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Writer’s Room Agenda

What does a great submission look like?

What is Desi SNL?

How does a writer’s room work?

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What is Desi SNL?

We made our own show

They don’t see us

Our tenets

7 desi sketches, 1 opening monologue, 1 weekend update.

It worked! We sold out 4 shows. And we want more.

Team: Azhar, Shreya, & Sandalina

SNL isn’t hiring us and we got tired of waiting.

A study of 200 popular movies “found that Muslim characters were either completely missing or shown as violent” (source)

Insightful humor > cheap shots

Punching up > punching down

We mock traditions, systems, and norms not individuals

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Desi SNL Writer’s Room

Timeline

Room Responsibilities

Room Structure

How we make decisions

Drive your own sketch forward with Azhar

We’ll do table reads, rewrites, and sketch breakdowns

Azhar is the Director and will make all the decisions

Every opinion will get heard but our goal is to put on the best show

A few writers at most

Each writer brings in a fully written sketch

Show structure locks in before February 2026

Rehearsals Feb-Mar

Writer’s room has heavy collab in Jan-Feb

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How do I fit in?

Acting in the show

Every actor will audition to be on the show

Being a writer doesn’t automatically get someone on the cast

Future opportunities

There are a ton of opportunities to be a part of the show

Join us for: PA, Stage Manager, Social Media, Director, anything else you can help with

What you will get

Writing credit

Payment (amount TBD)

Footage for portfolio

Relationships and future opportunities

What you should bring

A 2-3 min long sketch about desi life with:

- Unique perspective

- Fewer than 6 characters

- Simple wardrobe, prop, set requirements

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Your Submission

What’s a good sketch?

We are looking for

Application

Premise: what’s the weird situation?

Game: what makes it funny?

Heighten: how will you get bigger laughs?

Button: what’s your big closer joke?

A sketch about Desi life

A unique take

A comedy engine

Something that shows you can write

Deadline: Jan 15

Submit: Sketch and Release Form

Decisions: Jan 22 to Jan 30

Check desiSNL.com/writers for updates

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Live from New York it’s you

presenting your writing

on Desi SNL!

“

Join Us

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