Why an increasing number of stand-up comedians are choosing to talk in Hindi
8 years ago

Why an increasing number of stand-up comedians are choosing to talk in Hindi

Hindustan Times  

In the last seven odd years, we’ve seen the rise of stand-up comedy in a way no one really anticipated. Not what you’d expect Until recently, Hindi comedy was associated with what we saw on TV: shows such as The Great Indian Laughter Challenge or Comedy Circus in the mid-2000s were immensely popular. They said, ‘Hume yeh wali Hindi nahi aati hai.’” But by and large, the reason Hindi doesn’t isn’t restrictive is because, with the ever-increasing cross migration between cities, the kind of crowd who comes for a live stand-up show tends to be cosmopolitan. Now that Hindi comedians have found success, stand-up comedy in other native Indian languages could be the next big thing.

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History of this topic

Vineeth Srinivasan: Comedy has made me more confident
1 month ago

Vineeth Srinivasan: Comedy has made me more confident

New Indian Express  

Here’s a challenge — just try to keep a straight face while watching his comedy. Whether it is his live shows or funny reels on Instagram, Mumbai-based comedian Vineeth Srinivasan knows how to tickle your funny bone. After his show Ungrateful at Aaromale Cafe and Creative Community in Film Nagar, Vineeth candidly speaks to CE about his comedy, life, and …

From Axe to Badminton: Abhijit Ganguly's Journey to Stand-Up Comedy
5 months, 1 week ago

From Axe to Badminton: Abhijit Ganguly's Journey to Stand-Up Comedy

New Indian Express  

Abhijit Ganguly, a prominent stand-up comedian, discusses his journey and the evolution of his humor. He reveals that he finds comedy in the mundane and transforms everyday observations into moments of laughter. He also shares his unique connection with the Chennai style of no-nonsense dry humor, which he finds relatable.

The Hindu Lit Fest 2024 | Stand-up comedy is not a joke
1 year, 2 months ago

The Hindu Lit Fest 2024 | Stand-up comedy is not a joke

The Hindu  

How does a stand-up or comedian assess an audience? All this and more came to light in a tongue-in-cheek session, May I Have your Attention Please, a freewheeling conversation between comedy experts Anuradha Menon, Kanan, Gill, Cyrus Broacha, and Suresh Balakrishna, Chief Revenue Officer, The Hindu. Interview with stand-up comic Kanan Gill on his debut novel ‘Acts of God’ Addressing …

One mic stand, Comicstaan: The Comedy Revolution: How OTT platforms are redefining the standup scene
1 year, 5 months ago

One mic stand, Comicstaan: The Comedy Revolution: How OTT platforms are redefining the standup scene

Hindustan Times  

The rise of comedy shows on OTT platforms has been a notable trend in recent years. Shows like Comicstaan, One Mic Stand, Comedy Premiere League, and international productions such as Chris Rock: Selective Outrage and Sommore: Queen Chandelier have garnered attention and praise. As a result of my OTT specials, I could increase the ticket prices for my live shows,” …

A Host of Unique Voices Keeping Comedy Alive in Hyderabad
1 year, 8 months ago

A Host of Unique Voices Keeping Comedy Alive in Hyderabad

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad is emerging as the hub for many creative arts, and one among the same is standup comedy. With many standup comedians from Hyderabad shooting into the limelight, the pioneer, however, is the 'city's local boy', Sai Kiran. I discovered standup comedy in the early days of cable TV when many American programmes were played before content became more local. …

Appurv Gupta Wants to Live Like Shah Rukh Khan for 1 Day, Says 'Not Because of Glamour...'
1 year, 11 months ago

Appurv Gupta Wants to Live Like Shah Rukh Khan for 1 Day, Says 'Not Because of Glamour...'

News 18  

Standup Comedian Appurv Gupta Aka Gupta is known for his inundated humour. An engineer by profession, Appurv started exploring alternate career options during the course itself, and soon after its completion, Appurv decided to give himself 2 years as a standup comedian, which eventually became his passion. In 2012 when I did my completed my engineering, I thought of giving …

Comicstaan season 3 reveals Indian reality TV at its best
2 years, 7 months ago

Comicstaan season 3 reveals Indian reality TV at its best

Firstpost  

There is a long history of the link between Indian comedy and reality TV in India. An ethos built by the The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, sustained by Comedy Circus and contemporised by the various regional spin offs like Hasya Jatra and Tamil Comicstaan. Raju Srivastav inverted Kabir’s doha on ego elimination when he once joked in a candid interview …

5 upcoming stand-up comedians LOL-ing their way to the top
3 years, 7 months ago

5 upcoming stand-up comedians LOL-ing their way to the top

India TV News  

5 upcoming stand-up comedians LOL-ing their way to the top From Rohan Joshi to Kanan Gill, we’ve witnessed some stellar comics make history in Indian comedy space. In the sea of popular faces, this Independence Day, witness 5 rising comedy stars creating a special set on all things ‘Independence’ packaged in a rib-tickling stand-up set. From Rohan Joshi to Kanan …

5 Web Series Written by Indian Stand-up Comedians That You Can Stream Next
3 years, 10 months ago

5 Web Series Written by Indian Stand-up Comedians That You Can Stream Next

News 18  

With the changing landscape of standup comedy in India, many comics are coming out of their comfort zones to try their hands at fresh content. Laakhon Mein Ek: Biswa Kalyan Rath Engineer turned full-time comedian, Biswa Kalyan Rath depicted the journey of a teenager who is sent to a coaching institute to help him get enrolled to IIT in the …

5 Stand-up Comics Who are Equally Good in Movies
4 years ago

5 Stand-up Comics Who are Equally Good in Movies

News 18  

The stand-up comedy scene in our country is gaining traction, thanks to the video streaming platforms and OTT platforms. Comedians like Kanan Gill, Biswa Kalyan Rath and many more have become household names for the youth, and their rising popularity and talent has given them a space in the world of film and web series as well. Kanan Gill He …

Is India criminalising comedy and entertainment?
4 years, 1 month ago

Is India criminalising comedy and entertainment?

The Hindu  

Producers of entertainment content, especially stand-up comedians, are increasingly becoming the target of legal action. Agrima Joshua: There’s no such thing as a pro-government comedian because the very essence of comedy is to be audacious, to make fun of the people in power. Arti Raghavan: I’m sure there would be a police officer who may privately agree with you that …

With a fourth Netflix stand-up comedy special, how Vir Das turned the lockdown into a joke
4 years, 1 month ago

With a fourth Netflix stand-up comedy special, how Vir Das turned the lockdown into a joke

Firstpost  

Last year in March, comedian Vir Das was fresh off the acclaim for Vir Das: For India, his third Netflix comedy special, and all ready to embark on an ambitious 38-country world tour to test out newer material. He starred in a spin-off episode of Fresh Off the Boat along with Preity Zinta, created and starred in Hasmukh, a Netflix …

What Muslim comedians are really up to
4 years, 1 month ago

What Muslim comedians are really up to

Live Mint  

“I started off doing the typical ‘Muslim jokes’ about circumcision and suicide bombers, but after a while I started questioning myself—why am I doing this? Well, this seemed a great way to combine the two.” Abbas Momin Even as Munawar Faruqui, an Indian Muslim comedian, continues to be held in jail for a joke he did not even crack, a …

A farmer, an engineer and a sex worker walk into an open-mic
4 years, 4 months ago

A farmer, an engineer and a sex worker walk into an open-mic

Live Mint  

Stand-up comedy in India has boomed over the past decade. So if we want to tell stories from the grassroots, there’s no alternative but doing it through regional languages.” To do so, BhaDiPa held stage-shows in tier-2 and tier-3 towns like Sangli and Sangamner, giving the audience a taste of stand-up, and then inviting them to join in too. My …

A farmer, an engineer and a sex worker walk into an open-mic
4 years, 4 months ago

A farmer, an engineer and a sex worker walk into an open-mic

Live Mint  

Stand-up comedy in India has boomed over the past decade. So if we want to tell stories from the grassroots, there’s no alternative but doing it through regional languages.” To do so, BhaDiPa held stage-shows in tier-2 and tier-3 towns like Sangli and Sangamner, giving the audience a taste of stand-up, and then inviting them to join in too. My …

Jagan Krishnan: ‘YouTube reviewers criticise Tamil films way worse than stand-up comedians’
4 years, 8 months ago

Jagan Krishnan: ‘YouTube reviewers criticise Tamil films way worse than stand-up comedians’

The Hindu  

I ask Jagan Krishnan if he has come across the Australian stand-up comic Jim Jefferies’ most recent Netflix special, Intolerant. Jagan, too, finds himself in the middle of an ‘outrage’ after the 31-year-old Chennai-based stand-up comic’s recent special, Acadummy Awards - 2019 was uploaded to YouTube. Alongside fellow comics Praveen Kumar, Manoj Prabhakar and Mervyn Rozario, Jagan roasts Tamil cinema’s …

As coronavirus lockdown hits India's comedy scene, many faced with financial crunch, uncertain future
4 years, 11 months ago

As coronavirus lockdown hits India's comedy scene, many faced with financial crunch, uncertain future

Firstpost  

On social media, comedians are finding ways to make followers laugh during the lockdown, but for them it’s no laughing time. “In the West, where it’s far less informal with comedy clubs, contracts and agents, you’re still never assured a stable income for two years. As for Mumbai’s migrants to locals ratio, Tanwar estimates a 40:60 split, adding that “minus …

Comedy goes regional
5 years, 6 months ago

Comedy goes regional

Deccan Chronicle  

When stand-up comedian Raghav Thakkar was performing in Hindi at a private corporate event in the city, he received a unique request. In addition to Gujarati, which has found an audience from functions at housing societies to special shows, there are comedians who are exploring Marathi and Malayalam language content in the city. For Mandar Bhide, who has become one …

A century of giggles
5 years, 11 months ago

A century of giggles

Deccan Chronicle  

They’ve been tickling the funny bones of Bangaloreans and audiences across the state in namma bhaashe for more than two years now. Having reached the milestone of 100 shows, Kannada stand-up comedy ensemble Lolbagh is certainly living upto its name and ensuring that comic buffs laugh out loud and how! We had a small celebration where we invited people who’ve …

Bringing Madras Da' flavour to planet show
6 years, 1 month ago

Bringing Madras Da' flavour to planet show

Deccan Chronicle  

An exciting series, Round Planet, retells the greatest stories about our planet in a fresh and irreverent way, laced in genre-bending comedy and airs on Sony BBC Earth. The ‘Madrasi Da’ in conversation with DC talks about his association with the show, stand-up comedy in the regional industry, and more. I was very excited when I got to hear from …

Why Bollywood and Hindi are no longer the face of Indian entertainment
6 years, 7 months ago

Why Bollywood and Hindi are no longer the face of Indian entertainment

Live Mint  

New Delhi: When she moved to Delhi in 1988, Gana Lakshminarayanan brought along a lot more than suitcases— for her luggage included a metaphorical cabinet loaded with Malayalam movie nostalgia. The biggest blockbusters on television in 2017 were two dubbed Telugu films—while Baahubali 2 set an all-time record for TV viewership, with even its repeat airing generating higher numbers than …

Rahul Subramanian on the Indian stand-up comedy scene: 'I want comics to be able to say anything'
6 years, 11 months ago

Rahul Subramanian on the Indian stand-up comedy scene: 'I want comics to be able to say anything'

Firstpost  

“I tell jokes about whatever I think is funny. Rahul Subramanian has rapidly become one of the most recognisable faces in Indian stand-up comedy, and he’s very much aware of it. “Yesterday Kumar Varun and I were shooting for a sketch which had an office setup”, says Rahul with a guileless grin on his face, “and there was a moment …

The Laughter Challenge is on us: How dominance of upper caste men affects our consumption of comedy
6 years, 11 months ago

The Laughter Challenge is on us: How dominance of upper caste men affects our consumption of comedy

Firstpost  

A short, fat nurse working in the 50-50 hospital, sister to Lottery, a tall, slim nurse. Bumper was a character on The Kapil Sharma Show, accompanied by ‘Besharam Nani’, who desperately force-kisses celebrities, and Rinku Devi, a Bihari woman deeply dissatisfied in her marriage. Funny men and their entitlement to our laughter Last year, Bollywood star and Padman actor Akshay …

Stand-up for feminism: Indian women comics are making patriarchy the punch-line in their acts
6 years, 11 months ago

Stand-up for feminism: Indian women comics are making patriarchy the punch-line in their acts

Firstpost  

There’s an old desi joke that goes: “If you want to piss your parents off, become an artist.” The fact that this is a dated joke is apparent from the burgeoning number of artistic fields in India. There are clearly plenty of women who want to do comedy, because we always get more applications for our open mic than there …

Three stand-ups to rev up the laughs
7 years ago

Three stand-ups to rev up the laughs

Deccan Chronicle  

Chennai’s old comedy show ‘Put Chutney’ being a digital brand of Culture Machine is back with a new live stand-up show by the trio of comedians. The funny minds behind the 2015 viral YouTube sensations, ‘What if Batman was from Chennai?’ and ‘South India 101 - Banana Leaf’ are going to stage their stand-up roots to deliver the experience with …

Jokes apart, stand-up comedy is serious business in small towns
7 years ago

Jokes apart, stand-up comedy is serious business in small towns

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Over the past few months, a host of stand-up comedians, including the likes of Rohan Joshi, Sumukhi Suresh and Ashish Shakya, have been performing shows in cities and towns like Vadodara, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Kottayam, Vijayawada, Vellore, Puducherry and Raipur—places that haven’t seen too many such comedy acts before. In recent years, stand-up comedy artistes have travelled to at …

Jokes apart, stand-up comedy is serious business in small towns
7 years ago

Jokes apart, stand-up comedy is serious business in small towns

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Over the past few months, a host of stand-up comedians, including the likes of Rohan Joshi, Sumukhi Suresh and Ashish Shakya, have been performing shows in cities and towns like Vadodara, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Kottayam, Vijayawada, Vellore, Puducherry and Raipur—places that haven’t seen too many such comedy acts before. In recent years, stand-up comedy artistes have travelled to at …

Chennai's stand up comic is here
7 years, 1 month ago

Chennai's stand up comic is here

Deccan Chronicle  

Anuradha Menon is an Indian stand-up comedienne who is known for her jokes that she bases on personal experiences. But it was only in my teens I started watching stand-up comedy.” Majoring in Drama from London the initial idea was to come back get a job in television. She was sarcastic, vocal and witty and hosting The Tonight Show at …

Karan Wahi: Comedy in India is one-dimensional, making fun of someone is considered funny
7 years, 1 month ago

Karan Wahi: Comedy in India is one-dimensional, making fun of someone is considered funny

Hindustan Times  

Karan Wahi, who has done a few comedy shows on television, calls the experience enriching. Karan Wahi is open to doing comedy shows, but the offer needs to be appealing enough. He says, “It gives an actor endless opportunities to perform and that’s why actors enjoy doing such shows.” The actor has only done non-fiction comedy shows on the tube …

The daring comedians pushing boundaries
7 years, 6 months ago

The daring comedians pushing boundaries

BBC  

The daring comedians pushing boundaries Netflix US comics of South Asian descent are telling new kinds of stories – and winning fans from many different backgrounds, writes Laya Maheshwari. Alamy Minhaj has become a Daily Show star with his coverage of the US national political conventions in 2016 and his hosting of the White House Correspondents dinner Aziz Ansari is …

Asian Comedy Invasion seeking laughs at Perth's Fringe World Festival
8 years, 1 month ago

Asian Comedy Invasion seeking laughs at Perth's Fringe World Festival

ABC  

Asian nations may already be some of Australia's largest trading partners, but a small group of performers now wants to add another commodity to the list — laughter. A group of rising Asian comedy stars has arrived in Perth for a series of shows as part of the Fringe World Festival. Australian comedian Ro Campbell has imported the stand-up comedians …

Vir Das on the shifting sands of stand-up comedy in India
8 years, 5 months ago

Vir Das on the shifting sands of stand-up comedy in India

Hindustan Times  

Over the last few years, India has witnessed a slew of stand-up comedians and comic groups burgeon — with the likes of AIB, comedian Kanan Gill and others now swanking a huge fan base. Actor-comedian-singer Vir Das, who is considered to be the first one to make a living out of the profession, believes comedy has become “an extremely lucrative …

No country for funny women: Comediennes vanishing from our films isn't a laughing matter
8 years, 7 months ago

No country for funny women: Comediennes vanishing from our films isn't a laughing matter

Firstpost  

A few days ago, a tweet from this writer with a few images of Manorama to mark her birth anniversary led to people sharing their favourite memories of the iconic yesteryear comedienne. Looking back at the manner in which a Manorama or a Tun Tun would just roll their eyes or sneer and later, a Shobha Khote or an Aruna …

From Mehmood to Tanmay Bhat: How Indian comedy has changed over the years
8 years, 9 months ago

From Mehmood to Tanmay Bhat: How Indian comedy has changed over the years

India TV News  

New Delhi: Humour plays a key role in our lives. While that was the time of ‘innocent’ comedy, the trend changed with time to sarcastic shows, and we saw Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai and Khichdi. Shows like ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ and ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’ gave new dimensions to stand-up comedy. Several stand-up comedy shows were launched at that …

Comedy scenes in Indore with Sapan and Angad
8 years, 10 months ago

Comedy scenes in Indore with Sapan and Angad

Hindustan Times  

The comic scene in Indore has started to grow with stand-up comedians coming to the city to perform live. After Sorabh Pant’s live performance last month, Indore had another laughter session recently where members of East India Comedy – Sapan Verma and Angad Singh Ranyal came to perform here at The 78 Boulevard. Whereas Facebook and Twitter give you free …

A good laugh
9 years, 2 months ago

A good laugh

The Hindu  

At a jam-packed session on the front lawns of the Diggi Palace, a session at the JLF on ‘What Makes South Asians Laugh?’ saw journalist-turned-author Sidin Vadukut, actor Meera Syal, and Suhel Seth in conversation with Sri Lankan writer Ashok Ferry. I feel comedy is universal.” Is the South Asian sense of humour location specific? Especially so when the Merc …

Check out how the Mumbai-comedy scene evolved over the years
9 years, 8 months ago

Check out how the Mumbai-comedy scene evolved over the years

Hindustan Times  

After a two-hour show at Off Beat Cafe in Phoenix Mills, a woman comes up to stand-up comedian Ash Chandler and tells him he’s good. Radhika Vaz, a stand-up comedian who performed in New York and returned to India, says: “We do corporate shows for the money.” She’s working on developing comedy videos, has a web series, titled Shugs & …

It’s no laughing matter
9 years, 8 months ago

It’s no laughing matter

The Hindu  

“I am proud that, like Mark Twain, I have been able to use humour to lessen people’s hatred.” — African-American comedian Richard Pryor If we are to go by TRP ratings, it would seem that the nation has not laughed as hard as it has in the last two years, since “Comedy Nights with Kapil” — India’s highest-rated non-fiction television …

Comedy without malice
10 years, 1 month ago

Comedy without malice

The Hindu  

P resident Nominated: Members of both Houses of Parliament today nominated a stately Eucalyptus tree as the 17th President of India. With millions writhing on the floor in uncontrollable laughter, comics liberally spray the audience with an undercurrent of Indian foibles — people’s differences, the shrill hot-headed awareness of identity, religious practices, all come loaded with messages of hate. The …

Sir, what about Santa Banta jokes? Comedians react to anger over 'filthy' AIB roast
10 years, 1 month ago

Sir, what about Santa Banta jokes? Comedians react to anger over 'filthy' AIB roast

Firstpost  

So, what’s the future of stand up comedy after this AIB fiasco? Here’s what comedians have to say: Following an FIR and after facing a government probe for allegedly using ‘vulgar’ language during their show AIB Roast in Mumbai, comedy group All India Bakchod was forced to pull out the series of videos from YouTube. The AIB Knockout, a roast …

SAB TV to pay tribute to comedy in cinema
12 years, 2 months ago

SAB TV to pay tribute to comedy in cinema

India TV News  

New Delhi, Jan 23: SAB TV pays tribute to comedy in Indian cinema -- and for this, the channel has launched its non-fiction show "Safar Filmy Comedy Ka". Each episode of the show will showcase one trend of comedy including physical, action, slapstick, cult comedy, and mistaken identity and will feature actors like Juhi Chawla, Prem Chopra, Divya Dutta, Rajpal …

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