No laughing matter, this

Stand-up comedy gets Hyderabadi tadka

Hyderabad has a long history of vibrant Deccani humour. Turning a new modern leaf in the humour zone is the young brigade which has chosen stand-up comedy as serious career. With open mic sessions being held regularly in different parts of the city, and a new face on stage nearly every week, Hyderabad has indeed retained its laid-back, Nawabi sense of humour and is going places with it

“Comedy is my passion. I'm going to do this until I drop.”-Gabriel Iglesias

From usage of slangs to the way we go about doing our business, Hyderabadis have a funny way of dealing with everyday challenges. Giving this humour a professional visor is a new breed of entertainers, the stand-up comedian, which is aiming to make it big in a genre of emotion that is no laughing matter. Although, the comic scene in Hyderabad is pretty old but remains a market that is yet to be explored to half its value, the emerging breed is determined to make it big and earn Hyderabad the envious tag of being a city where bringing smiles would be the order of the day.

A recent phenomenon though, mic-sessions for stand-up comedians have become integral to the urbanites. This gives a budding artist an opportunity to perform in front of live audience and explore his/her skills in humour. With the comedy industry evolving itself as a mainstream career option, many youth, including enthusiastic girls, are opting for it. This is despite the prophets of doom and the eternal pessimists who drub it as a ‘fruitless journey.’

Undaunted and clear about what they wish to become, the young guns are going the extra mile to achieve their dreams and turn their passion into a productive and well-paying career.

For instance, Bhavneet Singh, a budding stand-up artist, has responded to his inner calling while deciding to become a fulltime performer. It was a call that saw him quit a journalism job and jump into the unknown head-on.

“Yes, there is slump in earnings because it is right now more like a seasonal income. I am game for the economic setback. Like comedians of every ilk, I have loads and loads of patience and remain confident of a rosy future whereupon I will be among the most recognised faces,” is the motivational mantra of Bhavneet, who asserts that “it’s where my heart is. Nothing gives me more of a rush than standing up on stage, holding the mic, hearing people laugh while you tell them tales.”

On his obsession for this genre and whether being a Sardar he was always at the receiving end of ‘friendly’ banters, he explains, “As a kid, I used to do this in school. In ninth standard, I had taken part in an inter-school stand-up competition and won it, which is when I felt I could do something about the satirical gift of the gab. But it wasn’t until I was 22 that I realised that time was running out. I had to plunge into it, lest I would end up listening to someone else’s jokes,” points out the comedian-on-a-mission.

Bhavneet’s stint in comedy started five months ago and till now he has been invited to perform in cities like Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam. He will be heading to Mumbai soon for his next gig. He says that though his parents are not really excited about his new career choice, they have been supportive and have not discouraged him from trying out his passion.

On a livelihood, he says, “Your monthly salary as a rookie comedian is just an odd milkshake or sandwich that the venues offer on the house. Honestly, it feels bad at times but the thought of going up on stage and doing what I love so dearly changes the mindset and rejuvenates the moods.”

When it comes to stand-up comedy, people on the giving and receiving ends go through two different experiences. It might be easy to make a friend laugh but getting a complete stranger to giggle is quite a task--to get a crowd of strangers to laugh is a mission only best understood by a comedian, who faces indignation from the recluses.

At the same time, having a set of jokes in your bag isn’t enough. Its style and delivery, ‘the punch’ separates the good one from the run-of-the-mill variety.

While Bhavneet has decided to completely dedicate himself to comedy, others like Aziz are still wary of taking the leap of faith. But being called as ‘a serious professional comedian’ is a tag that he cherishes for a lifetime.

Shadaab Aziz, a 27-year-old head of sales of a construction company, in his true jocular style, says, “Marriage was my inspiration to take up stand-up comedy. It really changed my life a lot. I think you draw confidence when you are sitting with friends and all of them feel you have a great sense of humour. But friends are friends! Doing it for an audience is a whole different story. I am OK with what I am earning now because there is an immense emotional satisfaction for me, but my wife is not OK with it as it is a mental torture for her (smiles), which is the jibe she takes at me.”

On the heady marriage-comedy cocktail, he says, “It is a big ‘NO’ from my wife. Ideally I should be spending time at home after work. However, I earmark most of my free time to practice, open mics and shows. In spite of her reservations, she supports me because she understands that I am passionate about this aspect of my life. She is a lovely homemaker. I have to say this in the fear that I may not get food at home (laughs).”

So how is Hyderabad faring for budding comedians?

Surely, it’s on the right path. A regular at open mic sessions can notice a new face almost every week. New comedy groups are coming up while newer venues are ready to promote comic acts.

Arun Govada, who runs an architectural services firm, recently started ‘Hyderabadass Comedy’ as a platform for stand-up comedians.

“When I got to Hyderabad from Hong Kong four months back, I started ‘Hyderabadass Comedy’ as the premier platform for all things funny in the Pearl City. Presently, three venues - Wednesday Open Mic Nights at Mocha Cafe, an Open Mic Night on alternate Fridays at Heart Cup Coffee in Jubilee Hills, and a bi-weekly Saturday Showcase at District N stand out as popular destinations for the performers and the audience, who are ever ready to giggle and de-stress themselves. I hope Hyderabadass Comedy will be the springboard for all comic actors from where they can touch the zenith,” explains Arun.

Manjusha Banerjee, a techie in an IT giant and only female comedian in Hyderabad circuit shares, “A few months back I attended an improv comedy workshop by Kaneez Surka. I guess she saw something in me and asked me to start writing for stand-up comedy. Even though I have always loved comedy, I never had the courage to become a comedian myself. It’s because of her inspiration that I took the plunge!” She is not regretting the decision.

Toby Thomas, a tax consultant, feels that it is a challenge to be a comedian.

“I have been following stand-up comedy, be it in Hindi or English, on TV or YouTube. I think the first time you do it is out of curiosity but after that the “crowd” becomes your inspiration. The roar of that laughing room and you being the reason, and not the butt, for it is the biggest inspiration or motivator. Comedians, by and large, have a very narcissistic personality. They are known to be the funny ones amongst their friends. So, one has to always push the boundaries and test if strangers also find you funny!” he says.

Throwing light on this judgement, Hriday Ranjan, who is trying his best to juggle a career between writing and stand-up comedy, says, “I ran a humour blog ‘Heartranjan’ for a long time. I had followed Hindi stand-up comedy for a while, and a few drunken sessions with my friends inspired me to give stand-up a shot. This was in 2013. The audience’s laughter intoxicates me to go further.”

Speaking about the comedy scene in Hyderabad he says, “It is booming. People are attending shows in large numbers, and it is heartening to see that Hyderabad has retained its laid-back, Nawabi sense of humour! But I've noticed that when you crack jokes on biryani, there isn't too much applause,” he says as if it was a topic that one should not touch with a bargepole while on live shows.

Stand-up comedy gained prominence in New York’s Vaudeville theatres in late 19th century and early 20th century and subsequently spread to European nations where aristocracy was part of life.

It is fast catching up in India and is gaining immense popularity. With the advent of technology and the boon of social media, it has spawned a new breed of stars known as ‘Internet celebrities’. Public video sharing platform YouTube created this new wave of comedy stars. And these internet celebrities keep the audience hooked with their witty performances. With the world becoming a global village, youngsters in Hyderabad are taking inspiration from this juggle between work and passion to become professional comedians one day.

Hopefully, they will laugh all their way to the nearest bank, sooner than later.