Comedy wasn't Manish Chaubey’s first career choice; he’s a full-time software engineer, pursuing comedy on the side. Poising both worlds, he finds that the diversity of experiences at his day job fuels his creativity. His inaugural open mic experience in Bengaluru, though not a roaring success in terms of laughs, was a personal triumph — a step towards his passion for the art form, affirming his belongingness to the stage. Set to perform in Hyderabad, the artiste will deliver an hour-long rollercoaster through his life in his show Faaltugiri. From village life to the nuances of transitioning to a big city, his anecdotes encompass it all. With a humour that thrives on sharp observations and playful exaggerations, Manish intends to leave the audience with sore cheeks, aching jaws, and pensive thoughts as they head home.
What can we expect from your show, Faaltugiri? What subjects are you discussing?
Faaltugiri is a one-hour show where I talk about various things starting from my issues when I moved from a village in Buxar to a big city; my friends in engineering college; and my love marriage. I lived in Bengaluru for a good five years, so I will talk about my experience in the beautiful city. This show in a nutshell is my journey to date. My humour is around minute observations and exaggeration of things.
What were the inspirations behind your set?
My show consists of six different sets. I draw my inspiration from my youngest sister, who is the funniest person I know. In my family, I think everyone is funny and it’s very hard to discuss any serious topic without making fun of the situation and person or both. My wife recently joined this club and she is the first person I test my jokes on. And now she is my open mic audience for life.
Who are some of your idols in comedy?
I don’t watch much international comedy as it is very hard for me to relate to their culture and humour. But I recently started watching Louis CK and am amazed by his craft — how easily he talks about social issues with such great humour. That is something which I have started incorporating into my sets. In India, there are multiple comics whom I have seen since the beginning and learned a lot from. Starting from Zakir Khan — his storytelling and command of the audience are jaw-dropping. His comfort on stage is something which inspired me. Pratyush Chaubey is another idol whom I look up to. Whenever I see him on stage, I feel like he is talking about something which I feel in my heart too. He is a master of writing. He addresses subjects that no one wants to talk about.
Has your hometown been a source for your material?
My initial 10 years of life were in my village in the Buxar district of Bihar, which to date are the best years of my life. It was a huge house with a joint family. I used to read a lot of books as there was no other form of entertainment available. I used to read newspapers for my grandfather as he could not read by himself due to his poor vision. I was always updated with current affairs. After 10 years, we moved to a nearby town of UP named Ballia. Initially, I missed my life in the village and was not comfortable with this migration. That’s when I started writing poetry as I found solace in it. My hometown plays an important role in my dialect or reference to various things when I write jokes or perform on stage due to which the audience from that part of the world relates more.
Tickets at `249. December 23. 6 pm. At Aaromale, Jubilee Hills. — chokita@newindianexpress.com @PaulChokita