---
name: "Jay Chandrasekhar"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jay-chandrasekhar"
fi1m_id: "jay-chandrasekhar"
imdb_id: "nm0151540"
tmdb_id: 52049
wikidata_id: "Q967544"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "9 April 1968"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "director"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-24T09:00:45.515514+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jay Chandrasekhar

## Identity

Jay Chandrasekhar

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jay-chandrasekhar
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jay-chandrasekhar
- **IMDb ID:** nm0151540
- **TMDB ID:** 52049
- **Wikidata ID:** Q967544
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Chandrasekhar, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q967544, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151540/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/52049

Director. Born 9 April 1968 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 9 April 1968, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Active:** 2003–2015
- **Also known as:** Jayanth Jambulingam Chandrasekhar , Broken Lizard
- **Frequently works with:** [Jeff Melman](https://film.one/person/jeff-melman.md), [Ken Whittingham](https://film.one/person/ken-whittingham.md), [Michael Schultz](https://film.one/person/michael-schultz.md), [Steven Tsuchida](https://film.one/person/steven-k-tsuchida.md), [Alex Cuthbertson](https://film.one/person/alex-cuthbertson.md), [Alex Hardcastle](https://film.one/person/alex-hardcastle.md), [Andrew Fleming](https://film.one/person/andrew-fleming.md), [Anthony Russo](https://film.one/person/anthony-russo.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as director, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 81 (3), 2010s 81 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 74 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 5, Drama 2, Action & Adventure 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Chandrasekhar, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q967544, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151540/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/52049

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Arrested Development*](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md) (87)
- **Hulu:** [*Community*](https://film.one/tv/community.md) (83)
- **Disney+:** [*New Girl*](https://film.one/tv/new-girl.md) (80)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Jay Chandrasekhar

> Jay Chandrasekhar builds ensemble comedy through preparation and careful adjustments to performance. We rate that discipline most confidently in his television work; the familiar routines of Broken Lizard give us more reason for caution.

In *Arrested Development* (2003), the Bluths reward close attention even when keeping up with the story starts to feel like work. We laughed because the performances stayed sharply funny when the storytelling was tiring us. Jay Chandrasekhar directed four early episodes, making it a useful place to begin with his work. He cannot take the credit for a whole series, but maintaining its comic tone is precisely the sort of skill we value in him.

His working method starts with tightly scripted material, with room for actors' contributions in later takes. He tries lines at different intensities to find the right comic beat, rather than relying on extensive improvisation. That gives an ensemble some freedom without making the whole scene depend on what somebody happens to invent on the day. We like the practicality of that approach, and its respect for the work done before filming starts.

The feature career grew from Broken Lizard: *Puddle Cruiser* (1996) came before the breakthrough of *Super Troopers* (2001), which he directed, helped write and appeared in. Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske are recurring actor-writer collaborators. *Beerfest* (2006) continued the group's ensemble approach. That continuity suits his habit of trying lines at different strengths, though it also makes the freshness of the writing especially important.

*The Dukes of Hazzard* (2005) took him outside the troupe into studio directing. It drew criticism for being formulaic and uneven in tone, while some reviewers found *Super Troopers 2* (2018) too dependent on familiar gags. For us, that is the weakness to watch for when a troupe keeps returning to familiar material. Another well-timed delivery can still leave a joke feeling worn out.

His television work also includes *Community*, where he directed 'Mixology Certification', as well as *Psych* and *New Girl*. Preserving a programme's tone is the skill we would look for here, rather than expecting every episode to advertise its director. Start with *Arrested Development*, provided a comedy that demands close attention sounds like a pleasure rather than homework.

## Biography

Jay Chandrasekhar (born April 9, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, writer and director. He is a member of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard, which he co-founded while at Colgate University.

Chandrasekhar directed and appeared in the Broken Lizard films *Super Troopers* (2001), *Club Dread* (2004), *Beerfest* (2006) and *Super Troopers 2* (2018). He has directed episodes of numerous television comedy series, including *Arrested Development* (2003–2004), *Community*, *New Girl*, *Psych* and *The Goldbergs*. His feature film directing credits also include *The Dukes of Hazzard* (2005).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Crazy Ex-Girlfriend* (2015), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/crazy-ex-girlfriend.md)
- *New Girl* (2011), Fi1m 80, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/new-girl.md)
- *Community* (2009), Fi1m 83, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/community.md)
- *Chuck* (2007), Fi1m 73, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/chuck.md)
- *Arrested Development* (2003), Fi1m 87, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md)

## Complete filmography (66)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Jay Chandrasekhar: Brown Supremacist* (2026), Writer, Producer, Director
- *Super Troopers 3* (2026), as Thorny · Director, Writer
- *Brenda* (2026), as Edmund
- *Quasi* (2023), as King Guy / Blouin · Writer, Executive Producer
- *Unstable* (2023), series, Director
- *Animal Control* (2023), series, Director
- *Garbage Pail Kids in Mad Mike: Fury Load* (2022), as Nasty Nick
- *Monarch* (2022), series, Director
- *Easter Sunday* (2022), as Nick · Director
- *Plan B* (2021), as Pharmacist
- *The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers* (2021), series, Director
- *Resident Alien* (2021), series, Director
- *Schooled* (2019), series, Director
- *Good Trouble* (2019), series, Director
- *Single Parents* (2018), series, Director
- *Super Troopers 2* (2018), as Thorny · Writer, Director
- *Instinct* (2018), series, Director
- *The Real Bros of Simi Valley* (2017), series, as Dr. Feel
- *Powerless* (2017), series, Director
- *Lethal Weapon* (2016), series, Director
- *Speechless* (2016), series, Coach, Director
- *Crazy Ex-Girlfriend* (2015), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/crazy-ex-girlfriend.md)
- *Kevin from Work* (2015), series, Director
- *Fresh Off the Boat* (2015), series, Director
- *Really* (2014), series, as Jed · Executive Producer, Director, Writer
- *Bad Teacher* (2014), series, Director
- *The Rebels* (2014), series, Director
- *Us & Them* (2014), series, Director
- *The Goldbergs* (2013), series, Director
- *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* (2013), series, as Jay Chandrasekhar — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/brooklyn-nine-nine.md)
- *Call Me Crazy: A Five Film* (2013), as Joey
- *Freeloaders* (2012), as Porn Director
- *Animal Practice* (2012), series, Director
- *The Babymakers* (2012), as Ron Jon · Director, Producer
- *New Girl* (2011), series, Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/new-girl.md)
- *Friends with Benefits* (2011), series, Director
- *Franklin & Bash* (2011), series, as JD
- *Happy Endings* (2011), series, Director
- *Broken Lizard Stands Up* (2010), Writer, Director
- *Held Up* (2010), Director
- *Blue Mountain State* (2010), series, Director
- *The Slammin' Salmon* (2009), as Nuts · Writer
- *Community* (2009), series, as Gupta Gupti Gupta · Director — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/community.md)
- *Warehouse 13* (2009), series, Director
- *Royal Pains* (2009), series, Director
- *I Love You, Man* (2009), as Barry's Buddy
- *The 2 Bobs* (2009), as Spam King
- *Knight Rider* (2008), series, Director
- *Lipstick Jungle* (2008), series, Director
- *Chuck* (2007), series, Director — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/chuck.md)
- *Beerfest* (2006), as Barry / Blind Sikh · Director, Writer
- *Psych* (2006), series, as Jay Singh · Director
- *The Loop* (2006), series, Director
- *The Dukes of Hazzard* (2005), as Campus Cop #1 · Director, Editor, Additional Editing
- *Cracking Up* (2004), series, Director
- *Club Dread* (2004), as Putman · Screenplay, Director
- *Arrested Development* (2003), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md)
- *Oliver Beene* (2003), series, Director
- *Andy Richter Controls the Universe* (2002), series, Director
- *Undeclared* (2001), series, Director
- *Super Troopers* (2001), as Thorny · Writer, Director, Editor
- *Two Ninas* (2000), Editor
- *Family Guy* (1999), series, as Indian Man / Census Taker (voice) — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/family-guy.md)
- *Puddle Cruiser* (1996), as Zach · Director, Writer, Editor, Co-Producer
- *The Tinfoil Monkey Agenda* (1994), Writer
- *Super Troopers 4*, as Thorny · Director

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jay-chandrasekhar