Aasif Mandvi | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • About
  • Past Ceremonies
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Past Awardees
  • Video Highlights
Search
Asia Game Changer Awards
  • About
  • Past Ceremonies
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Past Awardees
  • Video Highlights

  • 2022
    • Awardees
    • Recap
    • Program
  • 2021
    • Awardees
    • Recap
    • Video
    • Program
  • 2020
    • Awardees
    • Recap
    • Video
    • Program
  • 2019
    • Awardees
    • Recap & Photos
    • Video
  • 2018
    • Awardees
    • Recap & Photos
    • Video
    • Awards Dinner
  • 2017
    • Awardees
    • Recap & Photos
    • Video
    • Awards Dinner
  • 2016
    • Awardees
    • Awards Dinner
    • Photos & Video
  • 2015
    • Awardees
    • Awards Dinner
    • Photos & Video
  • 2014
    • Awardees
    • Awards Dinner
    • Photos & Video

Aasif Mandvi

For using comedy to challenge perceptions, and work for good

Adam Cantor

AASIF MANDVI

Writer, Comedian, Actor, Activist

United States/India

Many Americans first encountered Aasif Mandvi in 2006 during his first of many appearances as “Senior Middle East Correspondent” on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Mandvi, by then already an accomplished performer on stage and screen, seized his newfound spotlight to become a powerful spokesperson for Muslims and Asian Americans.

Born Aasif Hakim Mandviwala in Mumbai, Mandvi grew up in England and Florida before pursuing acting in New York City. He first made headlines in the late 1990s when Sakina’s Restaurant, a one-man off-Broadway show about the Indian immigrant experience that Mandvi wrote and performed, was called “wonderful” by The New York Times.

As his audience grew, Mandvi challenged stereotypes and provided a voice for Muslim Americans, changing the game in terms of how Asians are viewed on television. In 2015, he co-wrote, produced, and acted in the web series Halal in the Family for the popular comedy site Funny or Die, using the sitcom format to tackle Islamophobia. When not performing, Mandvi uses his fame as a force for good, advocating for an array of charity organizations such as Relief 4 Pakistan, which assists in flood relief in Pakistan; Partners In Health, which brings modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world; and Planting Peace, which helps spread peace around the globe through humanitarian aid and environmental initiatives.

Mandvi aspires not only to provide positive representation for Muslim America — he also hopes to challenge non-Muslim audiences, as he shared recently in The New York Times: “First of all, I want them to be entertained. And I want them to laugh. And then maybe it will make people think about the absurdity of fear and prejudice, and say, oh that’s interesting, I never thought about it that way.”

  • 2022
    • Awardees
    • Recap
    • Program
  • 2021
    • Awardees
    • Recap
    • Video
    • Program
  • 2020
    • Awardees
    • Recap
    • Video
    • Program
  • 2019
    • Awardees
    • Recap & Photos
    • Video
  • 2018
    • Awardees
    • Recap & Photos
    • Video
    • Awards Dinner
  • 2017
    • Awardees
    • Recap & Photos
    • Video
    • Awards Dinner
  • 2016
    • Awardees
    • Awards Dinner
    • Photos & Video
  • 2015
    • Awardees
    • Awards Dinner
    • Photos & Video
  • 2014
    • Awardees
    • Awards Dinner
    • Photos & Video
About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, D.C.
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2023 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC