Rise of Indian stand-up comedy: How the country's comics are going global

A decade ago standup comedy in India was hardly seen as a variable career It was a niche pursuit with comedians themselves viewing the performing art form as a hobby rather than a sustainable profession Fast forward to today and the landscape has completely transformed Indian standup comics are packing auditoriums headlining international tours and dominating streaming platforms all while redefining what it means to be a comedian in this diverse landscapeWhat makes this transformation remarkable is not just the scale of growth of this performing art but also the depth of its impact Indian standup comics have redefined boundaries of entertainment and crafted a business out of their skill that lies on relatability boldness and the human appetite for laughterldquoWhen I was 19 and in college my senior Sapan Verma introduced me to the concept of an open micrdquo recalls Sahil Shah a renowned comic who has performed in almost every major city worldwide ldquoHe said it was a place to share jokes so I went with a couple of friends To my surprise everyone there had a blast and I was ecstatic Standup comedy back then wasnrsquot even a thingmdashopen mics were just small gatherings of likeminded people and thatrsquos why if you look at the original batch of comics we all know each other because we all started in the same placerdquo he saysRishabh Nahar Prashisti Singh and Appurv GuptaThe Indian standup comedy scene owes much of its initial momentum to the digital revolution Platforms like YouTube which began hosting comedy sets in the early 2010s provided budding comedians a stage to showcase their craft without the constraints of television or cinemaldquoIn 2016 a significant event marked a turning point for Indian standup comedyrdquo says Appurv Gupta also known as Guptaji who has been performing since 2013 and has over 3000 shows to his name worldwide ldquoThat year the Internet became accessible to everyone across the country cutting across socioeconomic barriers This opened the door for many to discover standup comedy as a form of entertainment People would watch YouTube videos and share them with friends and family not just in India but internationally as well It really helped bring standup comedy to a much wider audiencerdquoThe early days of Indian standup comedy were marked by relentless hustle Pay was inconsistent often dependent on ticket sales or modest fees from event organisers ldquoIn 2011 when I was just starting out as a performing artist there was an acute lack of infrastructure to support this art formrdquo recalls Aakash Mehta standup comedian and founder of LassonLive a production company that nurtures emerging talent LassonLive signs artists in the early stages of their careers guiding them as they progress through the ranksSahil Shah believes that standup comedy has become a cultural phenomenon in India producing stars that are making people laugh across the worldThe absence of a structured ecosystem for comedy in its early days meant limited recognition for the art form ldquoStandup was a subculture in Indiarsquos urban spacesrdquo says Siddharth Dudeja a comedian who has performed extensively across India and at numerous open mics abroad ldquoYouTube laid the foundation for us comedians making our work easily discoverable Today thanks to other social media platforms standup comedy has become more accessible and widespread Watching a movie in a theatre is expensive and many people donrsquot find much value in it Standup offers a more affordable and engaging alternativerdquoWhat was once considered a fringe art form has now emerged as a respected standalone career option Comedians are no longer viewed merely as jesters but as cultural commentators who use humour to dissect politics social norms and hypocrisies ldquoAs someone who quit their job to pursue this art form fulltime I can vouch for the fact that lsquobrain drainrsquo is a very prominent phenomenon in our country and comedy is something that helps people rechargerdquo notes Prashasti Singh a standup comic who rose to fame after her stellar performance on Amazon Prime Videorsquos Comicstaan and is preparing for her London tour this week When we checked out tickets for her show online we were informed that the shows were sold out and cost an average of 26 pounds ldquoMy content primarily focuses on being an independent woman in the 21st century and the journey every such woman embarks on This naturally resonates with women in the 2535 age bracket as they can relate to what I sharerdquo says Singh ldquoHence internationally too I attract a large and predominantly female audience because they are able to connect with my contentrdquoAlso ReadAzeem Banatwalla lsquoWhen you talk about civic issues with a lens of comedy it becomes entertaining engaging and easier to get people awarersquoSiddharth Dudeja and Aakash MehtaThe ecosystem surrounding standup comedy is also growing beyond live performances Comedians are now exploring diverse avenues like screenwriting acting and hosting leveraging their wit to branch out ldquoAs a comedian writer and actor I can vouch that having a unique perspective and producing standout content is essential to succeed todayrdquo says Sumukhi Suresh known from shows like Comicstaan Go Straight Take Left Comedy premier League her solo special Donrsquot Tell Amma and the web series lsquoPushpavallirsquo ldquoI canrsquot just talk about the same old things and expect people to buy tickets whether in India or internationallyrdquo While shortform content generates buzz it seldom fosters deep connections with the audience The fleeting nature of these platforms prioritizes instant gratification over sustained engagement Suresh who wrote dialogues for the Ananya Pandaystarrer CTRL earlier this year adds ldquoShortform content like Instagram reels is great for engagement and visibility but it doesnrsquot guarantee ticket sales At the end of the day all the marketing and advertising need to convince people to buy tickets or we donrsquot benefit financially Thatrsquos why longform content on YouTube is still crucial for creating recall value and attracting audiences who truly enjoy and relate to our workrdquoMehta also believes that his work on Instagram and shows on OTT platforms like Social Currency hasnrsquot contributed significantly to his growth While he acknowledges that these platforms help him reach a larger audience he notes ldquoSince June of this year Irsquove been conducting a survey at all my shows and surprisingly less than 02 per cent of my audience is coming through Instagram Most are discovering me through BookMyShow or word of mouth but this is specific to my caserdquoWhether through shortform or longform content Indian standup comics have successfully expanded their reach across the globe International tours a hallmark of established artistes highlight the vast reach of Indian standup comedians ldquoHumour is universalrdquo laughs GuptaShah recalls his early international experiences ldquoDubai was one of the first places I performed abroad Itrsquos an ideal place to start performing internationallymdashitrsquos close to India and filled with Indians Itrsquos a winwin situationrdquoldquoIndian standup comics primarily perform for NonResident Indians NRIs and people of Indian origin PIOs living abroadrdquo notes Gupta According to the Ministry of External Affairs there are over 708 million Indians living abroad including NRIs PIOs and Overseas Citizens of India OCIs ldquoTake one of the comics under LassonLivemdashMadar Bhidemdashfor examplerdquo says Mehta ldquoHe performs primarily in Marathi and has toured five continents with soldout shows worldwiderdquoThe phenomenon is simple when Indians move abroad they often develop a deep yearning for their culture ldquoI donrsquot know what happens but suddenly theyrsquore all about lsquomy culture my heritagersquo and lsquomera Bharat mahaanrsquordquo says Shah NRIs in particular are eager to reconnect with their Indian roots which is why Indian comedians do so well abroadmdashthey bring a piece of home and familiarity with themBut Suresh says keeping it hyperlocal may backfire ldquo because the audience may not relate For example I wouldnrsquot joke about Dadar station in Londonrdquo she laughsInternational touring however presents unique challenges ldquoItrsquos very different from domestic touringrdquo says Rishabh Nahar Senior Vice President Creator Management and Leadership at Only Much Louder an independent network of businesses including artist management ldquoOn the international stage your art form is evaluated for cultural relevance and impact not just ticket sales Promoters festival programmers and ministries assess performance success using data on audience demographics pricing sensitivity and previous artist performances in the region This involves extensive data analysis to determine the best cities audience clusters and pricing strategies for each artisterdquoNahar adds that each territory has its own marketing challenges from selecting credible promoters to navigating visa approval processes ldquoOne of the biggest challenges when it comes to international touring is the visa turnaround time and approval process since this is dependent on the workings of the authorities You need to have an experienced and swift team of immigration lawyers Since international tours occur across multiple countries time is of the essence and you need an experienced lawyer to get you in and out efficientlyrdquoAs the reception of standup comedy grows discussions around revenue models have also increased ldquoTherersquos a difference in pay for Indian comics abroad versus domesticallyrdquo notes Mehta ldquoThis is due to varying purchasing power and factors like exchange rates visas accommodation and venue booking costs when performing abroad However compared to a music tour a standup tour is more economical since there are fewer production costs involvedrdquoIn discussing the growing international appeal of standup comedy and the varying revenue models associated with it an important factor to consider is gender ldquoFrom what Irsquove seen and experienced the comedians who are doing well internationally in terms of pay are predominantly malerdquo reflects Suresh ldquoThis is mainly because theyrsquove performed abroad more and are more established in those markets Women comics myself included are only just starting to sell out showsrdquo she notespound25Ticket cost at Prashasti Singhrsquos show at Soho Theatre Dean Street London