Halal
ish
It’s Valentine's Day in New York City. Rudaba, a Pakistani, Muslim immigrant and sex-deprived hopeless romantic, finds herself single and lonely...again. Over chai and memories, she invites the audience into her living room and bares it all.
HALALish is a deeply personal show about love, loss, longing, labels, and (potentially) getting laid on Valentine's Day aka The Hunger Games of dating in NYC. It’s a love story with a twist, told through humor, heartbreak, and a chorus of unforgettable characters and live music. HALALish centers healing and meeting parts of ourselves that we hide, and it boldly expands how Muslim immigrant women are seen on stage.
With everything that’s going on in the world right now, our immigrant stories matter more than ever. Let’s heal together through art and unfiltered storytelling.
By popular demand! After a successful NYC premiere run in February, HALALish returns for one more performance in March!
Halalish
Meet Rudaba
Actress | Writer | Singer | Transformational Coach
Rudaba Zehra Nasir (she, her, hers) is a Pakistani-American, conservatory-trained actress, writer, and singer as well as a humanitarian and life coach based in Manhattan. Rudaba is currently producing HALALish, her first solo show as a writer and actress, which is about her journey from Pakistan to America to find love.
On screen, she has starred in award-winning films The Foreign Patriot and The Train I’m On, and was a series regular in Kabhi Na Kabhi (Someday) on Hum TV. Her New York City theater credits include sold-out shows such as Novecento (Paradise Factory Theater), Arsinoe IV (Chain Theatre), Talk of the Town (The Players), and Measure For Measure (Resident Acting Company).
Visit www.rudaba.com and Instagram @RudabaNasir to learn about Rudaba’s latest adventures! For coaching, visit www.theruniverse.net.
Rudaba thanks her parents and all her exes, without whom this show would not have been possible ;-)
Meet Darpan
Director | Producer
Darpan Joshi (he/him) is a writer, filmmaker, and theatre artist based in NYC. He writes and directs for both film and stage and loves working on stories with immigrant roots, relationships, existentialism, global flair, and characters that are easy to adore or abhor.
The multi-hyphenate characters that inhabit the world of his scripts often find themselves at a fork in the road, a point in their lives where small, seemingly minute decisions can have long lasting affects on their existence within their world. They often find themselves questioning everyday norms, behaviors, and habits with the ultimate goal of learning how they arrived at this particular point in their lives, who they are, their purpose in life, how and where they fit in and belong in the universe.
When not writing or indulging in dramatics, he can be found in the kitchen experimenting with adding hearty Indian spices to full-blooded American desserts.
Meet sannan
Live Music Director | Rabab Artist
Sannan Mahboob is a Rabab player, performer, music educator, and cultural ambassador from Pakistan. His passion lies in preserving traditional music while making it accessible to modern audiences. Rooted in the classical and folk traditions of South and Central Asia, Sannan uses his craft to create connections between people, cultures, and generations.
He is also the founder of Staccato Academy and creator of Heal with Rabab. He is a student of Ustad Homayoun Sakhi. He has performed at the World Youth Festival (Russia), Coke Studio’s Ao Ehad Karain, Serena Hotel Islamabad, and international festivals like Ragas Live Festival 25 in NYC. He has also held music therapy workshops at NYU.
Check out his music at https://sannanmahboob.pk/
Meet KARAMAT
Tabla Maestro
Karamat Khan Kalavant, a descendant of Ustad Rehman Khan Sahab, acquired tabla talim (teaching) from his father, Ustad Firoz Khan Sahab, and grandfather, Ustad Kadar Khan Sahab. Mastering the Purab style of tabla, a fusion of diverse gharanas, he emerges as a young, passionate percussionist. His mastery and extraordinary skill, his layakari and rhythmic expertise captivates audiences, entrancing them with every beat.
Apart from classical music, he also achieved mastery in semi-classical music. Gaining experience in Kathak Tabla Vadan, he performed with many talented artists in India. He has performed in a classical festival at Gujarat University, Upasana Music Festival, G20 Project, and in Agra, Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. After doing a musical tour all over India, Karamat has extensively performed in the U.S. as well, particularly in New York City, where he is now based. He has performed in the New York Kathak Festival, Ragas Live Festival, and University of Delaware.
Karamat often collaborates with live western jazz and rock bands, full symphony orchestras etc. Follow his work on Instagram @karamatkhan_tabla
Halalish
Halal ish
A New One Woman Show by Rudaba
From Pakistan to NYC, a Muslim woman’s journey through love, labels, longing, and (potentially) getting laid on Valentine’s Day, told with humor, heartbreak, and a whole lot of healing.
HALALish is a raw, honest, and heart-opening solo show about what it means to own your desires, to belong, and to choose yourself, over and over again. Through characters and confessionals, Rudaba explores the culture, conditioning, and crazy plot twists that brought her to NYC via Pakistan, and her sixth V-Day by herself.
Balancing a tightrope between what is considered halal vs. haram, Rudaba shares what it means to be an immigrant, Muslim, American woman navigating life and longing.
HALALish is Hasan Minhaj meets Hannah Gadsby meets Fleabag, but make it Muslim, Punjabi with more curves and better eyebrows ;-)
The production is fiscally sponsored by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Healing TREE (Trauma Resources, Education & Entertainment), making donations to the show tax-deductible.
If you are currently experiencing or have experienced trauma, please visit our Fiscal Sponsee Healing TREE’s website for trauma-informed recovery support and resources: https://healingtreenonprofit.org. You are not alone!
(HALALish was previously titled Next!)
Why this show?
Why now?
Representation beyond stereotypes
Now more than ever, we need stories that are honest, fearless, nuanced, and reflective of the full experience of Muslim immigrant women.
Gone are the days when Muslim women could be reduced to symbols of hijabs, terrorism, or oppression; tropes that cast them as voiceless victims waiting to be rescued by the West. Today’s global audiences, shaped by digital connection and cultural fluency, are hungry for deeper storytelling. They crave narratives that honor contradiction, complexity, and truth.
We need stories that challenge stereotypes. Stories that make us laugh through the pain and grieve with grace. Stories rooted in a specific culture, yet resonant with the universal human experience.
In a world where Muslim, desi, and immigrant women are often spoken about but rarely heard on their own terms, HALALish is both a reclamation and a revolution. It offers visibility to those navigating multiple identities while inviting everyone to reflect on what it means to choose yourself in a world that constantly asks you to fragment who you are.
HALALish meets that moment. It reclaims narrative power and insists on multidimensional representation. It invites us to laugh, to feel, to wrestle with contradictions, and to expand what it means to be a woman, a Muslim, a lover, and a dreamer in today’s world.
This show is a reminder: representation isn’t just about visibility. It’s about voice.
Calling all misfits, black sheep, cycle-breakers, trailblazers, the bold, dangerous, unique, and courageous ones!
HALALish exists in the messy, tender, taboo space where desire meets devotion, culture clashes with autonomy, and love refuses to be one-size-fits-all.
With humor and vulnerability, Halal-ish dares to ask: What if the most halal thing you can do is choose yourself? And could it be that the most haram thing you can do is abandon yourself in an effort to please others?
This show is for anyone navigating in-between spaces. Between cultures, generations, labels, identities, expectations, and longing. It’s for anyone who’s ever questioned whether they’re “too much,” “not enough,” or “not allowed.”
Because healing is non-linear.
Desire is divine.
Pleasure is our birthright.
And the time to tell our own stories is now.
Audience
Reactions
“HALALish is a raw and captivating portrayal of love, vulnerability, and the search for connection. Rudaba's performance is a powerful narrative that resonates with the audience, leaving a lasting impact.”
Sara M.
“Rudaba's storytelling is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. HALALish is an intimate and relatable experience that stays with you long after the show.”
Ali R.
“HALALish is a beautiful blend of humor, honesty, and cultural insight. Rudaba's performance is a must-see for anyone seeking a fresh perspective on love and identity.”
Nadia K.
Halalish
Past Show Highlights
Connect with Rudaba
Reach out to us for show bookings, collaborations, or any inquiries. We are thrilled to connect with our audience and partners to create memorable experiences together.