Jerry Seinfeld and Drew Carey do make India laugh, thanks to the television. Russell Peters too does, thanks to the Internet.
But the burgeoning live acts have incontestably started making the country laugh beyond the realm of recorded shows and Internet feeds. The past week that saw five comedians tickle the city with their one-liners and bits, has perhaps reiterated the mounting craving India has for stand-up comedy, and that means a lot in a country struck by the Bollywood virus.
It began with US-bred Rajiv Satyal’s performance at the UB City, for an audience who well-appreciated his wits by laughing dutifully to his remarks on the American-Indian culture, and then moved on to the half-Indian, half-Japanese Dan Nainan who with much ease, struck a chord with the packed-house at Kyra. The Big Laugh Festival organised by Percept D’Mark saw three renowned acts – Sugar Sammy, Aaron Kader and Papa CJ make their way to India.
According to Manuj Agarwal, COO, Percept D’Mark, India is embracing the stand-up culture is a big way.
“There are two reasons why stand-up comedy is making waves here – the exposure to comedy as a genre through television and people looking for live entertainment as an option over movies,” he points out.
Entertainment it may be, but is the Indian audience ready for the Robin Williams-like raunchy tales? “India is mature enough to take it well,” says Manuj. For Papa CJ, who more than just grazes the raunchy note, being Indian, and performing in India has raised many eyebrows. “Cover that little girl’s ears,” he says from the stage. “But that’s how stand-up comedy is,” he later remarks.
Dan Nainan though keeps himself at bay from grimy jokes and calls himself a clean comedian. “It’s about understanding what India can relate to that matters the most. I did a show with Jerry Seinfeld and he advised me to stick to clean jokes.
It’s important because I do my shows mostly for charity, in old age homes, churches and temples.” But it looks like the market is expanding for stand-ups.
Points out Kartik Iyer, who opened the show for Dan Nainan at Kyra, “India has had a long standing tradition when it comes to comedy. Sutra Das is a name that we can proudly bring up from the past.
But now, stand-up comedy is seen as a constant source of entertainment.” If these people could leave behind their full-time jobs and take that big step into the world of comedy, then there has to be something about it, and the popcorn culture has perhaps rightly found a new wave of entertainment in stand-ups.
elizabeth@epmltd.com