I wanted all my shows to be personalised because I talk about stories from my own life. My first show, Happy Ending, had a play on my name hidden in the title. Instead of the usual spelling of “ending”, I used “ND”, which stands for Nesan David, and highlighted it in the logo. I followed the same approach with my second show, Nesan’s Nation. For my third special, I was working with the idea of imagination because I wanted to talk about my personal love story. I decided to combine “imagination” with my name, and that’s how Imaginesan came about.

Absolutely! People have told me personally that the show has helped them more than therapy. I’ve also received messages from people saying that my videos have helped them through depression and encouraged them to attend my shows. The response to Imaginesan has been particularly moving. My shows aren’t just about comedy and punchlines; there are some hard-hitting lines and emotional moments as well. I want people to take something more valuable away with them than just laughter. I want the experience to offer some meaning or healing.

Yes, and that’s been one of the most remarkable things about this show. With my earlier performances, people would usually tell me they enjoyed the show, take pictures with me and have their little fan moment.

With Imaginesan, however, people often stay back to talk about their experiences and the parts of the show that resonated with them. Out of every 100 people who attend, around 10 to 12 will stay behind to share something personal. Some have told me they cried during particular moments. It’s incredible that you can make people cry at a comedy show, but in a good way, and then make them laugh again.

I usually focus on relatable comedy. I know what I went through in my own life, and I realised that millions of people have experienced something similar. I felt that talking about heartbreak would allow the show to connect with a much wider audience. Comedy feels more authentic when it comes from personal experience. Heartbreak is something most people have encountered in some form. Very few people have the privilege of marrying their first love, so romantic heartbreak is something many of us can relate to.

Honestly, I don’t draw a strict line around what I can or cannot share. I focus on how I deliver the material, making sure that even when I discuss difficult subjects, I approach them in a way that works within comedy. If I feel people will relate to something that has happened to me, I’m comfortable sharing it. People have often asked how I’ve managed to talk so openly about certain experiences.

One of my viral YouTube videos, for instance, is about an experience of abuse. I’ve also started incorporating a ten-minute segment into my shows called the ‘Red Light Segment’. I sit on stage with only red lighting in the room and talk about difficult subjects that comedians don’t usually address.

In my current show, Insecurities, which I’m performing in Bengaluru, I have a set about my grandfather’s funeral. In my previous show, Silver Medal, the segment was about how I was abused by a man when I was 17.These are subjects people often keep private, even though many have experienced them. I feel that talking about them helps people connect with one another, and it has helped me personally, too.

You can see that connection in the comments on YouTube. People open up about their own experiences of abuse and share stories they might otherwise never have spoken about publicly. They’ve told me that my willingness to share something so difficult gave them the courage to speak about their own experiences. For me, comedy is a tool that helps me move on from what I’ve been through. It allows me to process those experiences and perhaps help someone else along the way.

When I was working as a choreographer, I started writing funny songs. That experience eventually influenced the way I perform stand-up.

A lot of comedians do shows lasting between 60 and 90 minutes, but my performances sometimes go beyond two hours without a break. Mixing music into the show helps me sustain that energy without making the audience feel that the performance is dragging.People come for the comedy, but they also stay for the music. It gives the audience something of a concert experience alongside the stand-up.

I haven’t given it that much thought. I haven’t been in a relationship since May, so perhaps the show changed the way I looked at things at the time. But I haven’t really reflected on it in detail.

For me, the hardest part is creating the content itself. Even if something genuinely funny has happened to you, simply going on stage and telling that story doesn’t necessarily mean people will laugh. You have to write it in a way that makes people laugh. That’s where the hard work comes in. Once the material is written and I’m confident in it, I know I can go on stage and deliver it well. I prefer to be prepared rather than rely entirely on improvisation.

For a two-hour show, I have two hours’ worth of material ready. I know what I want to do next, although live performances can always take unexpected turns. Someone might heckle me or say something that changes the direction of the show for a couple of minutes, after which I return to my prepared material. Generally, though, I go on stage knowing what I want to do and where I want the performance to go.

I’m taking the show to several cities. After the performance in Chennai on the 24th, I will perform in Coimbatore on 31 October and Hyderabad on 1 November, followed by Dubai on 22 November, Sri Lanka on 28 November, Malaysia on 3 December and Singapore on 4 December. From March next year onwards, the plan is to tour around 20 to 25 cities in the United States. I’ll also be performing in Bengaluru on 27 December, although that will be a different show.