Lockdown gave me guts to step out of comfort zone: Bengaluru stand-up comedian Harshith Hegde

While staying indoors has become the need of the hour, it has also paved the way for artistes to utilise virtual means as an alternative.
 Bengaluru stand-up comedian Harshith Hegde
 Bengaluru stand-up comedian Harshith Hegde

BENGALURU: While staying indoors has become the need of the hour, it has also paved the way for artistes to utilise virtual means as an alternative.  has gone a step ahead and brought new elements in his online performances, which include a blend of poetry, music and stand-up comedy–all in one live performance.

The 24-year-old comedian who recently performed an hour-long live set on Instagram says his ongoing project came as a realisation towards the increased audience numbers, with many seeking alternatives to pre-recorded content. “I realised that the current time is when one will witness a huge spike in online viewers, mostly because everyone is confined indoors.

It also washes away the idea of an actual live stage, with most virtual alternatives serving as performance platforms for now,” Hegde tells CE, adding that when it comes to his performances, a rush of adrenaline is ever present, irrespective of the platform.  According to Hegde, while his ongoing project has been in the pipeline for a long period, being indoors has allowed him to devote the much-needed time towards it. “I have always wanted to melt music, comedy and poetry together, it’s a performance goal of mine. The ongoing lockdown actually gave me the guts to step out of my comfort zone,” he says. 

Hegde’s music comprises live guitar stringing, followed by verses of poetry and a graph-based comedy sketch, adding a lighter mood to the worries surrounding the pandemic. “I feel the current situation is way bigger than an individual, and as a performer, it feels great to entertain people. Even if you can’t see them upfront, it’s much-needed in the current times.

I do over 30 minutes of music, followed by a brief set of poetry and conclude it with the funny bits,” says Hegde, adding that transitioning between acts is quite challenging and  he is looking forward to doing shorter sets with a faster flow. Apart from his live projects, Hegde is currently working on a music video series, and the first among the lot, The Chase, was released on April 11. “Its music has a more relaxed touch. I stitched together a few animated GIFs of TV shows and paired it with my music. The next one in the series revolves around outer space and falls in the lo-fi genre,” says Hegde. 

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