Gag-a-bag

His brand of comedy is 8220;observational and about communities and culture around the world8221;, but when stand-up comedian Russell Peters performs today at the Science City auditorium don8217;t expect him to crack a Singur or Nano jokes.

Funny man Russell Peters has quite a few aces up his sleeve

His brand of comedy is 8220;observational and about communities and culture around the world8221;, but when stand-up comedian Russell Peters performs today at the Science City auditorium don8217;t expect him to crack a Singur or Nano jokes. 8220; I don8217;t quite know about the whole Singur imbroglio and I will be talking through my hat if I were to make jokes about the situation,8221; says the Canadian comedian who has a strong Kolkata connection. 8220;All of my mother8217;s family, going back to my great-grandmother were born in Kolkata. Even my brother, Clayton, who8217;s also my manager, was born in Kolkata. I have uncles, aunts and several cousins who still live in there.8221;

Being in the city means visiting relatives at Elliot Road, hogging on Nahoums8217;s delicacies 8212;it is owned by an uncle of his8212; and nostalgia driven trips to Flury8217;s. 8220;I soak into the atmosphere. There is so much to take in,8221; says Peters.

Since traditionally, stand-up comedy is steeped in topical issues, Peters tries to update his act accordingly. 8220;The lay-offs in America make for a good topic. After all comedy is all about making fun of other people8217;s misery,8221; he says.

Racial discrimination and mockery of stereotypes figure prominently in his acts. 8220;Most of my act is based on real incidents and people,8221; admits Peters. Yet, he believes in spontaneity. 8220;You can8217;t depend on the script all the time. I just go with the flow,8221; he says.

Which is why he is indulgent of the 8220;nascent8221; stand up comedy scene in India. 8220;I was checking out a few stand up comedy shows on television and I could spot the tell-tale signs of a fledgling industry. The body language of the comedians is more boisterous than necessary; the jokes veer towards the bawdy. But one cannot deny that they are very spontaneous. Which I feel is a mark of talent,8221; he adds.

Future holds a lot of promise for Peters who is on his 20th anniversary tour. 8220;I am working on a sitcom,8221; he informs. But offer him a bit role as a stereotypical Indian nerd in a Hollywood flick and Peters is most likely to politely decline. 8220;I don8217;t want to perpetuate stereotypes, 8220; he laughs.