American Hasi
After losing his day job, comedian Tushar Singh decides to pursue stand-up comedy full-time. Singh maps out a 35-day tour of India, taking part in India’s flourishing stand-up scene and drawing on his unique perspective as the son of conservative Hindu parents in Huntsville, Alabama. Balancing humor with the struggle for success and self-discovery, American Hasi is a funny yet emotional portrait of a comedian at the crossroads of his life and career.
Director
Laura Asherman (Director/Director of Photography): Asherman is an award-winning documentarian and the owner or Forage Films. She has completed 4 documentaries which have competed in festivals in 4 continents. Laura is inspired by character-driven stories and creates work with the vision of opening her audience to new perspectives. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia and travels around the globe for her work.
Producer
Tushar Singh (Subject/Producer): Tushar Singh is a stand up comedian based out of New York City. Since starting in 2005, he has performed at various clubs, colleges, festivals and private shows across the country. With a honest storytelling style, his comedy deals with cultural identity issues as a first generation Indian well reflections on corporate america. He made his TV debut on Fox’s “Laughs” and co-created “Unnecessary Evil”, a show that has been hailed one of LA’s best stand-up comedy shows at the Westside Comedy Theatre in LA. In 2019 he can also be seen on tour with Brownish Comedy, performing at venues across both US and India.
Court Sullivan (Producer): Court is the founder and editor of Points in Case, a literary comedy site. He has worked closely with hundreds of writers since 1999 to publish over 15,000 satire and humor articles for 50 million readers. Court’s stage fright has long fueled a healthy obsession with the behind-the-scenes production of stand-up comedy.
Nitesh Sapra (Producer): Nitesh is a partner with NitNeil Partners, an Atlanta-based real estate development company. He spends much of his professional time traveling and seeking out new investment opportunities. As a fellow confused Indian-American from Alabama, Nitesh hopes to learn from Tushar’s experience.
Neil Sapra (Producer): Neil Sapra is also a partner with NitNeil Partners. His passion and skillset for “creation” paired with his “Desi” upbringing in Alabama compelled him to take an active role in American Hasi. Neil is currently on the Board of the Atlanta Chapter of Entrepreneur’s Organization and holds an MBA from Emory University and a Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Festivals/Awards
Calcutta Cult Film Festival [Award of Excellence]; Austin Asian American Film Festival; New York International Asian American Film Festival