Disha Manocha is a comedy writer from Mumbai, India. She grew up around storytelling, inspired by watching her mother –a Hindi soap opera writer– invent evil twins and bring dead characters back to life in regular feats of narrative calisthenics. Growing up with a Punjabi joint family meant she was surrounded by loud, eccentric people that had more intricate beef than the Kardashians, and that she always had a captive audience for her imagination. Her main character syndrome took a serious blow once she realized no one was coming to whisk her away on a magical quest that would decide the fate of humanity, so she channeled her disappointment into fictional adventures of her own making.

She went to school for International Studies as a half-hearted stab at a Serious Career, but somehow left with an English degree and Hollywood dreams. Her parents did send her to a liberal arts college, though, so she figures they have only themselves to blame. Propelled by her love for writing and television, she moved to Los Angeles, where she enrolled in graduate school at Chapman University– hoping to get a foot in the Hollywood door.

Since then, Disha considers herself lucky enough to have worked a number of different jobs– inching, with every new opportunity, ever closer to her ultimate dream of writing for television. Her first big industry job was as a PA on a medical drama. When she wasn’t unwittingly recreating a Seinfeld episode by losing her car in a parking lot during coffee runs, she was researching the fascinating ways your heart can try to kill you. On a completely unrelated note, she’s a hypochondriac now.

Disha’s writing features characters who don’t quite know where they fit. Whether it’s a crime-comedy caper set in an Indian restaurant, an adventure-fantasy comedy inspired by Hindu mythology, or a period piece set in the mob-controlled world of queer nightclubs, her writing explores the journeys of people navigating identity, community, and family– with a generous helping of hijinks and humor. Disha has also written and produced a comedy short film, and has written for the Disney Television Talent Showcase. When Disha isn’t writing, she can usually be found painting, reading queer historical romances, or collecting fortune cookie fortunes– only the optimistic ones, though.