This weekend, Hyderabadis will get a homegrown slice of comedy. Moving away from Hindi and English language shows, widely popular here, the city will laugh at Telugu jokes churned out by Vizag-bred-and-born comedian Gnan Kumar Simhadri aka Leni. “Whatever is funny to me, I joke about it,” he tells us. Relatable humour can make people feel that they have a hidden insight into the artiste’s life.
The performer has been fond of comedy for as long as he can remember. Leni’s upcoming show comprises observational, anecdotal and relatable jokes about college and family. Back in school, a plethora of cultural activities like poetry, music and dance helped him refine his confidence. But, Leni, who identifies himself as a ‘class clown,’ says, “I used to joke all the time. After the lockdown, I started putting out reels on my social media. Back then, my only followers were my friends and family. Things changed when two of my rap battle videos went viral on Instagram.”
From vines, Telugu raps tickling the funny bone — especially a rap about a middle-class father’s mundane life to calling out the hypocrisy of Telugu actors got him lots of attention. Leni jokes around so as not to come off as needy and a seeker of heed but to be unapologetically himself. As he tells us, comedy has quite literally, saved his life. Born and brought up in Vizag, he agrees that his hometown is not as happening. “It’s been a year since I started stand-up. Pre-pandemic, even in Vizag, there used to be a good comedy scene including open mics inviting big comedians like Vir Das and others. After the pandemic, things started to die down but right now, a group called Vizagkomedians is trying to make situations better, if not like before,” he shares.
Telugu stand-up comedy, like the art form in a more accessible language like Hindi and English, needs an audience. However, the scene is still relatively young compared to other established comedy circuits in India. “But, comedians have emerged, using the Telugu language to connect with audiences, both locally and globally. My audience including my followers generally have no clue about the kind of jokes I make or am known for. I write jokes for young Telugu people — mainly, college and school-goers with a good sense of humour. I want everyone to have a good time,” Leni adds.
Tickets at `200. December 10. 6 pm. At Guruswamy Centre, Secunderabad.