When it comes to taking a generous dig at the Indian middle class, standup comedian Amit Tandon has carved out a niche for himself. His witty and side-splitting punchlines, and observational humour, have not only sent the audience into peals of laughter, but the ‘clean and relatable comedy’ of the ‘Married Man’ of the Indian stand-up scene has resonated with generations. The comedian is all set to crack up the Delhi audience next weekend, with his latest show, ‘Halwa’. TMS caught up with him for a quick chat. Excerpts.
What is ‘Halwa’ about?
The show delves into my marriage spanning 22 years and how my relationship dynamics with my spouse has undergone a sea change over the years. This will be on the lines of storytelling, instead of observational humour. My wife has already watched and cleared the show (laughs)!
Most of your comedy revolves around family and relationships. What’s your family’s take on it?
Well, they have been extremely supportive from day one, and they have never asked me why I am making jokes out of them. Most importantly, they understand that they are not coming from a bad place. When I did my Netflix special show, my family was seen in the closing piece. So, I told my children, ‘See, you are on Netflix. None of your friends are!’
People know a lot about your family, courtesy of your shows...
My wife gets recognised sometimes, and people ask her to pose for a picture. She enjoys it.
If not for family or relationships, what else would you like to talk about?
My last special was on nostalgia, and it had nothing to do with my family. I also did a set called ‘Udhaar (loaning money to my friends),’ which went viral. I have been stepping out of my comfort zone. But at the same time, I look at relationships as a gift that keeps on giving. In any relationship, our challenges are different at every stage of our lives. There’s always something new to learn, explore, talk about, and contribute. Since I spend a lot of time with my family, most of my inspiration comes from them. I think there’s enough material for the next 40 years!
How have the comedy scene and the audience changed over the years?
I was lucky that I stormed the scene when comedy was in its nascent phase. When I began my comic stint in 2010, standup was considered an elite art form. Only those who had international exposure came to watch the shows. Moreover, most of the shows were happening in English and in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Chennai too had a thriving comic scene because of the local comedians who doled out jokes in the regional language. Gradually, Hindi comedians came forward, and we could connect with a larger section of the audience.
The comedy scene proliferated in 2014–15, when we started releasing videos on YouTube. People from every nook and cranny had access to it. Those who never imagined in their dreams that they would get a space to perform saw this as a beacon of hope.
Today, we are globetrotting. We are now not only considered performers but creators, as well as writers of our own material. We are hired to write movies, television and OTT shows, and play hosts. Comedians are testing waters in movies as well.
Will you take the plunge into cinema?
I’ve never thought about it. But, if there’s an interesting opportunity, why not? I’ve written a few series, and one of them is under development on an OTT platform. But I enjoy the writing part more.
How do you work on improving your craft?
The audience is our ultimate teacher. Every time we pen a joke, we have to go to the audience to decipher whether it landed well or not. I do a lot of trial shows with a smaller audience and marginally priced tickets. I record the audio of every show and listen to it to observe where the audience is laughing and where they are not. I then tie the loose ends and present the show. It takes almost a year to bring out a brand new show.
How important is humour in the times that we live in?
Sometimes, you just need to forget everything and burst out laughing. And today, there’s an increasing need for it. I get messages from people saying that during difficult times in their lives, my videos kept them going. I’m not here to change society. But I’m happy that my work makes a difference.
Rapid fire
Inspirations in comedy?
l Iearn a little bit from everyone. I do not idolise one person.
What makes you laugh?
I love to watch other comedians. Every time there’s a new stand-up video, I watch it. My kids make me laugh.
A place you aspire to perform?
I have performed across the world and at venues I had never imagined in my dreams. So I don’t want to make a bucket list.
Your favourite one-liner?
It’s easy to die for somebody, but to live with somebody is thereal challenge.
An actor who has fantastic comic timing?
Amitabh Bachchan
Tickets at Rs 499 onwards. August 24,7 pm onwards.
At Kedarnath Sahni Auditorium, Ajmeri Gate