Competitive exams, social media, politics, family conversations and the constant pressure of keeping up with life have become part of growing up for many young Indians. Instead of treating these as serious topics alone, comedian Harshit Mahawar finds humour in them. Through his stand-up special AIR 1, he turns familiar situations into stories that make audiences laugh, reflect and, at times, feel understood. Speaking to CE, Harshit opened up about the idea behind the show, his journey into comedy, and why he believes the best jokes often come from real life.
Before talking about the show itself, Harshit reflects, “It feels nice performing in Hyderabad because the audience is always eager and very good. Along with Bengaluru, it is one of the top cities to perform, and all comedians enjoy performing in Hyderabad because people are genuinely excited to listen to jokes.”
That connection with audiences is also what shaped the show’s identity. The title AIR 1 instantly brings competitive exams to mind, and Harshit explains that it all began with a video that unexpectedly resonated with thousands of people online. “The show’s name is AIR 1, which stands for All India Rank 1. I named it after my last video on NEET, which revolved around the paper leak. The video got a lot of traction online, so I thought of naming the show after it,” adds Harshit.
From there, the conversation naturally shifts to where these stories come from. While the situations in the show feel incredibly familiar, Harshit says, “It’s based on real-life incidents. But writing a joke is a process which can take six to seven months or even years. There is no direct source of inspiration. A joke can be a passing thought or just imagination. It’s a mix of everything,” he shares.
Since those ideas don’t appear overnight, the writing process becomes just as important as the performance itself. “Creativity is a lot of written trial. As I once read in a blog, in an analogy attributed to Ed Sheeran, it is like an ‘old tap’. At first, only dirty water comes out, but if you keep letting it flow, fresh water appears. Similarly, you keep writing, trying ideas, and with experience, you gain the judgment of what is funny, while the effort to write and test jokes always remains,” he mentions.
That process has also helped him connect with students who have found pieces of their own lives in his comedy. Looking back at the response to his NEET video, Harshit says it reminded him that humour can sometimes do much more than entertain. “A lot of students told me they finally felt understood after watching it. They said they didn’t know how to process what had happened, but the video gave them hope. I realised that whatever is mentionable is manageable. Like a good poem or shayari, when someone expresses what you’re feeling, you don’t feel alone anymore,” says Harshit.
As the conversation draws to a close, it becomes clear that Harshit’s ideas are shaped by the world around him as much as by the comedy scene itself. When he looks for inspiration, he often finds it in places people might least expect. “I get inspired by journalists, newspapers and everyday news. There is always something that makes me think this needs to be talked about. If you observe your surroundings, jokes are everywhere,” the comedian concludes.
