Kumail Nanjiani is a stand-up comedian who recently made the leap from his comedy training ground in Chicago to New York City, where, according to the buzz, he's making all the right moves and finding his place in the comedy scene. (New York comedy linchpin Eugene Mirman called Kumail "one of the funniest comedians not enough people are aware of right now.") A native of Pakistan, he went to college in Iowa and then cut his teeth on comedy stages in Chicago, where he was one of the founding members of the Blerds collective. His Chicago comedy experience culminated with his triumphant one-man show "Unpronounceable" at the Lakeshore Theater, which he'll also be performing at the UCB Theater in New York on March 14th and 28th. As almost anyone in Chicago would tell you, Kumail is exactly the kind of guy everyone wants to see succeed -- he's friendly, sincere, hard-working, smart, creative, and funny as hell. In this interview, we hear from friends and fellow comics and the man himself.

We miss you in Chicago. There are lots of fresh faces on the scene, which is exciting, but we miss some of our dearly departed comedians. How are things in New York?

Great. I love it here. There are so many shows to do and so many shows to try and get into. I hear about new shows that I have never heard of all the time.

Kumail performing in New York's "Drink at Work" show a few weeks ago:

Do you think your one-man show, "Unpronounceable," has helped you gain traction in comedy in New York?

I actually have not performed that show in New York yet. (UCB March 14th and 28th. Come on out, friends!) It got me some decent press in Chicago, but I don't think anyone in New York read any of that stuff. What helped me here has been Chicago folks who have vouched for me and recommended me for shows, like Brooke Van Poppelen, Pete Holmes, Joselyn Hughes, and Mike Burns. All these guys were the reason that I was able to start doing shows so quickly here.

Promo for "Unpronounceable":

What's a typical week of comedy like for you right now? Where are your favorite places to perform and see others?

I try and do shows every night. I do open mics if I am not booked. The great thing about NY is you can do an open mic at 6:00 pm, by done by 7:00 and just go about your night. I like performing at Rififi, although that place closes soon. I love both the upstairs and downstairs at Comix. Piano's is a great place to perform. The Creek and the Cave has kickass shows on Wednesdays. And Kabin, also, is awesome. The UCB, of course, is sort of a magical place. Eugene Mirman runs a really great room in Park Slope by where I live, at a bar called Union Hall. I try and watch that show as often as I can. The cool thing is that so many bars in NY have dedicated performance spaces, so the people who come to the shows are people who wanna watch the shows. My first month in NY, I would try and do a show, and then watch a show every night. I went to see Sweet, Invite Them Up, and the Union Hall show every week, I think.

Kumail's girlfriend Emily Gordon, who made the move to New York with him, can attest to his progress. "I've definitely seen Kumail gain more passion for stand-up since we moved to the city," she says. "He's able to devote himself to comedy full time for the first time, and he is treating it like a full time job, which is a wise choice. Rather it being a hobby or an excuse to hang out with people or a means to get famous, this is just genuinely what he wants to do. He writes every day, whether he thinks the bits will turn out well or not, and he performs at least 5 or 6 days out of the week. When I say performs, I mean that he goes to open mics and does booked shows. No show is too large or too small. Any chance to perform is the chance to get better."

Who are some of your favorite new people that you see performing in New York?

Too many to name. The number of talented people in NY is staggering and humbling. And its at all levels. You see super funny guys at open mics, at booked shows, and then the really "A" shows like Invite and Sweet and Union Hall as well. What was cool for me was going to watch these shows every week. For $5, you could see a show with Michael Showalter and Mike Birbiglia and Demetri Martin and Eugene Mirman and... it's kind of ridiculous. It was cool for me to see all these guys, who are clearly very successful, doing shows in bars and trying out new stuff. You get to see the process that these guys use to write jokes that they then use on tv. Cool to see them working out material.

Do you see Chicago people out on the scene? Was there a welcoming committee when you arrived?

As I said, those Chicago guys really really helped me out. I see Brooke, Pete and Joselyn all the time. (Pete and I are Call of Duty teammates. For those who don't know what that is, its something really cool that very un-nerdy people do.) Burns is now in LA, so I obviously don't see him around.

Fellow comedian and Chicagoan-turned-New-Yorker Andy Ross confirms Kumail's continued hard work and smooth transition to the Big Apple. "Kumail is thriving in New York. Instead of coasting on his great material from Chicago, he's constantly writing new, even funnier bits. I think the big names in NYC have noticed that he's not just funny but also more and more creative and charismatic on stage. I know that 'kicking it into high gear' is a cliche, but so is 'hit the ground running' and 'planting his flag,' and Kumail has been doing all those things here. He must love cliches."

What's up with Blerds lately? Are you doing shows with them?

Blerds is going great. (Director) Jordan Vogt-Roberts and a bunch of the LA guys just finished a 5 minute pilot for this website. And this thing is so great. It's funny and very very pretty. I'm sure the world will see it soon. I don't get to work with those guys as much anymore, since they are all in Chicago and LA. I hope to visit LA and do another Blerds show at the UCB.

Kumail in the Blerds video "He-Man":

By some people's accounts, you are doing "all the right things" in New York to lay the foundation for a solid comedy career. We assume this means the obvious: doing lots of shows, meeting people, being your amazing self on stage, and then being your usual friendly self offstage. Are there other secret strategies you'd like to confess to us now? Drugging show bookers, hypnosis, subliminal suggestion?

I have voodoo dolls of all the bookers. Each night before I go to bed I whisper to them. "Kumail Nanjiani is the funniest." Invariably, the doll will respond with "who?"

Fellow Blerd Mike Burns, who recently moved from New York to Los Angeles, has also witnessed Kumail's ascent. "From the perspective of someone who started stand-up in Chicago, I think it's all coming down to exposure for Kumail," Burns explains. "He's always been nothing less than a fantastic comedian, although he may be more comfortable on stage now. When I first went to the Lyon's Den open mic, comedians like Kumail, Robert Buscemi, Pete Holmes, and Kyle Kinane were the reasons I came back."

Eugene Mirman recently said nice things about you. He said that you're one of the funniest comedians people haven't heard of...yet. Do you feel like you have the nod of approval from arbiters of taste on the scene in New York, and generally that you're being well-received?

Eh, I don't really try to think about how I am received, except by the audience who is present at a certain show at a certain time. Although it is nice to see that the people i look up to and respect so much seem to think I am on the right track.

Apiary contributor Keith Huang has been a fan of Kumail's for years, and recently got a chance to finally see him perform in person in New York. "It was quite clear that he brought years of experience, but more importantly, a much fresher voice to the stage," Huang observed. "From what I saw, I'm assuming that Kumail's crowd work is always very friendly and genuinely inquisitive in nature -- there's no cheap, reverse heckling by the comic with the mic."

What are your long-term goals for comedy, when you're dreaming big? Movies, books, bobbleheads?

I wanna have congregations of people, couple thousand mayhaps, reciting my bits for hours on end. And then I want them to mail me a royalty fee. That way I get paid for shows I don't even show up to.

What do you miss most about Chicago?

Of course I miss my friends and I miss my favorite shows. I miss knowing where everything is, not having to look up directions to any place. I lived there for close to 6 years, so it had become my home. And food! I miss Hot Doug's! And that shiny bean in Mill Park! Oh my God, that bean and I had such good times.

Dan Telfer, a producer at Chicago Underground Comedy (the writer of this article is also a producer there), where Kumail was a founding castmember, is keeping the door open for Kumail anytime he pops back into Chicago. "I've considered constructing an elaborate, Mission-Impossible-quality Eugene Mirman or Zach Galifianakis disguise to lure Kumail back to Chicago," Telfer said. "Sadly, I am just jealous of those two because they're doing shows with Kumail now, and that plan makes no sense. I have already pestered Kumail to let me know when he's coming back to town, and I will be flattered and excited to have him back."

What are some of your favorite things about living in New York?

Knishes. They have no flavor and an overabundance of texture. Its like deep fried/crispy/mushy air. You can flavor them with anything! Hot sauce, chili, cotton candy. Anything! Also, I love that I get to perform so much. I love performing so that's nice.

Having successfully navigated the Chicago comedy scene, what would you say to the up-and-coming newbies in Chicago about how to progress and do well there?

Um, just go up and write as much as you can. Try not to play to the back of the room. (back of the room = the other comics in the room.) Even if there are only 2 civilians in a room, play to them and not your friends who are waiting to go up. Try and do well in every single situation, and believe that you can make any crowd laugh.

-Elizabeth McQuern