Aadip Desai is a Los Angeles-based, Indian American television writer, comedian, musician, speaker, educator, consultant, and Air Force brat. He was named to the first US cohort of BAFTA Breakthrough* as a Staff Writer on THE GOLDBERGS (ABC), a show mostly about yelling.
Aadip has also written for MIRA, ROYAL DETECTIVE (Disney Jr.), SHARKDOG (Nickelodeon/Netflix), THE DEW DROP DIARIES (DreamWorks/Netflix), and a top-secret Nickelodeon/Netflix series. SHHH! He dropped out of AFI’s MFA Screenwriting program to join the ABC/Disney TV Writing Program, or whatever it’s called now, thanks to corporate restructuring. He’s most infamous for his appearance as a castmember on Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America. Ever an advocate for writers, Aadip runs the 17,000-member LA TV Writers Facebook Group, is an Advisor/Instructor at the Sundance Institute, and is a popular speaker at the WGA, top film schools, and on podcasts. He’s also a contributor to Script Magazine, was a longtime Co-Host/Producer of the On the Page podcast, and brown ex-President of the Northwest Screenwriters Guild.
For BAFTA, he’s a Breakthrough program mentor, speaker at TV Power Meetings Roundtables, member of the North American Committee for Learning, Inclusion, and Talent (NA LIT), jury member for the Rocliffe New Comedy Writing Award, Breakthrough, Newcomer, and more talent programs. He’s interviewed Edgar Wright and Sparks for BAFTA Q&A, and Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme, John Wick, etc.) for BAFTA Tea.
As a comedian, Aadip’s completed the Improv and Sketch programs at the Upright Citizens Brigade, performed improv all over town, and studied comedy at The Groundlings, iO, and Comedy Workshops. As a stand-up, drunks have heckled him at The Improv, The Comedy Store, and a regular gig at a vegan café with one bathroom.
In his hazy life before writing, Aadip had an extensive career in the music business. He worked with the best and worst of humanity as a session/touring musician (drums, trumpet), music supervisor, music executive in charge of Starbucks’ global background music when it was still good, and many more.
He has a functionless BA in Economics and a Minor in Music from the University of Puget Sound. Aadip’s wife is pathologically supportive, his daughters are humbling, and he’s murdered seven sideburn trimmers in the last two years. He has a new chug named Rufus, who has the best under-bite ever.
Aadip is repped by literary agent, Varun Monga at Paradigm Talent Agency.
*Way More Notable BAFTA Breakthroughs: Tom Holland, Florence Pugh, Letitia Wright, Laurie Nunn, Abubaker Salim, Niamh Alger, Sarah Lampert, Dominic Mitchell, and more.
ONLINE PROFILES: