Mayank Parakh’s story is one of turning everyday chaos into a stage full of laughter. Hailing from a Marwari joint family in Chhattisgarh, where 25 people lived under one roof, Mayank’s first audience was his family. “There are so many characters that there is storytelling every night. It happens in the family, right? Everyone sits together in the evening and then they tell each other stories. From there, I started mimicking my family. So gradually, I got a knack for it,” he says with a nostalgic smile ahead of his show in Hyderabad on March 2 at Yogibear Collectives, Begumpet.
He quickly found himself mimicking family members during these sessions, and the laughter that followed lit a spark. “It just grew from there. I started enjoying making people laugh,” he shares. But the pivotal moment came in 2005 when The Great Indian Laughter Challenge took over television screens. “I watched Raju Srivastav perform, and I thought, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I loved his observational humour, and the way he connected with the audience. I bought his CD for Rs 20 and watched it on loop for hours. Back then, CDs were everything — you’d get four hours of content for just Rs 15 or Rs 20! I’d perform his acts at family functions, and that’s how it began,” Mayank recalls.
Though comedy was his calling, Mayank’s journey wasn’t straightforward. He started in theatre and then ventured into Telugu and Hindi films. “When I first performed comedy, it felt easy, but then I realised the hard part was writing new material. The second and third acts take time, and you learn that every word matters. Even one extra word can ruin the joke,” he explains.
The comedy scene in India, he believes, is still finding its feet. “Compared to the US and UK, where comedy has a history of 70-80 years, India is just 20 years into it. We’re still in a nascent stage. There’s no father figure to guide us, no roadmap. We’re all figuring it out as we go,” he says. The biggest challenge, according to him, is the star culture we have in our country. “In India, people go to a movie because of the actor, not the story. It’s the same with comedy, they come for the comedian, not the comedy. This makes it hard for lesser-known but incredibly talented comedians to get an audience,” he further adds.
However, Mayank sees a shift happening. “Now, Zakir’s audience might go to a Bassi show, and vice versa. There’s this cross-culture happening, especially in places like Bengaluru where people watch two or three comedy shows in a day. It’s an exciting transition that is taking place,” he says.
Hyderabad holds a special place in his heart. “I’ve been performing here for seven years. The comedy scene is small but inclusive, with 20-25 comedians who all have unique styles. Venues like the Street Comedy Club and The Comedy Theatre are always welcoming. The audience is growing, and it’s a joy to perform here,” he expresses.
His current project, Marwari Dreams, is deeply personal. “It’s about how I broke the generational business chain in my family to pursue the arts. No one in my family has any reference for the arts field in my family, so there were insecurities and questions. I explore all of that in the show. It’s the story of a Marwari boy living his dream,” he shares with pride.
Mayank is equally passionate about acting, appearing in projects like Wild Dog with Nagarjuna and Modern Love (Hyderabad version) on Amazon Prime. Regarding his upcoming projects, he mentions, “I’ve got some exciting projects coming up, including a Hindi film with Aamir Khan Productions and two Telugu films. It’s a busy time, but I’m loving it.”
Despite juggling two careers, Mayank maintains his Marwari practicality. “Both professions are volatile. If one shuts down, I still have the other, but stand-up is special — it’s personal. You get instant feedback from the audience and with films, you have to wait for a year after shooting to see the response, but both have their magic,” he jokes.
Mayank has one heartfelt message for his Hyderabad fans, “You DM me saying you love my work, but then you don’t come to the shows! Please come. My shows have everything — stories, humour, music. I even play the guitar. So, there’s something for everyone.”
From a child mimicking family members to a rising star in comedy and cinema, Mayank Parakh’s journey is a testament to the power of storytelling and the courage to follow one’s dreams. And as he rightly says, “It’s all about finding laughter in life’s chaos.”