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Journalism of Courage
Popular American television series such as Friends and Two and a Half Men might have popularised the genre of comedy but standup comedy on-screen has perhaps taken on only after the advent of web streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. “Though it is believed that it has been around for a decade that comedy became popular in India, if one were to look closely it’s actually five years back when the scene really started looking bright,” says Punit Pania, 33, who is the brain behind Mumbai-based Chalta Hai Comedy, a platform that promotes comics and helps them reach out to commercial enterprises.
A comic artiste himself, Punit says, “I realised a little early, when I was a writer, that this is not going to be enough to pay my bills in Mumbai. Since I was writing humour, I thought of giving the open mic a chance. There was a performance venue close to where I was residing, and the rest was only laughter. Once I stumbled into production, I made it a mutually beneficial platform for comics and the audience.” Delhi-based performer Amit Sharma says, “One can make humour useful and I did just that. One can relate to personal stories. The craft has to keep reinventing and innovating itself.” He has performed in Lucknow, Patna and Bhubaneshwar, besides the metro cities.
The audience seem to agree. “Comedy is a weapon, and I love the idea of this peaceful weapon,” says Amita Singh, 40, a homemaker, who attended a recently held show in one of the pubs in Chandigarh. Raunak Singh, a young law graduate, adds, “Theatre is fine but comedy is natural, so when someone makes you laugh while you eat and drink,
it’s ideal.”
The rising popularity of stand up comedy is also evident from the space it is being given in international festivals taking place in Edinburgh, Toronto and Melbourne. In the domestic circuit, television has popular shows such as Comedy Nights With Kapil, Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Delhi Darlings.
The comic artistes, meanwhile, have been trained in different professions. If Pania was a writer, Manish Tyagi was a commander in the navy for 23 years. “After I quit my job, I had never imagined that I would be doing over a 100 solo comedy shows. I received an award from the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern at a recently held Indian films show in Auckland,” shares Tyagi, 52, popularly known as Knotty Commander. With India being 140th in the happiness index in the world, comedy is fast becoming an integral component of family gatherings, weddings and corporate events. “We actually have to put in equal efforts to find a befitting comedian besides a DJ for a wedding now,” says Sharmishta Singh, a Ludhiana-based event organiser. Punchliners, a Delhi-based firm with core focus on comedy started in 2017. It has a repertoire of over 100 comedians who they facilitate. Arjun Anand, from the enterprise, says, “Selling tickets on a variety of platforms and a receptive audience makes it a win-win scenario for the performer, the organiser and the viewer.”
Gender neutrality is another positive aspect of the profession. Sonali Thakker, a comedienne who met her husband Aditya Desai during a stand-up workshop, says, “I was in the audience for my husband’s open mic shows and just decided to join him.” Vikash Paul, a Kolkata-born chartered accountant-turned-comedian, who made Chennai his home around a decade back, says, “The future is only bright.” Amritsar-based Parvinder has performed in over a dozen countries. He recalls a memorable experience: “I once had a 92-year-old have her grandson to bring her to a bar to watch my show live as she had enjoyed a cameo by me on television. Which another profession can have you cater to all age groups, have your audience laugh and say thank you.”
