Indulge 14th Anniversary Special: Stand-up comedians in Chennai talk about how this art form underwent changes over the last one-and-a-half years

Picture this. A jam-packed auditorium. Laughter from the audience bounces off the walls for every good joke. The comic makes fun of those in the front seats, much to the utter delight of the gallery ticket holders! Seems like it has been a while since we experienced a show of this kind, doesn’t it?

A new leaf

With the COVID-19 pandemic having brought live performances of most art forms to a complete standstill, stand-up comedy too took a severe hit and underwent several changes, including the increase in virtual shows and shrinking of massive audience sizes. Online performances became a source of survival that comedians utilised in order to not let the momentum around this form die down.

What’s more, from performing in front of a whopping 2,000 people to now being restricted to perform for smaller numbers like 40 to 70, comics have adapted to the ‘new normal’ in this art form, enforced due to social distancing norms. Comic Jagan Krishnan explains, “I’ve never seen people trying out so many tester shows. Popular comedians would just test their content out with a small, close-knit group of people and then immediately go for 500 or 1,000-ticket shows. Now, comics do it for a smaller audience like 30 people, with isolation protocols. Comedians in the big leagues performing one-hour shows in front of 30 people was unheard of earlier.”

Also, comedian Karthi Durai says we have a few more Tamil comedians in the stand-up comedy scene in Chennai now, compared to five years ago. He shares, “Jokes are not about words; they are about emotion. When we deliver them in one’s mother tongue, people connect to them better.”

Hitting rewind

Jagan takes a trip down memory lane as to what the scenario of this art form in Chennai has been like over the last one-and-a-half years. “Stand-up comedy has received a huge blow. But online shows had a very good momentum during the first wave of the pandemic because that was a very unusual scenario for a lot of people, right? People who were generally outgoing found it hard to stay at home. So, they would attend these online shows a lot initially,” he says.

Talking about the challenges these artistes faced when virtual shows were beginning to pick up, comic Syama Harini says, “We needed to invest a bit in gadgets like ring lights, good camera phones and mics. I was a bit technologically challenged and did not have the necessary equipment immediately as I did not anticipate this.”

Stand-up comedian Praveen Kumar made another crucial observation about online shows. “We get a dedicated audience during live performances, unlike a virtual show where there are plenty of distractions. When we perform in front of a camera, we have to urge the viewers to keep their video and audio on so that it helps improve the overall experience. Otherwise, it would feel like we’re performing for a wall. There’s a lot of uncertainty involved since we don’t even know if they can hear us. Seeing myself and performing doesn’t feel great,” he says.

Jagan too shares similar sentiments about performing in front of a camera and says, “Like, imagine you telling a joke and having to swipe a screen several times to check if anyone is laughing. Also, someone would have laughed, but they would have kept their video switched off. What’s more, some would just plug in their earphones and place their devices in a weird angle. We’ve even performed for fans, doors and tables. Sometimes, people won’t mute their audio when needed. We’ll be hearing random questions like: have you switched off the gas stove?” Karthi adds, “But in the case of live shows, the sole focus of the audience will be on the comedian.”

On the other hand, wouldn't live performances face-to-face too have their flaws? Definitely. Praveen says, “(There will be) Other noise. For instance, if we’re performing at a pub, there’s a chance that people could get drunk and start talking with us. During a corporate show, it’s not a good idea to open a bar while a show is taking place. Not many people will pay attention to the performance or even stay.”

Another major disadvantage in live performances? “A little heckling,” says Syama, highlighting the sexism inherent in almost every industry.

Also read: Vir Das: There has never been a better time to be a stand-up comedian

However, Karthi says it’s easier to reclaim control while performing live if someone interrupts their act, than it is when online. “When we tease that person back using a touch of humour, we receive support and applause from the audience as well.”

But, despite these challenges, that’s not to say that virtual shows do not have their perks. Providing a more female perspective, Syama discloses that online shows are safer since they mean less travel. “The advantage is the part about safety and not needing to travel to the venue. Shows also mostly started on time compared to when people were late to venues and we had to wait.”

Adding to the list of benefits, Praveen reveals that it cuts down on several costs that live, face-to-face performances usually incur. “One good thing about online shows is that there’s not much investment from our end, unlike live shows, where we have to think about the venue cost, lights and sound.”

Meanwhile, artiste Manoj Prabhakar talks about how virtual shows helped expand the reach of stand-up comedy. “People from anywhere could connect with us when we do online shows. Stand-up comedy shows are not available in every city or town. Right now, it’s mostly in metropolitan cities. With virtual shows, we can even perform for people from different time zones, like in the US. We are able to connect with new audiences from cities where stand-up comedy is not a major thing,” he asserts.

Also, “the lockdown has given comics an opportunity to tap into unexplored content and come up with more specials,” says Karthi. Jagan too agrees with this and adds, “One good thing that came out of the lockdown was that many of us started writing new material for upcoming shows, based on scenarios like work-fromhome, Zoom meetings, and how to keep yourself entertained during a lockdown. On a creative note, I would say the lockdown did us a favour.”

Predicting the future

Considering all these advantages, will virtual shows become the new normal? Syama, as well as every other comic we’ve spoken to, does not believe so. “I don’t think virtual will be the new normal since standup by itself is a live performance art. Doing it virtually would kill the whole point.”

Manoj adds to this by saying, “Every comic will hope that virtual shows don’t stick around forever. But I don’t think virtual shows will be removed completely. It will be there, but there will be a balance of both online and live shows.”

When it comes to the question of what else should happen next in this art form, everyone unanimously agreed on one point: Emergence of more comedians and newer voices, especially female. “People will understand only then that this art form is not restricted to one closed circle. For example, when we consider the art of writing and literature, there are multiple genres like fiction, thriller, non-fiction, sci-fi and history. Similarly, stand-up comedy too should be able to cater to a larger number of people with distinctive genres, since comedy is always about the audience. It’s never universal, though many assume it is. What one person finds funny may not appeal to another,” Jagan says.

Praveen too explains why he wants fresher content through newer artistes. “I want more female comics to emerge. Across the country, I’m not sure, but in South India, female comedians are very low in number. This situation must change. How long will people keep hearing things from a male point of view? There are several topics that are taboo in society. It would help if a female comedian comes and talks about it; it will help us see things differently,” he says.

Also read: Jeeya Sethi’s comedy show finds humour in grim situations like death

Why else do we need newer comics?

Karthi and Jagan answer: “Not many people will pursue this for a longer time. People think being a stand-up comedian is just one viral video away. It’s not like that. Stand-up comedy is something you keep learning and growing with over several years, and requires persistence.”

“I also believe having more artistes in the industry over a period of years will set the stage and make it easier for upcoming aspiring comedians,” Karthi concludes.

*All photos of Jagan Krishnan have been clicked by Joshua V.

Email: praveena@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @PraveeParthiban