Natural Instinct

It’s a moment that defines Primlani,who is spontaneous and catches the irony in every situation — which is said to be the hallmark of a true comedian. Her humour hits the spot every time — whether she’s talking about politics or gender equality. Primlani manages to discuss current affairs in a way that engages even the most indifferent audience. For instance,when she says George Bush is like her mother. “This one time,my twin sister and I were sitting at the dining table and my sister did something wrong. My mother turned around and slapped me. I hadn’t even done anything. But my mother said it was just easier to slap me because I was sitting closer. Isn’t that what Bush did with Iraq and Afghanistan,after the 9/11 bombings,” she says.

Primlani says she always loved humour. Even as an environmentalist,she would pepper her speeches and discussions with jokes. Then she found a way into comedy. Three years into a whirlwind stand-up career,she is now developing a new brand of comedy — called Green comedy — which will combine the two biggest loves of her life: humour and environmental concerns.

Ahead of her first ever performance in Pune on Wednesday,while politics will form part of the evening,Primlani says that her set will focus on life in India. As one of the few female comedians in India,Primlani is in a position to comment on gender equality. “The reason you have fewer female comedians is the same reason why you have fewer female pilots,because they are supposed to be male-dominated areas. Women are not expected to have opinions and comedy is all about opinions and irreverence,” she says.

Primlani has produced one of the country’s first all-women act,That’s What She Said,touring Mumbai and Delhi along with Neeti Palta and Aditi Mittal. While the show generated a great response,there were also times when men would say derogatory things about the performers.

But Primlani is sticking her ground. “When you’re a good comic,you can talk about anything under the sun. We find the absurdity in what is happening around the world. And through comedy we actually get people to lower their guard and listen,” she says.

Vasu Primlani will perform at High Spirits on Wednesday,8.30 pm onwards