The best financial advice Sonu Venugopal ever received came from her mother. It was simple, memorable and, as it turns out, the perfect title for a stand-up special. High Risk, Low Return has since become one of the bengaluru comedienne’s most popular shows, turning an offhand piece of parental wisdom into an evening of laughter about all the ways adulthood refuses to reward effort.
The Kannada stand-up special, Sonu’s two-year-old solo outing, finds humour in terrible investments, questionable life choices and the exhausting business of trying too hard only to get very little in return. It is a theme that resonates with anyone who has stared at an overflowing to-do list, an empty bank account or a plan that looked much better on paper than it did in real life. Her storytelling moves between memories of growing up in a small town and the wonderfully chaotic realities of adult life, stitched together with sharp observations and an easy conversational style.
“High Risk, Low Return is very close to my heart because it is rooted in so many of my childhood memories. I still don’t think the show is finished. I like my performances to flow naturally, rather than being divided into obvious sections, so I’ve been constantly refining the transitions to make it feel seamless. I also avoid repeating topics, which means that even after 90 minutes, there are still a few stories I’d love to weave into it before I can truly call it complete,” Sonu begins.
When we caught up with Sonu over the weekend, she shared that High Risk, Low Return has become much more than a collection of jokes. The stories have evolved with every performance, finding new layers as audiences continue to recognise themselves in the comedy of misplaced optimism and spectacularly average outcomes. Even as the current show continues to draw crowds, Sonu is already looking ahead. Those who have already caught her previous specials have something new to look forward to. Sonu has begun work on her latest stand-up show, one she says she is more excited about than either of its predecessors. Unlike her earlier specials, which centred on the people around her, this one places her at the heart of the narrative, with the stories revolving around her own life and experiences.
“After eight years in stand-up, I can honestly say I’ve never felt more prepared for a show than I do for this one. Unlike my previous specials, this will be centred on me and my own experiences. The challenge, though, is to make it personal without becoming self-indulgent. I want audiences to see themselves in these stories, not just me. The show explores many of my insecurities, but I’ve reached a point where I’m comfortable talking about them. I no longer see those flaws as shortcomings. I’ve wanted to write something like this for a long time, but earlier the wounds were still too fresh. Now I can look back with a little more perspective. I’m hoping the process of creating and performing this show changes me as much as it entertains the audience. If I come away from it being a little kinder to myself, more accepting of my flaws and, ultimately, a better human being, then I think I’ll have achieved what I set out to do,” she reveals
The new special also arrives at what Sonu describes as a deeply liberating phase in her life. She hopes every woman reaches a point where she can embrace her insecurities, stop seeking validation and create work that feels true to herself, regardless of how it is received. She plans to begin trial performances towards the end of the year. While she is keeping the finer details under wraps, she reveals that the title will be a pun on a Kannada word, which also doubles as an English word that will aptly describe the show.
“My new show is really about the freedom I’m searching for in my own life. I hope every woman reaches a point where she worries less about what others think and spends more time looking inwards. We often go through life carrying so much emotional weight and this show comes from wanting to let go of some of it. Every show I write is shaped by a woman’s perspective because that’s the lens through which I see the world. but I think this one will speak to women more directly than anything I’ve done before. I’ve never felt this readiness for a show. I’m approaching the entire process differently, which makes it incredibly exciting. In fact, I already know exactly what I want the poster to look like,” she concludes.
₹599 onwards. August 8, 6 pm. At Just BLR Comedy Club, Brigade Road.
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