Being a veteran in the industry, Abijit Ganguly brings an experienced voice through his show, Abijit Ganguly Live to Hyderabad. Ranging from anecdotes to the 30s experiences and crowd interactions, he explores various avenues in his performance. Abijit believes his comedy to be an extension of himself, and that’s what he talks about in his shows.
As he covers the span of his career, he shares his observations about the changes in the industry. In the transition of comedy from an underground scene to commercial media, Abijit highlights the importance of details, “Earlier, you could say anything and get away with it. Now it’s more a 'massy’ scene. So you get the money but have to be mindful of what you’re saying. It’s not a bad thing. It pushes one to focus on the nuances and how you word things. As in relationships, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it,” he shares.
Throughout his show, he likes to keep his delivery dynamic, as different perspectives work with different styles, and switching things up keeps the show flowing seamlessly. According to Abijit, the uncertainty of whether a joke will work or not, brings in the element of fun. “The punches, phrasing and pauses of the comedy, all culminate into butterflies when the joke works,” he says.
Apart from multiple dimensions of performance, Abijit believes that the most overlooked aspect is the setup for the show. The essence of a stand-up is how the audience feels; the key to a good show is for it to feel like a conversation between friends and their reaction to different things. “Proper sound, light, and seating style is the most important thing. The best jokes will fall flat if something is wrong in that department,” says Abijit.
Praising the booming comedy scene in Hyderabad, the artiste says, “In essence, it’s the only non-Mumbai Delhi scene that made it sustainable for comics to be full-time comedians while staying in this city, and I have a lot of respect for that. I think it has a very mature audience compared to many places, and the people get the jokes.”
Alongside the comedy scene, he raves about the city’s incredible food scene and how he never fails to schedule shows in Hyderabad during Ramzan to enjoy some haleem.
Tickets at ₹749. August 31, 7.30 pm. At The Comedy Theatre, Gachibowli.
(Written by Anshula Dhulekar)