HYDERABAD: It’s not every day that you meet someone like Rajat Chauhan, a stand-up comedian whose journey from nervous open-mic nights to packed shows across the country is as inspiring as it is entertaining. But Rajat will be the first to tell you that the road to comedy stardom is anything but easy.
“I remember my first open-mic in Mumbai, I was very nervous. The slot was for four minutes, but it felt like an eternity. And then, when a joke didn’t land as I wanted it to — the silence was brutal. It hits you like a wave, and you feel every second stretch on forever,” he begins, and a nostalgic smile lights up his face.
Yet, even in those early days, Rajat found a glimmer of encouragement. “The Mumbai crowd is amazing. Even if you’re struggling, they’ll clap and cheer, just to keep your spirits up. That support made all the difference for me,” the comedian further adds.
Comedy wasn’t something Rajat set out to do professionally. “I was always the funny guy in the group, in school, college, and even later, people would say, ‘You’re hilarious, you should try stand-up’ and then I thought everyone is telling me to do stand-up, then there’ll be something for sure and with that thought I started doing stand-up,” he shares.
Rajat doesn’t shy away from admitting that not every show is a hit. “Out of ten shows, two might leave you questioning everything, and it’s the part of the process. You ask yourself, ‘Was it my delivery? Was it just an off night?’ And then you go back, analyse, and work on getting better,” he says with a shrug.
Over the years, Rajat has grown to love performing in different cities, but Hyderabad holds a special place in his heart. “Hyderabad has one of the best audiences, we do new age comedy and we tell our story through that and the audience relates to what we are saying, and, of course, the food is a big bonus. I love having biryani and Niloufer’s chai,” he says with enthusiasm.
One thing that stands out for Rajat is the trust his audience has in him. “When people book tickets for the show weeks in advance, it’s humbling, they’re choosing to spend their evening with you, and that’s a huge responsibility. It pushes me to give my best every single time,” he says, his tone turning a little serious.
When asked about three words that describe his journey till now, the comedian says, “Long, hardworking and still figuring out actually. Hardworking because I have put ‘N’ number of videos, I keep writing. I keep performing. I keep releasing stuff, long because It’s been 11 years that I have been stand-up, and still figuring it out is because the taste and relationship of people changes every two years and it will keep changing. Now, because of the media the time span has gotten short, so the changes take place every six months now.”
And just like any good comedian, Rajat wraps up with a bit of humour. “To everyone out there, keep coming to my shows, and please, earn well so you can afford the tickets!” he says laughing.
Beneath the joke lies a deep gratitude for the audiences who have supported him through the highs and lows, reminding us all that even in comedy, it’s the human connection that truly matters.