There's something about Sahil Shah’s energy that fills up a room even before he’s said a word. On a beautiful evening in Hyderabad, the laughter had already started to bubble up from the crowd at the venue where he was performing his new tour Going Nowhere. He strolled onto the stage with his familiar goofy grin, cracked the first line, and for the next hour, didn’t let the audience breathe without laughing.
Later, when CE sat down for a chat after the show, Sahil admitted that the title of his set, Going Nowhere, isn’t just a punchline; it’s more personal. “It’s all about going nowhere, about realising that sometimes you don’t achieve the dreams you set out for. Instead of chasing them endlessly, you learn to accept what’s happened, take a break, relax, and simply enjoy life, because sometimes the real thrill lies in the journey itself,” he says.
Compared to his previous show Broken, Going Nowhere feels different, he shares, “Broken was more image and video oriented, while Going Nowhere is purely about jokes. This one is high-energy, full of physicality, expressions and movement. There’s also an underlying theme that unfolds towards the end, because I enjoy adding a touch of emotion. With every show, I want to be more vulnerable on stage, and right now, in Going Nowhere, I’m showing my goofy side. Still, there are hints that I have more profound things to discuss. That’s what makes it different from Broken, which began during lockdown and reflected my frustrations, sadness and recovery. Going Nowhere, on the other hand, celebrates happiness. There’s no sadness here — you come in happy and leave happy,” he shares.
As he talked, his eyes lit up when the conversation turned to how he finds material for his sets. “I’m an observational comedian, so most of my jokes come from things that have happened around me or to me. The more I write, the more personal my stories become, as seen in a 10–15 minute piece in this show about my trip to Africa, which I found enjoyable to turn into comedy. It’s a very personal one, and when I see something happen, I just know — yeah, this will be fun to talk about,” he explains.
For Sahil, every story begins with a spark. “Honestly, there’s this thing I learnt while writing award shows, where they’d often say, ‘Moment banna chahiye’. I think every story in life has that one moment that makes you go, ‘Yes, this will be fun’, and once you find it, you can build around it, adding bits and thoughts you want to talk about,” he narrates.
After fifteen years in stand-up, Sahil still finds himself surprised by how each audience feels new. “Man, it’s amazing that people still come to watch me. What surprises me most is that every time I perform, there are always people seeing me for the first time, which truly blows my mind. It’s beautiful to know that even now, not everyone has seen me perform live,” he says with a laugh.
And if you ask what comedy has taught him over the years, he doesn’t hesitate. “I don’t know how to put it, but from a comedian’s perspective, I’ve learned to read a room. When I’m on stage, I can see every face and sense who enjoys which joke, because comedy isn’t just about telling jokes, it’s about understanding when and to whom to deliver them; that’s the real art,” he shares.
Even after all these years, he still has dreams waiting to be ticked off. “I want to do a nice international tour someday, a proper world tour. Right now, I’ve performed across India and in different cities worldwide, but one day I’d love to do a full-fledged US and Europe tour, going everywhere. That’s why I called my show Going Nowhere, because I want to go everywhere with it, and that’s the fun of it,” he smiles.
Success, for him, has also changed meaning over time. “Over the years, it’s changed a lot. For me, success used to be about numbers; how many people came, how many views or comments I got. It’s easy to get trapped in that, but lately, I’ve been training my mind to see success differently. If I get to travel, make people laugh, and keep doing this for as long as I can without wanting to do something else, I’m successful,” he admits.
By the end of it, there’s a sense that Going Nowhere isn’t just a title, but a quiet reflection of life itself: unpredictable, a little messy, yet oddly satisfying. It’s not about reaching somewhere grand; it’s about finding meaning in the pause, and maybe even laughing through it.