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Stand-up comedian Shreeja Chaturvedi talks about her upcoming tour and life after Comicstaan
You may know Shreeja Chaturvedi as the girl with a straight face and animated hand gestures from her stand-up comedy reality show Comicstaan Season 2. Shreeja was working in the advertising sector until she took the plunge into stand-up comedy, which changed her life forever. Ever since Comicstaan Season 2 released, Shreeja has been working towards making a mark for herself in the comedy space. Today, as the stand-up comedian is gearing up for her upcoming solo show in Chennai, Superiority Complex, she chats with Indulge. Excerpts…
What can we expect from the show in Chennai?
I have not performed here in a while, and this show is the start of my tour, and bigger than any I’ve done here before. I’ve found that the audience here is more difficult to please than in other cities, so I’m excited for the challenge.
What is your solo tour of the Superiority Complex all about?
The show is about me making observations with the firm belief that I am right, and I know better. I think it has unknowingly turned into a collection of opinions about how people behave with me, and how I would like them to correct it. Mainly my parents. I also talk about why I’m upset with my
school education.
While preparing the script, how do you ensure that your jokes resonate with different generations?
That’s difficult to control. I write whatever I feel strongly about, but I cannot tell who this will resonate with. Of course, when I write about, say, the bad state of the roads in Mumbai, I know it will have a larger appeal, than a joke about my hemoglobin. I also have jokes that resonated with no one, and were added to the growing pile of rejected jokes. Audiences can also be very emphatic with their silence — the ultimate feedback!
How do you come up with jokes?
I think it’s pretty haphazard, my writing process. Of course, our minds are constantly brimming with thoughts. If I have any that make me laugh, I go try them out in front of friends and audiences. I keep trying to build on it, and articulate it better with every show. A huge part of the process is just trying to get on stage everyday at open mics and trial shows to keep testing your jokes with various audiences. Most shows will add to your writing, strengthen it, even if your pen didn’t put anything on paper.
With the stand-up comedy space growing in India, how do you try to stay relevant in the industry?
Open mics and shows with other comedians and performers primarily help with this. While you get to test your own material, you also get exposed to other voices and comedic styles. Seeing how my peers craft their material helps me look at my work with a different lens. And then, of course, exhibiting your work on different platforms to make sure it reaches your audience, existing and potential.
How do you describe your life before and after Comicstaan?
Before Comicstaan, my parents thought I was just stepping out in the evening to loiter in the city, which was not completely untrue. After Comicstaan, my family started taking what I do more seriously. Strangers started coming up to me and appreciating my work. Just the generosity of that gesture was so humbling.
