Voted as one of the top 50 funniest acts in Britain in 2003, Shazia Mirza is a name people have come to recognise and associate with humour. A stand-up comedian by chance but a witty wisecrack inherently, Mirza entertained the city last night as a part of the Kingfisher Comedy nights. In a quick word with City Express before the show, Mirza tells us more about living the funny life.
From teaching to her first gig
“I was initially a science teacher and I hated being there and they (presumably her students) hated being there as well. One night I’d gone for an open mic night and just went up on stage. That was my first gig. It was in September 2000,” begins the 36-year-old. A Pakistani by origin but born and raised in Britain, Mirza says she had a relatively normal childhood. “What do you want to know about my childhood? It was a perfectly fine and normal upbringing. Nothing spectacular,” she adds.
Stand-up comedy is reflection of life
While more popular acts like Russel Peters found their funny game in explaining to ‘white’ people Indian peculiarities (that seem quite normal to us, for obvious reasons, but no less funnier), Mirza is just generally inspired by life.
“I watch and observe everything that goes on around me and comment on it. Stand-up comedy is a reflection of life. And I just say what I feel like. ” By that measure, being a global act, does she find herself having to tweak things a bit when she’s performing at
different countries, given the different social and cultural make-up? “No not really. I need to be honest with my audience. Besides, people are essentially the same everywhere. Yes, cultures do vary, but their experiences and struggles are the same. Which is why I comment on daily occurrences so the audience can relate to me.” And she is quite clear that it is the audience that has to relate to her, and not the other way around. “I am the comedian on stage, so it’s more about them being able to understand to me.”
Writing, another form of expression
The erstwhile educator also writes a column for The Guardian and The Statesman. Her column for the former — Diaries of a disappointing daughter — tells of her life, mostly in respect to her parents. So is the title a self-reflective take or just another comedic spin? “The idea was actually The Gaurdian’s. I was already writing a column and they wanted me to write something based on my life. That’s how that began in 2009.” Mirza has since been giving an account of her life, almost a la memoir style. In one of her compilations, she talks about how her parents are not very vocally proud of her, atleast to her face, and sums up the article by saying it’s almost the same as her writing about them in her column. Commenting on that she says, “It’s a very Indian and Pakistani thing to not praise children to their faces. They sure do tell others about it, but never directly to me.” However, her parents do watch all of her shows and read all her columns. “And so, they do know what I say about them,” Mirza laughs, conceding.
To keep it going
In all her years of tickling people’s grey matter, Mirza has never felt burnt out, but agrees, that it is a task to keep the humour going. “It is very difficult to keep things fresh. I have to constantly ideate and keep wondering what makes me angry or sad, or any of those emotions. That’s what helps.” While agreeing that people do give up eventually, she finds her inspiration from other comedians like the late Richard Pryor and Joan Rivers. “It’s amazing, especially Rivers. To be still be up on stage every night at that age is incredible. I love what I do, so I don’t see myself burning out, but I would love to be able to still do it at her age of 79.”