Double-act show
BENGALURU: Comedy mics and music shows are a regular affair in Bengaluru. At any given week, one may easily find at least a dozen such events. But if you’re looking for a novel experience, one that seamlessly brings together the best of both worlds, then a new music and comedy special from comic Shankar Chugani and indie musician Siddharth Bendi might be for you. After a tour of hill stations across South India, Bendi & Shunky India Tour is coming to the city’s Jagriti theatre in early April.
A former Comicstaan finalist who has been making Bengalureans laugh for more than half a decade, Chugani likes to get up on stage as often as he can. “Bendi used to perform regularly in Bengaluru and during those performances, I always wanted to ask if I could do a 10-minute set. But it wouldn’t have been fair to him. So instead, I asked if he’d be interested in collaborating with me on something I’d been working on for one of my corporate partners. And that’s how it started,” he shares.
Initially, Chugani felt it was an intriguing idea that could help him and Bendi reach each other’s audiences, while also taking off the pressure to keep them engaged for an extended duration.
“When people hear that a show will feature a musician and a comedian together, they’ll naturally be curious how that’s going to turn out,” he explains.
“The concept takes the pressure off both our shoulders, more so from me. If I’m doing an hour-long show, it’s my responsibility to keep the audience engaged the entire time. Oftentimes, it may not work out for various reasons, but when you have two uniquely different things happening in the same show, it’s easier to get the audience engaged. If one of my sets does not work out, I could get off the stage, recollect myself and try out something else.”
However, the format poses a significant risk, more so to Chugani, given that while most people are likely to enjoy some forms of music, not everyone might find Chugani’s humour funny.
“It’s a double-edged sword, because if people do not enjoy my comedy while Bendi does really well, then each time I get on stage, it gets progressively tougher for me. But since there’s no rigid structure to the show, we try out new ideas at each venue. There’s no set time limit either,” he shares, adding that since the show’s debut in Bengaluru last year, it has undergone significant evolution.
“Since we performed it for the first time last year, it has evolved a lot. I’ve been doing other shows during the period and the material has also evolved. I often try out some new things that I might have written a while ago but never used. It usually surprises Bendi, which is fun,” he says.
Chugani has a long association with Jagriti theatre, having held various responsibilities with them early in his career. Hence, he describes his show being hosted at the venue as ‘overwhelming’.
“Jagriti is very close to my heart. It’s where I watched my first live standup show. Later I started working with them, first as a volunteer, later holding several responsibilities. I think Biswa [Kalyan Rath] was one of the first comics to perform there, and I opened the show for him. So, it had an enormous impact on my personal development, teaching me valuable skills. So I’m excited to be back on that stage and curious what the response will be,” he says.