Three Funny Men
Stand-up comedians Rohan Joshi,Gursimran Khamba and Tanmay Bhat on making the city laugh
Stand-up comedians Rohan Joshi,Gursimran Khamba and Tanmay Bhat on making the city laugh
When three friends – funny ones at that – get together,a laugh riot is the obvious result. Stand-up comedians Gursimran Khamba,Rohan Joshi and Tanmay Bhat are geared up to make the city laugh at the ‘One Night Stand’ show at Arc Asia on Friday. Their humour topics? India,Indians,men,women,boyfriends,girlfriends,relationships,fights,sex and more. And maybe a bit about Pune. “Pune,for us,is a city with well-dressed people,fancy jewels and youngsters who frequently call for free passes,” they laugh.
The trio has been friends for over two years now. “Performing together is just an extension of our friendship,” says 24-year-old Bhat. They’re regulars at The Comedy Store,Mumbai,and have also co-scripted a Bollywood awards show. They insist on writing their own jokes and script for their performances. “Stand-up comedy begins when you write yourself. Also,part of the pride in performing comes from your own jokes,” says Joshi (29). Different people have different takes on various issues. “If I perform a script which is written by someone else,I usually don’t understand the humour in it,” adds Khamba (25),who is known as the ‘Mother Teresa’ of the group. “Khamba’s jokes are all about social change. Several dead animals come alive and the world is washed off all its sins with his messages that come through in the guise of one-liners,” jokes Bhat,whose ‘humour’ inspiration comes from himself. “The only way I can make others happy is when I can laugh at myself. I joke about my heavy build,about being perennially broke and a victim of failed relationships,” he quips. For him,India is a gold mine when it comes to humour.
When the three perform together,they don’t believe in keeping it clean. “South Indian pornography is always popular among audiences,” grins Joshi. Comedy shows have to be topical and current. Joshi agrees,“I read newspapers and keep my eyes open to know and understand the world around me.”
Being funny on stage is one thing,but are they expected to always make people laugh even when they’re not working? “At social gatherings,we are frequently hounded by people who say ‘Please make us laugh’. Our immediate response is,’Please buy tickets to laugh’,” they quip. “But if a pretty girl asks me a similar question,I can give in,” Bhat chuckles.
With several performances in the pipeline,the trio wishes to “take over the world with our comedy someday.” But it’s not an easy task. “Not everybody can make people laugh. One needs to be naturally funny to deliver the best,” says Khamba.
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