Known for her stint on Comicstaan in 2019, comedian Shreeja Chaturvedi has made quite a name for herself in India and beyond, and is set to bring her latest routine, Forgive and Forget: A Trial Run, to Bengaluru. “I’m not necessarily using it to channel any deep or sad emotion, but I’m definitely using it to channel my anger or my disapproval,” she comments about the show. Set to happen at Phoenix Mall of Asia, Bellary Road, on March 8, it will feature her characteristic deadpan humour on her life and its incidentals.
This time, however, as hinted by the title, the focus is a little different, with her humorously turning her attention to her qualms with the men in her life. “There are a lot of bits about my equation with men, or rather, my complaints with them. It starts with how I’m waiting for the perfect apology from everyone in my life and turns into an hour of not only that, but also about my relationship with fear,” she explains, adding, “It was a lot of raw thoughts and now slowly, I’m able to get laughs out of my anger.”
Chaturvedi has toured all over the world with her shows, with cheeky jokes that don’t shy away from finding the humour in taboo topics like periods, pregnancy, sex, and the awkwardness they inspire, especially within conservative families like hers. “Most of the information I received about not just sexuality, but just about existing as a woman – whether it’s about bras, pads, or periods – there’s little spoken about it at home. At this age, it’s just so funny that we are skirting around a very present issue that I can’t escape from,” she laughs.
Reflecting on her years in an industry as male-dominated as standup comedy, Chaturvedi notes that things are looking up when it comes to hearing women’s perspectives. “A male experience and a female experience in a comedy show are just very different but there are way more female role models and female stories to look up to and draw insights from now,” says Chaturvedi, adding, “It helps that I have people to talk to and share notes with but it’s still pretty male-dominated, as any poster of a comedy show or fest would tell you.”
She also notes that some of the environment around comedy has changed and not for the better. “Things have changed a lot in terms of what we can and cannot talk about on stage,” she says, adding, “You get to exhibit your work more because the platforms on the internet are so huge right now, but it also invites way more scrutiny and it’s very unexpected scrutiny.” Referring to the India’s Got Latent controversy, she adds, “What required a reprimand has led to just a bunch of cases across India. That sort of thing always acts as a deterrent, and not in a constructive manner.”
While not exactly a cathartic experience, according to Chaturvedi, this show is definitely an outlet to channel her inner ‘bad child’ with the hope that her audiences will be indulgent towards and have fun with this character. A ‘work in progress’ that is constantly being ‘moulded, shaped and tightened’, as she testifies, the show has received positive responses so far. “I must give them due credit; most of the men in my audience have been very sporting and very non-defensive while receiving these jokes that are very clandestinely aimed at them,” she says. About expectations from Bengaluru, she has only good things to say. “Bengaluru is such a bang-on city. The audience is great and always so giving and generous with their laughter. They’re always very attentive,” she laughs.