He began performing in 2011 and became the first Singaporean to perform at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. He is also the first stand-up comedian to host Singapore's National Day Parade in 2022.[1] as well as the President's Star Charity in October 2023.[2] Rishi has been featured on Comedy Central and CNA, and has headlined shows in Sydney, Dubai, India, China, Sri Lanka, and Melbourne, Australia.
Rishi was a writer and regular panelist on OK CHOPE, Singapore's first-ever comedy panel show to be broadcast on live TV. He has been featured in comedy productions like Dream Academy's Happy Ever Laughter, The Noose, and Kaki's stage show, as well as several award-winning series including Downstairs on Netflix[3] and Unexpected Journeys[4] by Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourism Board.
Rishi was named an Singapore Tourism Board (STB) ambassador in 2018,[5] and was featured in numerous advertising campaigns and efforts. These include his work in Unexpected Journeys,[6] a 3-part travel series that went on to win The Los Angeles Film Award (LAFA) 2019[7] for Best Picture & Best TV Series and the New York Movie Awards 2019 for Best Web/TV Series[8]
Rishi has won multiple awards for his work as a comic and actor including the Hong Kong International Comedy Competition 2012, Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021, Asia Contents Awards 2021, and the Content Asia Awards 2021.[9]
Early life
Rishi was born in Singapore on 9 June 1984 to Indian Singaporean parents of Sindhi Hindu descent, Parkash "Jimmy" Budhrani[10] and his wife, who moved to Singapore from Mumbai and Jaipur, both in India during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, right after Singapore's independence.
Rishi began performing as a stand-up comedian in Singapore in 2009. He participated in and won the HK International Comedy Festival in 2012, becoming the first Singaporean to do so.
Rishi's marriage to Sharul Channa, Singapore's first full-time female comedian, inspired The Rishi and Sharul Show in 2015[15] and the show played to full-house audiences at the Goodman Arts Centre Black Box. In 2020, the comedic couple returned to the stage for The Rishi and Sharul Show 2 at the Capitol Theatre.[16]
Rishi toured the USA for a month in August 2023 and performed stand-up comedy at the famous ‘Gotham Comedy Club’ among other venues in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.[19] He returned to Singapore to perform Artificial Indian, his biggest ever solo show at the Drama Centre Theatre in September.
Host
Rishi hosted Unexpected Journeys a three-part series that was a collaboration between Singapore Airlines and Singapore Tourism Board. The series went on to win The Los Angeles Film Award (LAFA) – Best Picture & Best TV Series DEC 2019 and the New York Movie Awards (Best Web/TV Series NOV 2019).[20]
He went on to host S.P.I.E.S., the Singapore Tourism Board's web series in 2020[21] and "Just Don’t Tell Mum", a 5-part CNA series in 2021. Rishi also hosted "What’s The Big Deal", another 5-part CNA series in 2022.
In 2022, Rishi became the first comedian in Singapore to host the Singapore National Day Parade which saw a crowd of 25,000.[22] He went on to host the 2023 President's Star Charity, MediaCorp's annual flagship fundraiser that supports a wide range of beneficiaries under the President's Challenge and aims to rally the public in raising funds for vulnerable groups in Singapore.[23]
Actor
Rishi started working in theatre when he received an acting scholarship with the Singapore Repertory Theatre's Young Company. Since then, he has been cast in several local productions such as Wild Rice’s Cook A Pot of Curry[24] where the production house had been nominated for Best Ensemble in the Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards.[25] Additionally, Rishi starred in ‘Look at Me’,[26] Hum Theater's We Are Like This Only!,[27] and also played the character of Mr. Boo in Pandemonium’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.[28]
Expanding into voice acting, Rishi has also played prominent roles in Singapore-based animated productions where he voiced Roti Paranda Seller, Sammy, on the award-winning Netflix series, Downstairs,[29] and the series ‘Zoom into History’,[30] launched by the National Museum of Singapore.
Notable performances
Comedians Star Charity (2021)
In the spirit of Singapore's National Day, the Comedians' Star Charity is themed around giving support to communities in Singapore. Rishi hosted this late-night comedy talk show that featured other local celebrities including Yung Raja, ALYPH, Ra Ra Kumar, Gurmit Singh and Benjamin Kheng.[31]
Rishi Budhrani, Live and Exposed (2022)
Rishi performed his comedy special, "EXPOSED" in 2022 at the Singapore Repertory Theatre. During the live show, Rishi shared his story of becoming the first stand-up comedian to headline Singapore's National Day Parade in front of 25,000 people. He also performed his signature blend of observational comedy combined with personal stories that resonated with local audiences.[32]
"Can I Make You A Suit, Mate?" (2022)
Rishi created and performed "Can I Make You A Suit, Mate?" at the Esplanade Theatres, a semi-improvised comic monologue inspired by his father's own life journey. The performance has been regarded as an original, poignant, and humorous tale based on Rishi's father, who had a tremendous impact on his life and career.[33]
Singapore National Day Parade (2022)
Rishi became the first stand-up comedian in Singapore to host the National Day Parade (NDP) in 2022.[34] The show was held at the Marina Bay floating platform with 25,000 people in attendance. Rishi was joined by actress Siti Khalijah and radio personalities Joakim Gomez and Sonia Chew as co-hosts. He was invited to host the parade by Adrian Pang,[35] the creative director of the NDP show segment.
In September 2023, Rishi debuted his solo stand-up comedy performance "AI - Artificial Indian" to sold-out audiences at the Drama Centre Theatre. The title of the Programme is a wordplay of Artificial Intelligence (AI), since the comic often noticed news about the technology swarming his feeds.[37]
The show was reviewed as having Rishi's "signature blend of commentary on politics and current affairs (in Singapore)", albeit with a light and comedic touch.[38] He discussed current racial microaggressions against Singaporean minorities while providing a platform for opening acts to showcase their comic skills and express their perspectives on being from minority groups in Singapore.[39]
President Star Charity (2023)
In October 2023, Rishi co-hosted Mediacorp's annual flagship event, the President's Star Charity (PSC), alongside Singaporean journalist and broadcaster, Diana Ser.[40] The fundraiser, with the theme 'Respect for all,' garnered over S$11 million in donations and featured local and international artiste performances. Newly-elected PresidentTharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, Jane Ittogi, served as guests of honour for the event.[41]
Personal life
Rishi has a close relationship with his father, Parkash "Jimmy" Budhrani, who was also the subject of inspiration for his 2022 comedy special, "Can I Make You A Suit, Mate?".[42] The mention of suits is based on his father's real-life work as a tailor boutique owner in Singapore. Rishi routinely appears in comedy shows and hosting gigs wearing tailored suits from his father's boutique.[43]
Rishi is married to Sharul Channa, a prominent female stand up comedian in Singapore, in 2015. The pair met in 2007 as students when they were members of Tez Dhaar (Razor's Edge), a dance group in Singapore that performed at Indian weddings and events.[44] They started dating shortly after and got married eight years later. Their marriage inspired the first edition of The Rishi and Sharul Show in Singapore that sold out in 2015. In 2019, the pair collaborated on a CNA show ‘Rishi & Sharul Try’ where they experimented with different subcultures. In 2020, five years after the first show, they presented a second edition of The Rishi and Sharul Show.[45]
Health and fitness
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rishi indulged in unhealthy food and alcohol as means to cope with the loss of a close friend. Adding work burnout to the mix, he eventually weighed his heaviest at over 90 kilograms in 2021.Seeing how his declining health negatively affected his everyday life, Rishi underwent a physical and mental transformation by dedicating himself to a rigorous fitness regimen with a renewed focus on health.[46]
Philanthropy
Since 2017, Rishi has hosted events launched by Singapore-based advocacy organizations such as the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE).[47] Besides hosting, he also contributed comedy sets for various charities and fundraising events including the Comedians' Star Charity[48] and the Wild Rice Ball.[49]
Brand endorsements
With his growing presence in the local entertainment scene in Singapore, Rishi has been part of several brand campaigns, where he contributed acting, modelling, moderating and comedy acts. Several campaigns reflected his personal advocacy of health, animal welfare, and elevating youth voices in Singapore.
Rishi was the first Singaporean winner at the Hong Kong International Comedy Competition 2012. Since then, he has gathered other accolades in projects where he had the roles of voice actor and host.
