Faiyaaz Hussain didn’t step into comedy with a master plan or a neatly drawn path — it was more of a slow strum, layered with curiosity, chance and the thrill of finding an empty stage that felt like home.
The artiste is in town with his show Survivor’s Guilt, and goes back in time to tell us how and where it all started. “I’ve been doing comedy for the past seven to eight years now and I do it in my regional language, Tamil,” he says. He realised early that the space was wide open. “There was not a lot of competition per se, and I wouldn’t say it was easy, but at the same time, there was no blueprint. It was exciting as well as challenging.”
Watching seniors perform in English and witnessing Hindi comedy grow up north made him consider the power of regional language. “I thought it might bring people in, and that’s why I started doing it in Tamil.”
For almost six years, Faiyaaz performed only across Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli — cities filled with college crowds that kept the scene alive. Everything shifted in 2023 when he toured outside Tamil Nadu. “I did my first show in Hyderabad in January this year and I understood why regional comedy is a hit. People come in big numbers to listen to somebody who speaks their language. There is a sense of belonging,” he shares.
“Stand-up is relatively new in India; almost 80 to 90 per cent of our audience have watched comedians only in movies. So, you might have to do a lot of gimmicks to pull people in,” Faiyaaz explains.
Stand-up is relatively new in India; almost 80 to 90 per cent of our audience have watched comedians only in movies. So, you might have to do a lot of gimmicks to pull people in— Faiyaaz Hussain
The artiste starts crowd work like a friendly conversation. “I ask things like what they do for work, who they’re with, if it’s their first time here, and one of these questions definitely have a weird answer.”
As for how he got into comedy, he laughs and says, “Most of the school complains that reached my home were about my constant talking.” And that eventually grew in to a full-blown, successful comic career.
What’s next, we ask, and Faiyaaz tells us that he plans on starting a comedy show format that brings light to the undiscovered or small Tamil speaking comedians to give them a platform.
Tickets start at ₹499. December 7, 5 pm.
At The Comedy Theatre, Gachibowli.
Email: isha.p@newindianexpress.com
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