There’s a strange kind of relief in laughter — the kind that bubbles up unexpectedly when someone on stage puts into words the absurdity you’ve been carrying silently. That’s exactly what ‘Chal Kya Raha Hai’ promises and delivers. With comedians Abhishek Bhist, Samay Mehta and Praroop Trigunayat at the helm, the show is a collision of quick wit, casual chaos and the comforting realisation that nobody really has life figured out.
For Abhishek, the premise was clear from the start. “The general absurdity of life. If you just sit down and take a look around, most of it doesn’t make any sense. We took that thought and decided to turn it into a show,” he says. Comedy, for him, began early, “I’ve always loved talking, just spewing out bucket loads of nonsense. Then I discovered stand-up comedy around the age of 10, and I knew it was something I had to try,” he expresses.
Of course, not every joke lands the way it’s supposed to. He recalls one incident where the audience’s energy took a nosedive. “I once cracked a joke about astrology and ended up offending this one gentleman. He completely tanked the vibe for me — and the rest of the audience. He was probably a Scorpio,” he says, laughing.
But like most comics, Abhishek has developed the ability to shrug it off. “You just take a mental note and move on. The good thing about bad jokes is that no one remembers them. So you go home, write again, and keep at it. No point in taking it personally,” he states. His method is simple but consistent. “The idea is to jot down whatever you find funny, then keep writing and rewriting until you feel ready to test it on stage. Take the audience’s feedback, go back to the drawing board, and repeat. Comedy is all about the audience. You might love a joke, and they’ll stare blankly while your ‘mediocre’ joke leaves them in fits,” he quips.
He draws inspiration from comedians like Norm Macdonald, Sumit Anand, and Manik Mahna. About his co-performers, he says, “Samay is fearless. He doesn’t hesitate to push boundaries with his jokes. Praroop has some of the best act-outs in the Hyderabadi comedy scene right now — sharp and electric on stage.”
Samay, meanwhile, believes comedy connects because everyone’s going through something. “Kyu ki har kisi ka life me kuch na kuch chal raha hota hai (Everyone has something or the other going on in their lives),” he says.
For someone with a BCom degree, the dream is refreshingly humble — “The biggest achievement would be if a PhD holder came and attended my show.”
His funniest moment? He recalls, “The funniest moment was when the audience started laughing before I said anything and the weirdest moment was when they were laughing at me.” Writing, for him, comes from experience. “Writing is generally inspired by events which happened to me and my close ones,” he says, further adding, “My personal life includes performing too.”
For Praroop, comedy began in college, where his friends encouraged him after noticing a spark. “The people around me in college and family members saw this performative side of mine,” he states. He has balanced a job with comedy, which is no easy feat. “Doing a job and stand-up feels like I’ve stepped on two boats at a time. Earlier, it got a little bit hectic but now, it has become the schedule.”
He still remembers a chaotic open mic. “During one of the open mics, there was a weird guy who was speaking in between everyone. That day, tackling him was a new learning for me.”
Together, they’re preparing for recordings and refining sets. “Yes, we are working on our set and soon you will see it,” Samay says with a grin.
But they’re not done yet. Praroop shares, “There is a huge audience in Hyderabad. We want to hear from them ‘Chal Kya Raha Hai’. Then it becomes a global agenda.”