Abish Mathew: Comedy is now a mainstream genre

Sisters & Washrooms | Abish Mathew Stand Up Comedy | WHOOP https://t.co/KvXLVCrGnU pic.twitter.com/ehVZGfjN9d

— Abish Mathew (@abishmathew) December 28, 2018

When asked what has given rise to comedy on the digital space, he said, “The digital space gave freedom to anyone who wanted to put themselves out there. Also, there is no burden and disappointment of ‘pitching’ to someone how good your idea is. The philosophy was absorbed by many of us, and it’s so refreshing to know that there are audiences who felt the same.”

For the comedian, churning out fresh content is the biggest challenge in the industry. But sharing that comedy has now become mainstream, Abish Mathew said, “That has been the biggest change in the genre. If someone asked me what I did back five years back, I would have to tell them I am a writer and, or an actor. Now the word ‘comedian’ translates perfectly with all age groups.”

While on stage standup artists leave no chance to pull each other’s legs, it’s heartwarming to see their bond off camera. Ask him if competition also exists between them, Abish said, “Competition is always at 100 percent with us. The ones that have been doing stand-up for years now, do have a special bond. We have seen those empty cafes where we performed for an hour. We all have shared experiences and been there throughout each other’s shortcomings and given feedback that was meant only for betterment.”

Abish recently hosted Comicstaan, which he feels was spectacular and packed with talent. But he further shared that had it launched earlier, it wouldn’t have worked. “I think if there was a show like this in my time, no one would have watched it. The timing of the show and the industry is the reason we had such a successful season,” he said.

Sharing his two cents on censorship of content on the digital medium, Abish Mathew said, “I believe we should all be allowed to say what we want. Hence, we would be the owner of our own repercussions. Our society acts as we live in a world where there is a freedom of speech but we should not lie to ourselves. Our censorship doesn’t come from respect or responsibility but from fear. Absolute fear, fear of court cases, fear of death.”

And lastly, when we asked Abish to share his take on the future of comedy, he said, “As comedians, we believe the future is bright. With so many new comedians entering the rank, the audiences have a fresh wave of new material and don’t have to just get bored with ours. There is going to be more diversity and representation.”