Onkar Yadav’s solo show is honest, unfiltered comedy without the extra baggage

Comedians are now taking a more nuanced and elusive approach to stand up, using it as a tool to put forward their ideas and ideologies. But at the end of the day, it’s all about whether or not a joke lands, which determines the show’s success. That in itself can be a philosophy — and it is this what Onkar Yadav follows with his show Blunt.

Blunt is all about saying things as they are and letting comedy do its job

“My comedy is simple, I like clear punchlines and don’t try anything experimental. I’m still on a trial basis so I just try things and see what works, But I aim to make a show that I would laugh at,” he shares. Hence, before the audience, the set has to appeal to him first. With every show, he draws different boundaries depending on what feels right in the moment.

Writing plays a big role in Onkar’s process, where writing is 90 per cent, and performance is 10 per cent. The general approach is 50-50, but since Onkar follows a structure and frames his content carefully, he takes time with his writing and believes that good performance will follow.

As an artiste, Onkar is especially mindful of how he sets the tone. There are a few things he keeps in mind, but mostly he likes to read the room and adapt. You can usually tell from the first joke what kind of humour the audience enjoys. “For instance, if an act in the open mic before me receives huge applause and laughter on an insensitive joke, I immediately know what kind of room it is, and being from Haryana, I handle that crowd as well,” he says jokingly.

Ideally, he wants viewers to ‘listen’ more — to treat his show like a monologue instead of a dialogue. Onkar does not want anyone to think his words hold any special value. For him, taking the philosophical route adds weight that comedy doesn’t need. He prefers subtlety over ‘carrying a message’. “If I’m performing in an underlined tone, it’s up to the audience to understand it. Everyone already knows what’s right and wrong. If someone gets it, great,” he explains.

Ask him about Hyderabad, and he says, “I don’ t like Hyderabadi biryani at all. But new Hyderabad is very different from old Hyderabad, and I want to visit both the areas properly after the show.” He’s also taken a liking to the region’s film culture as he finds the tone of the regional Hindi hilarious.

Tickets at INR 399.

July 6, 7.30 pm.

At The Comedy Theatre, Gachibowli.

Email: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com

X: @indulgexpress

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