Neel Nanda, comedian of Indian descent, dies at 32

Los Angeles: Neel Nanda, a stand-up comic of Indian descent known for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Adam Devine’s House Party”, has died days after celebrating his 32nd birthday.

Nanda’s longtime manager Greg Weiss confirmed the news to entertainment website Variety, saying he was a “great comic and human being”. No cause of death was cited.

The comedian had just celebrated his birthday, headlining a comedy gig at Jokers Theatre and Comedy Club in Toronto, Canada. He had promoted his “birthday” weekend show during December 15 and 16 on Instagram. Nanda was best known for his five-minute set on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, a late night talk show, in 2017. He also appeared on shows such as “Adam Devine’s House Party”, “Flophouse” and “Coming to the Stage”.

Nanda also hosted “Unnecessary Evil”, a weekly show at the Westside Comedy Theater in Los Angeles.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia to Indian immigrant parents, Nanda took to comedy as a child after watching the TV channel Comedy Central and would retell his favorite jokes at his middle school. Several comedy clubs, including Jokers Theatre and Comedy Club, and fellow comedians shared condolence messages on social media.