want who I am on stage to be who I am in real life, and I hope that never changes. Outside of comedy, there are so many people who see me as so much more than a performer on stage, and that keeps me grounded too.
AA: Where have you been finding inspiration lately?
AG: Recently, I’ve been looking for artists that sing about the queer experience, which is how I discovered Chappell Roan. During her show at the Governors Ball Music Festival, Chappell Roan has shared that she turned down performing at the White House’s Pride Celebration as an act of solidarity with Palestine and protest of the Biden administration’s involvement in destroying Gaza and killing civilian Palestinians. When Chappell Roan gained popularity, I was so ecstatic because she’s immensely talented. It reminded me that your time will come when it’s meant to come, and it doesn’t have to come at the expense of compromising who you are.
"Your time will come when it’s meant to come, and it doesn’t have to come at the expense of compromising who you are."
I also appreciate the genre-bending nature of comedy, where it brings you in and out of comedic moments while discussing serious topics, and I draw inspiration from that approach. In the comedy special, The King’s Jester, Hasan Minhaj talks candidly about how fame got to his head and almost tore apart his family. In Something Special, Hannah Gadsby talked about depression and queer joy. In X, Daniel Sloss discussed the seemingly impossible topic of sexual assault, and he did it so well.
AA: Whether you’re performing at an open mic or sold-out show, what does it mean to you?
AG: I don’t feel entitled to anyone’s time and attention, it takes a lot of time and energy to get on a train, car, or walk to go to a comedy show and spend your hard-earned money on a ticket. The fact that people put in the effort to see me will always astound me.
AA: What advice would you give to up-and-coming artists and creatives, especially folks interested in pursuing comedy?
AG: Whether it’s someone you meet at an open mic or pottery class, make connections with people in your community. That will get you so far, and they’ll be able to grow along with you.
Also, the money will come eventually, but if you compromise your morals, that will follow you for the rest of your career. I know that staying true to my values is always worth it.
Published on October 8, 2024
Words by Aleenah Ansari
Aleenah Ansari (she/her) is equal parts storyteller, creative problem solver, and journalist at heart who's rooted in the stories of people behind products, companies, and initiatives. She’s written about travel, entrepreneurship, mental health and wellness, and representation in media for Insider, CNBC, The Seattle Times, Kulfi, and more. You can usually find her searching for murals in Seattle and beyond, reading a book by a BIPOC author, and planning her next trip to New York. Learn more at www.aleenahansari.com.