Jagdish Trivedi

Jagdish Trivedi is a Gujarati humourist, author, poet and actor who has given away his earnings from comedy for education and health care. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from Gujarat ^[1].

Writer and performer

He was born on 12 October 1967 in a small village in Surendranagar district, went to school in Limbdi and graduated from Saurashtra University ^[2]. He later earned three doctorates, and his essays are taught in the Gujarat and Maharashtra school curricula ^[2].

Trivedi has given about 3,100 shows in 28 countries, often for Indians living abroad, and has written 78 books ^[2]. Six of his books have won Gujarat Sahitya Akademi awards ^[2]. He has also used his shows for public-awareness campaigns, including on girls’ education, swine flu and Covid ^[2].

Giving it away

At 50 he pledged to donate all his income from comedy shows to education and health care for people in need, aiming to give ₹11 crore over 25 years ^[2]. Within six and a half years he had given ₹9.5 crore, building 11 school buildings and seven public libraries, a centre for malnourished children, and supporting hospitals ^[2].