Vasu Primlani

Ritu Vasu Primlani is an Indian stand-up comedian and environmentalist. She received the 2015 Nari Shakti Puraskar from the Government of India for her work.^[1]

Vasu Primlani
Occupation	Stand-up comedian
Website	www.vasuprimlani.com

Personal life

Primlani grew up in New Delhi, India. She received a master's degree from UCLA in Geography, Urban Planning and Law.^[2]

Vasu Primlani receiving the Nari Shakti award from the President of India.

She is also a fitness enthusiasts and has done five half marathons, two Olympic-distance triathlons, a Half Ironman and a sprint triathlon.^[3] Currently based out of Delhi, she is also a somatic therapist.^[4]

Career

Primlani founded the non-profit Thimmakka’s Resources for Environmental Education in the United States. This organisation provided environmental consulting services for restaurants and it received the California Governors Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in 2003^[5][6][7] and she was appointed an Ashoka Fellow for her work with restaurants.^[8] Ms. Primlani's organisation also received a US EPA region 9 award in 2003.^[9]

In July 2014, Primlani was accused of cheating by Saalumarada Thimmakka, a Bangalore-based environmentalist, for using her name to solicit money from the United States.^[10][11] According to Thimmakka, Primlani was misusing her name when she set up the Thimmakka's Resources for Environmental Education in the United States. According to Primlani, Thimmakka, a centenarian, "supposedly" merely forgotten that she had given Primlani consent to use her name.^[12]

Ritu Vasu Primlani receiving an award from the Governor of California

Primlani has produced, headlined in, and performed in hundreds of corporate and comedy club shows across the world, including in New York City, San Francisco, Mumbai, Dubai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Pune, and Delhi.^[13] She tackles social messaging through her comedy, giving voice to daring issues such as the environment, human rights,^[14] and rape ^[15]

In 2024, she released her first graphic novel, JUTA in New Delhi, India ^[16] and started working as Knoxville's new sustainability director^[17]

Awards

• Nari Shakti Award, 2015, by the Government of India^[18]
• Global Ashoka Innovators for the Public Social Entrepreneur fellowship 2004^[8]
• U.S. EPA Region 9 Environmental Achievement Award 2003^[19]
• California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award 2003^[5]

References

1. "A famous Punjabi stand-up comic once took his pants off in my hotel room and lay on my bed... I sent him packing!". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
2. "Indias first openly gay comic, Vasu Primlani relives her memories of being raped as a child and serving time in jail". India Today. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
3. "Stand-up comedian, environmentalist, triathlete and somatic therapist: Meet Vasu Primlani, the woman who does it all". dna. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
4. "A mode of healing that goes bone-deep to repair". dna. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
5. "2003 Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards". Archived from the original on 27 October 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
6. "Ms. Vasu Primlani - India - WEF". WEF. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
7. "Vasu Primlani | I Inspire 2018". i-inspire.in. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
8. "Home | Ashoka | Everyone a Changemaker".
9. "U.S. EPA Awards Thimmakka's Resources for Environmental Education" (PDF). 10 June 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2012.
10. "Cops to Question Comic Ritu in Thimmakka Case". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016.
11. "NRI accused of misusing Thimmakka's name". The Hindu. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
12. Bureau, Bangalore Mirror (19 July 2014). "Stand-up comedian accused of cheating activist detained on her way to the US". Bangalore Mirror. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
13. FUNNY GIRLS. 12 August 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
14. "Indian Men hahaha". The Mint.
15. "Rape: What We Don't Know About It". Live Mint.
16. "Celebrated stand up comedian, Vasu Primlani's released her Book, "Juta" - Saachi Baat". 25 March 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
17. Arora, Areena. "How the city's new sustainability director plans to make Knoxville greener". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
18. "Playwright, social worker, journalist among winners of Nari Shakti award". The Times of India. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
19. "EPA to Honor 19 Northern California Environmental Heros [sic]". 21 April 2003. Retrieved 3 July 2017.