There is a certain enigma in Abijit Ganguly's understated humour. His instinct is rooted in questioning rather than answering, airing strong opinions. The 35-year-old standup comedian doesn’t overshadow his jokes with exaggerated gestures or excessive showmanship. Instead, he lets the humour speak for itself, allowing the punchlines to land with precision and impact. Ahead of his live show in Hyderabad, the “city which has a great mix of IT/MNC crowd,” as he tells us, we chat with him about the future of stand-up comedy in the country, how he chooses to navigate a polarised environment like ours and yet gets his point across. One can guess that his impending performance, Abijit Ganguly Live will make us partake in thoughtful conversations around modernity — not seek easy answers or settle into comfortable certainties. He adds, “For me, the main idea is that I need to be receptive to feedback without being defensive and constantly re-evaluate my writing.”
There have been debates around comedy, with some arguing that comedians should avoid certain topics altogether. What is your view?
This is a very tricky situation as even the most broad-minded person has some topics or jokes they would think is off-colour. There are sections who enjoy all jokes but don’t want jokes on religion or politicians. So how does one decide, who is right on this and which section's stand is correct? Isn’t everyone’s belief sacrosanct to themselves? My approach to this is to try to respect all thought processes but pursue the belief system I hold. I am a firm believer of the line ‘it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’. I personally think most people are quite tolerable in real life as compared to their internet versions and generally people who come to comedy shows are even fine with laughing at themselves and their beliefs, as long as comedy portrays it well.
How do you navigate the fine line between using comedy to question stereotypes and perpetuating them inadvertently?
I think the intent is most important in this. One has to evaluate and re-evaluate their jokes — questioning stereotypes or perpetuating them — to understand where they stand.
Stand-up comedy has grown tremendously in India today. What has contributed to this rise?
I think post-Covid, a major change has been that it is no longer seen as an entertainment form just for elites. Earlier, there was a clear divide — the audiences weren’t the people from our daily walk of life, for example, our neighbours or our relatives. Now, stand-up comedy has gained more popularity and has captured the attention of everyone. More people are also starting to realise that stand-up is a great form of entertainment since in an hour’s time, they are laughing more than they would have laughed watching a comedy film.
`499. July 22. At Mirai Bar and Kitchen, Jubilee Hills. chokita@new indianexpress.com @PaulChokita