Growing up, city-based comedian Sonu Venugopal didn’t watch many Kannada films. Her father’s ‘very transferable’ job meant that she lived across the country and grew up watching Bollywood films. Yet, when she decided to return from Switzerland and take a plunge into comedy a few years ago, she chose Kannada as her medium. “My exposure to Kannada films and literature was limited, so my material doesn’t heavily rely on pop culture references. My strongest connection to Kannada, my mother tongue, is through speaking it at home with family. I grew up watching Bollywood actually, but I like Anant Nag’s films from the ’90s. I feel like they’re very relatable, yet contain clean humour. That’s what I aim for with my work,” says the 34-year-old former radio jockey.
One of the most popular faces in the Kannada comedy circuit, Venugopal is headlining the Kannada lineup at the upcoming multilingual SoTruly Indian comedy festival. Scheduled this weekend, the festival is set to feature over 70 comedians from across the country – including Aashish Solanki, Gurleen Pannu, and Punit Punia among others.
“What’s cool about it is that it has Hindi, English and Kannada lineups. So the audience can expect a range of topics and emotions, that cater to all age groups. This is partly why I like doing lineups. For the audience, it’s like a movie – they’ll get a bit of this and a bit of that,” says Venugopal, who was recently spotted in Aachar & Co.
Known for her comedy, delivered in an authentic north Karnataka dialect, one of the key reasons for Venugopal’s popularity has been her unconventional approach. “My goal in comedy was not just to stand out. It was important for me to address the stereotypes, especially regarding north Karnataka, which is misrepresented in popular Kannada culture.
Apart from that, Kannada – particularly, the north Karnataka dialect – is what I speak at home, so it made it easy for me to articulate myself,” she says, adding, “About seven or eight years ago, the Kannada comedy scene was predominantly led by older comedians, like Pranesh sir. There was a lack of younger voices, someone who could talk about modern dating or corporate life.”
Meanwhile, through her comedy special Punyakoti, Venugopal has gone beyond Bengaluru, garnering acclaim from across the world.
Despite her initial ‘self-doubt’, her shows in England last year exceeded her expectations. “It’s not that Kannada comics haven’t ventured here before, but this was a ticketed show. Typically, a Kannada Sangha might invite you, for a specific event. But ticketed shows garner people who are genuinely interested in standup,” says Venugopal, who is getting ready for her shows in Australia in April.
INR 299. February 17 and 18, 2 pm. At Good Shepherd Auditorium, Museum Road.
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