Russell Peters gives hope to desi comedians

Canadi­an comedy king of South Asian descen­t Russel­l Peters turns 40 today.

Canadian comedy king Russell Peters, who is now famous for his punch lines “somebody gonna get hurt real bad” and “be a man,” turned 40 today (Wednesday).

Peters, who is known all over the world for his stand up comedy shows, was born in Toronto, Canada on September 29, 1970. Many of his shows including ‘Show me the funny,’‘Outsourced’ and ‘Red, White and Brown’ have received widespread acclaim from all over the world, including Pakistan.

The comedian did his first performance in Toronto in 1989 and since then has done shows in numerous countries. He has also won the Gemini Award, the Canadian television award, once, while being nominated for it four times.

Peters is particularly seen as an inspiration for South Asian comedians all around the globe.

Local comedian Sami Shah believes that Peters is the “biggest stand-up comedian” out there currently.

Shah says that Peters is not just any comedian. “He doesn’t just perform in night clubs,” but rather in front of the whole world, he says. Shah also holds the view that because of Peters, desis all around the world are now associated with the tagline “Somebody gonna get hurt.”

Popular Pakistani stand-up comedian Danish Ali cites Peters as a “hope for all desi comedians.” He views the Canadian performer as someone that desi comedians can look up to as Peters provides them with “a model that works.” He adds that knowing someone like Peters who is from Asian descent can pull something like this off gives him hope that it is possible for him as well.

Ali adds that in the comedy profession, the better your competition does, the better it is for you, as it expands the market which is what Peters is doing. He says that he is rooting for Peters all the way.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: September 29, 2010

Due to a transcription error, an earlier version of this article misspelled the word competition as completion and the word 'have' has been ommitted from 'desis all around the have world are now associated..'