About

Hello!

This is me, Ali Mehedi, wiring my own profile because I don’t have a social media team. First, I would like to thank you for deciding to read this. You could literally do anything else, and it would have been a better use of your time. So, thank you! Since you are here, I should let you know that I am the funniest Bangladeshi Canadian stand-up comedian who is also allergic to fabric softener. I checked. No one else is allergic to fabric softener. It is not my fault that I am the best by default. 🤷‍♂️

I haven’t always been a funny man. I was born and raised in Bangladesh, in a small village called Dhigholi in Munshiganj district. In 1994, we lost our home to the Padma River because of extensive erosion. My parents both of whom are teachers, lost everything they owned including our home in just two years. They also didn’t have any savings as in Bangladesh teachers barely make enough to survive. We literally had to borrow money to move our home. Our family moved to a nearby village called Malir Onko where I completed my High School education. My struggle to figure out what to do with my life began at the beginning of year 2000 when I graduated from High School. I will spare you the detail, but I somehow managed to get Student Visa to go to Canada which was just the beginning of 6 more years of struggle. The reason for me to include this in my profile is obviously to get your sympathy and a pat in the back. I mean, I am one of those immigrants who worked hard to make in America! 🤣

Seriously though, I think the reason I do standup is because through my struggles I learned to see the funny in life. Telling jokes was more of a coping mechanism.

When I came to Canada from Bangladesh, my dream was to get a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and work in IT – not a joke, that was my dream. I graduated from Saint Mary’s University, Halifax - the best time of my life, and I was lucky enough to get a job at IBM Canada. After losing most of my hair sitting at a cubicle staring at a computer screen, I realized that I dreamed wrong. Just in time I ran into standup comedy after taking a writing class at Second City, Toronto – best decision ever! Standup was a love at first sight. Even though English was my second language, and often I wasn’t sure if people were laughing at my jokes or laughing watching me struggle to tell a joke, I loved watching people laugh. So, I made being a funny man my primary focus. Looking at my bank account though, maybe working at IBM wasn’t such a bad idea. 🤦‍♂️

Since starting standup comedy, I was lucky enough to perform in many comedy clubs around the world. I am a regular at Broadway Comedy Club and Greenwich Village Comedy Club in New York City. This year I self-produced my first one-hour special called “Made in Bangladesh” which I will be taking to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year!. I am also the producer of the most popular South Asian standup comedy show in New York City. It is called Laughing Lassi, and it is on every last Friday of the Month. Few more not so important credits to let you know that I am active:

• 2019 & 2022 World Series of Comedy finals.

• 2021 NYC Comedy Mob Competition finalist.

• 2018 StandUp NBC Competition Semifinalist.

• 2021 Asian Comedy Fest.

• 2021 The Very Big Very Asian Comedy Festival.

• 2022 Last Comix Standing competition Finalist.

• 2022 New York Comedy Festival.

• 2023 Halifax Comedy Fest.

• 2023 Boston Comedy Festival

• 2023 Asian Comedy Fest NYC

• Creator of a monthly South Asian comedy show called “Laughing Lassi” in New York City.

Follow me on Instagram @Ali.Mehedi? Or, Twitter @AliMehedi :)

♥ Ali