Laugh out loud!
3 March 2014 4:05 AM IST
Meet this trio Jeeveshu, Abijit and Vasu. These three were at a restaurant in the Capital lately sending the audience into a tizzy of laughter with their jokes and wisecracks.
Before we go into the candid one-on-one, here’s a little lowdown on events in the Capital this week. The Festival of Fragrance kicked off at Dilli Haat, Pitampura, this is just the thing for those who love their perfumes and fragrant oils. Head over to buy some incredible authentic wares. There are going to be live demonstrations and sessions on perfumes and perfume making which will add to your knowledge while it sweetens up your day.
Tell us about yourself. How did you start off?
Jeeveshu: I last served as Director for India’s largest Contact Center, Teleperformance and have served some of World’s Best Companies to Work With like Genpact, Efunds, Oracle and Convergys. My antics at work and constantly trying comedy material at unsuspecting colleagues and clients made me confident to go out and toy with comedy at open mics, clubs and pubs. One Fine Monday morning, I walked out of my office for good and let laughter walk in…for life!!! Now my mainstay is to catch up with all the gossip with my mom and stalk my ex’es on facebook.
Abijit: So, I’m 26 years old but courtesy a premature graying of hair problem, look around 30+, which itself led to lot of unresolved childhood issues and subsequently, this profession. Apart from stand-up, I am one of those corporate people who keep talking from time to time about strategy and synergy for no rhyme or reason really. There’s a very deep, profound and thoughtful reason why I pursue this boring corporate career apart from stand-up. Steady money. I gave a shot to stand-up comedy 3 years back in an open mic competition and there’s been no looking back since then.
Vasu: In San Francisco, with my first 3 min set. Â Following in the footsteps of my friend Vidur Kapur.
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What was the first big break for you?
Jeeveshu:Â Being shortlisted in the Top 10 Candidates for Comedy Circus (Sony TV) was my first big break.
Abijit:Â I would say my first big break was the first time I gave a shot to stand-up comedy at an open mic in GK-1 M block organized by the comedy company Cheese Monkey Mafia. It was a great response at that very show that led to everything else and I still wonder how would have my comedy career gone had I got a tepid response to that very show.
Vasu:Â Performing at the Punchline, San Francisco.
Â
How would you define your philosophy?
Jeeveshu: Comedy is a serious business so be original and have fun while you get on the stage.
Abijit: My philosophy towards comedy is that everything can be funny. A lot of people like drawing lines as to what can be funny and what is not funny. Many people and even comics draw guidelines as to what should not be joked out, for example, rape jokes, religion jokes, racist jokes, jokes on terrorist attacks, etc. I somehow don’t agree with this notion and genuinely believe that anything can be funny depending on how you say it. My comedy is essentially every single thing I find funny, be it Indian idiosyncrasies, middle class life, marriage age, cultural observations, media and it’s sensationalizing habits, gaining weight, cars and commuting, relationship woes, Indian beggars, politics, racism in India, superheroes, etc.
Vasu:Â I do social messaging, I like my comedy to have meaning in the real world.
In our country, how easy (or difficult) is it to make a mark in the comedy scene? What do you think about the main issues are?
Jeeveshu: It is easy as it is difficult because there is no pressure whatsoever on a comic so it can work for us or work against us. If you are good then you will make a mark for sure. Lack of a proper forum/organisation specifically for comics which can work for just stand up comics is something we should have.
Abijit: As in any profession, success or making a mark depends purely on the amount of efforts you put into it. Most people think stand-up comedy is just about being a funny person and telling jokes, which really is not the case. There’s a huge difference from being just a funny guy to actually performing stand-up comedy and then being somewhat decent at it. Making a mark is not just about being a good stand-up comic and writing good original content, but also has a lot to do with branding yourself, efforts you put in for PR, etc. Since stand-up comedy is still at a very nascent stage in India, the main issues are very different from they’re likely to be 5 years down the lane. Right now the main issues are still very much about people getting to understand the concept, respecting a performer with silence and attentive listening when they’re performing and understanding that everything’s been said in good humor.
Vasu: Not that hard; it’s really coming up.
Tell us a bit about what defines you?
Jeeveshu: I am a Punjabi so that makes me infinite :-)
Abijit: Covered in first question response.
Vasu: Presenting deep, controversial issues in a loving, compassionate way.
Â
What/Who inspires you?
Jeeveshu: Look around and you will see a world full of amusement, so there is no one person or thing that inspires me. I am just absorbing what goes around me.
Abijit: In terms of content, what inspires me is daily life and the various things that just keep happening to a common man in the course of a day. In terms of comics, I think internationally Louis CK and in our country Tanmay Bhatt are my personal favorite comics.
Vasu: All comics inspire me. Everyone has some incredible in them. I love how mathematically sophisticated comedy is.
What suggestions/advice would you have for newbies?
Jeeveshu: They follow established comics from across the globe and instead of having their own style and work on it, they end up aping other comics which does not last for too long. So be yourself.
Abijit: There’s a huge difference from being just a funny guy to actually doing stand-up and then being somewhat decent at it. The initial year actually passed by trying to understand this transition. But with time as you go about doing it more professionally, you start becoming more analytical about it. Which somewhat reduces the free aspect of it, but at the same time puts you more in control of the audience, their reactions, and extracting the laughs out of them. My advice to newbies of stand-up comedy would be to not follow any notions and go and do what they feel is funny. To go ahead and tell their own stories and viewpoints instead of following structured paths and be too influenced by other stand up comics.
Vasu: Work on your material. Follow the joke format. Challenge yourself.
How has Delhi been for you guys?
Jeeveshu: Delhi’s audience is one of the finest ones you can come across as a comic. They are very warm and encouraging towards new comics, new styles and new venues. The continuous hunger for comedy that we see in them is just overwhelming and just keeps us wanting to do better each time we go up the stage.
Abijit: Delhi has been a home to me and I consider myself a true-blooded Delhiite (contrary to popular perception, since I’m a Bengali). In fact this itself led to a massive identity crisis which was the source of most of my material in the first one year. In terms of comedy audience I think Delhi audience is mostly intelligent and very well-read which allows you to do a lot of intelligent humor instead of crass slapstick comedy.
Vasu: Interesting; kind of a mixed bag, and full of surprises.
Before we go into the candid one-on-one, here’s a little lowdown on events in the Capital this week. The Festival of Fragrance kicked off at Dilli Haat, Pitampura, this is just the thing for those who love their perfumes and fragrant oils. Head over to buy some incredible authentic wares. There are going to be live demonstrations and sessions on perfumes and perfume making which will add to your knowledge while it sweetens up your day.
Tell us about yourself. How did you start off?
Jeeveshu: I last served as Director for India’s largest Contact Center, Teleperformance and have served some of World’s Best Companies to Work With like Genpact, Efunds, Oracle and Convergys. My antics at work and constantly trying comedy material at unsuspecting colleagues and clients made me confident to go out and toy with comedy at open mics, clubs and pubs. One Fine Monday morning, I walked out of my office for good and let laughter walk in…for life!!! Now my mainstay is to catch up with all the gossip with my mom and stalk my ex’es on facebook.
Abijit: So, I’m 26 years old but courtesy a premature graying of hair problem, look around 30+, which itself led to lot of unresolved childhood issues and subsequently, this profession. Apart from stand-up, I am one of those corporate people who keep talking from time to time about strategy and synergy for no rhyme or reason really. There’s a very deep, profound and thoughtful reason why I pursue this boring corporate career apart from stand-up. Steady money. I gave a shot to stand-up comedy 3 years back in an open mic competition and there’s been no looking back since then.
Vasu: In San Francisco, with my first 3 min set. Â Following in the footsteps of my friend Vidur Kapur.
Â
What was the first big break for you?
Jeeveshu:Â Being shortlisted in the Top 10 Candidates for Comedy Circus (Sony TV) was my first big break.
Abijit:Â I would say my first big break was the first time I gave a shot to stand-up comedy at an open mic in GK-1 M block organized by the comedy company Cheese Monkey Mafia. It was a great response at that very show that led to everything else and I still wonder how would have my comedy career gone had I got a tepid response to that very show.
Vasu:Â Performing at the Punchline, San Francisco.
Â
How would you define your philosophy?
Jeeveshu: Comedy is a serious business so be original and have fun while you get on the stage.
Abijit: My philosophy towards comedy is that everything can be funny. A lot of people like drawing lines as to what can be funny and what is not funny. Many people and even comics draw guidelines as to what should not be joked out, for example, rape jokes, religion jokes, racist jokes, jokes on terrorist attacks, etc. I somehow don’t agree with this notion and genuinely believe that anything can be funny depending on how you say it. My comedy is essentially every single thing I find funny, be it Indian idiosyncrasies, middle class life, marriage age, cultural observations, media and it’s sensationalizing habits, gaining weight, cars and commuting, relationship woes, Indian beggars, politics, racism in India, superheroes, etc.
Vasu:Â I do social messaging, I like my comedy to have meaning in the real world.
In our country, how easy (or difficult) is it to make a mark in the comedy scene? What do you think about the main issues are?
Jeeveshu: It is easy as it is difficult because there is no pressure whatsoever on a comic so it can work for us or work against us. If you are good then you will make a mark for sure. Lack of a proper forum/organisation specifically for comics which can work for just stand up comics is something we should have.
Abijit: As in any profession, success or making a mark depends purely on the amount of efforts you put into it. Most people think stand-up comedy is just about being a funny person and telling jokes, which really is not the case. There’s a huge difference from being just a funny guy to actually performing stand-up comedy and then being somewhat decent at it. Making a mark is not just about being a good stand-up comic and writing good original content, but also has a lot to do with branding yourself, efforts you put in for PR, etc. Since stand-up comedy is still at a very nascent stage in India, the main issues are very different from they’re likely to be 5 years down the lane. Right now the main issues are still very much about people getting to understand the concept, respecting a performer with silence and attentive listening when they’re performing and understanding that everything’s been said in good humor.
Vasu: Not that hard; it’s really coming up.
Tell us a bit about what defines you?
Jeeveshu: I am a Punjabi so that makes me infinite :-)
Abijit: Covered in first question response.
Vasu: Presenting deep, controversial issues in a loving, compassionate way.
Â
What/Who inspires you?
Jeeveshu: Look around and you will see a world full of amusement, so there is no one person or thing that inspires me. I am just absorbing what goes around me.
Abijit: In terms of content, what inspires me is daily life and the various things that just keep happening to a common man in the course of a day. In terms of comics, I think internationally Louis CK and in our country Tanmay Bhatt are my personal favorite comics.
Vasu: All comics inspire me. Everyone has some incredible in them. I love how mathematically sophisticated comedy is.
What suggestions/advice would you have for newbies?
Jeeveshu: They follow established comics from across the globe and instead of having their own style and work on it, they end up aping other comics which does not last for too long. So be yourself.
Abijit: There’s a huge difference from being just a funny guy to actually doing stand-up and then being somewhat decent at it. The initial year actually passed by trying to understand this transition. But with time as you go about doing it more professionally, you start becoming more analytical about it. Which somewhat reduces the free aspect of it, but at the same time puts you more in control of the audience, their reactions, and extracting the laughs out of them. My advice to newbies of stand-up comedy would be to not follow any notions and go and do what they feel is funny. To go ahead and tell their own stories and viewpoints instead of following structured paths and be too influenced by other stand up comics.
Vasu: Work on your material. Follow the joke format. Challenge yourself.
How has Delhi been for you guys?
Jeeveshu: Delhi’s audience is one of the finest ones you can come across as a comic. They are very warm and encouraging towards new comics, new styles and new venues. The continuous hunger for comedy that we see in them is just overwhelming and just keeps us wanting to do better each time we go up the stage.
Abijit: Delhi has been a home to me and I consider myself a true-blooded Delhiite (contrary to popular perception, since I’m a Bengali). In fact this itself led to a massive identity crisis which was the source of most of my material in the first one year. In terms of comedy audience I think Delhi audience is mostly intelligent and very well-read which allows you to do a lot of intelligent humor instead of crass slapstick comedy.
Vasu: Interesting; kind of a mixed bag, and full of surprises.
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