He joked that his turban was an amplifier that improved his hearing. Or he wore it to disguise that, as a Sikh man who should never cut his hair as a religious tradition, he was bald.

“I took advantage of my turban,” Bhan said, sitting with wife Veena in their Canton home.

Bhan was born in India and brought his sense of humor with him when he came to America in 1960. He couldn’t get used to driving on the right side of the road because, in his homeland, motorists drove on the left.

“So I started driving in the middle of the road,” he said, smiling.

Read Full Article

an win’s first place! click image to read article

Sikh comedian has the US in splits

CHANDIGARH: If it’s Sody Singh Kahlon who is regaling audiences with his comedies in Britain, the US too has been conquered by a Sikh comedian – Iqbal Singh Bhan.

Perhaps the only Sikh stand-up comedian in the US, 68-year-old Bhan aka Bali Bhan has performed shows at New York’s Times Square, the Laugh Factory, Comedy and other prestigious venues.

“I am quite serious about this new-found career,” said Bhan, who made forays into the entertainment industry after his recent retirement from the corporate world.

“I don’t like to hurt anyone with my jokes, and I definitely don’t do Sardar jokes,” added Bhan, who was in India on a personal tour.

When asked at one of his gigs if he uses any four-letter word (the mainstay of many stand-up comedians), Bali’s reply was, “Yup, F.O.R.K. fork. Do you want to know another? L..O..V..E..love!” But by far the question he is asked most is about his turban – the reason behind wearing it.
Continue Reading »

Article from SikhChic.com:

by NEHA SINGH GOHIL

His Sikh fans call him Sardar Seinfeld.

I suppose there are a few similarities – both men come from immigrant families, both made their starts in New York City, and both love to make people laugh. But, while Jerry Seinfeld started his career as a stand-up comedian fresh out of college at age twenty-two, sixty-eight-year-old Sardar Iqbal Singh Bhan – “Bali” Bhan is his stage name! – is beginning his as a newly retired engineer.

“I can get the best out of other people”, Bali says. “Whenever I talk, people laugh and they enjoy”.

Continue Reading »