Aug 22, 2026 11:11am IST
Conan O’Brien Trying Out B-Town; Auditions for Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal
Conan O’Brien has apparently decided that late-night television and travel comedy are not enough, he now wants a Hindi film career. In a new promo for the India chapter of HBO’s “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” the American comedian puts his acting and musical credentials to the test in front of actors Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, only to receive a reality check from the couple.
The segment is part of the third season of “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which premiered August 21, 2026. The Emmy-winning travel-comedy series follows O’Brien as he travels internationally, meeting locals, exploring cultures and turning his encounters into comedic adventures. The new season takes him to India, the Netherlands, Morocco and the Philippines, with four episodes in total.
In the India segment, O’Brien directly asks Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal whether they think he has what it takes to become a Hindi film star. Their response is hardly encouraging. “Everyone can dream,” Chadha tells him.
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Fazal is even more direct, telling O’Brien that he cannot simply arrive, pitch himself as a star and expect to belong in Bollywood. Richa Chadha then delivers the verdict: “We are huge fans of you but I don’t think you are Bollywood material.”
Rather than accepting defeat, O’Brien attempts to make his case. He tells the actors he can sing, dance and even play the sitar with one hand. But Chadha and Fazal identify the obvious missing ingredient: Hindi. O’Brien’s answer becomes the punchline. He admits he cannot speak Hindi but insists that he can “sing Hindi.” What follows is less a conventional audition and more a Conan O’Brien interpretation of a musical moment. He launches into a Hindi introduction, “Namaste, mera naam Conan hai” while dancing, leaving Chadha and Fazal visibly stunned.
The exchange is part of a broader India-focused episode in which Conan O’Brien explores the country through his characteristically irreverent approach. The trailer had already teased his attempts at Bollywood dance and his playful exchanges with the couple.
Chadha and Fazal previously described their experience filming with O’Brien as “unfiltered” and spontaneous, saying they had admired his comedy for years. Their appearance gives the India episode a distinctly Bollywood flavour while allowing O’Brien to turn the familiar idea of the aspiring outsider into a comic audition of his own.
For O’Brien, the joke is also perfectly in keeping with “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which grew out of his earlier late-night work and his podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan.” The series places him in unfamiliar environments and lets his interactions with local people drive the comedy.
The India chapter arrives at an interesting moment for Chadha and Fazal, who continue to expand their work beyond acting. The couple are also set to appear together on screen in the upcoming Hindi film “Khoj,” while Fazal remains closely associated with the “Mirzapur” franchise. But for one brief audition, neither of them appears convinced that O’Brien is ready for Bollywood. The comedian, at least, seems convinced he has what it takes.
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