A lot of it started with my own bad experience while working. I realised that people were going through the same things and started getting DMs asking me to make more content around it. I think when you can make fun of what you are going through, it becomes extremely relaxing. I am not a motivational speaker asking people to quit their jobs; I am just saying, here’s the fun side of what you are doing. A lot of the time, people think they are the only ones facing a particular problem. When they hear someone else talk about the same thing, they realise it is a common experience. That itself is therapeutic.

The writing process starts with an observation, and then I add layers to it. I look at the same point from different perspectives and figure out the best way to arrive at a punchline. It could become an anecdote, a story, a punchline with tags or even an act-out. For example, take a fake sick leave. You could talk about taking one and then bumping into your manager at the movie theatre. It becomes a small anecdote. The idea is always to reach that point where the audience thinks, ‘This is my story.’ If it feels relatable, it is a home run; if not, I keep working on it.

I would say about 80 per cent is inspired by my own corporate journey. When you are fresh out of college, you think working hard, proving yourself and doing good work will automatically lead to success. But the corporate world has so many other variables — people management, office politics, market opportunities and how the company itself is doing. My experience wasn’t easy, and I turn those observations into comedy, with some extra masala along the way.

Honestly, content is everywhere. My wife is a big source of material. Whenever she complains about her company, instead of giving her solutions, I make notes! I also speak to friends who are still in the corporate world and note down things they tell me. Then there are news stories around layoffs and workplace issues. But increasingly, my audience is actually telling me what to talk about through DMs and emails. In a way, they are narrating what I put out next.

Hyderabad is one of my favourite cities to perform in. I was sceptical when I first came here three years ago because I had mostly performed in Bengaluru, but Hyderabad sometimes responds even better. The whole Gachibowli and HITEC City ecosystem is filled with massive companies, so the material is incredibly relatable. Corporate toxicity is almost a universal language — whether you are Hyderabadi or from north India, someone’s manager has probably exploited them in the same way.

The biggest takeaway is that you should leave feeling relaxed. There is no solution being handed out, but there is comfort in knowing that other people are going through the same things. You get to laugh at yourself, your colleagues and the situations you are stuck in. For me, that shared recognition is what makes the show work.