When Punit Pania speaks, you listen. Period.

“I can keep going back to the first book I read or the first blog I wrote or the first time I spoke on stage in school. But for the sake of plot, the trigger was me trying to publish a satirical book without success. A friend suggested I should try the same material on stage instead of chasing publishers. The rest, as they say, is on Wikipedia,” begins stand-up comedian Punit Pania, who will be in the city with his show Notes from the Bunker. And listening to him speak, we decided to let him do all the talking.

What is Notes from the Bunker about?

I started writing this show during the lockdown. It tackles seemingly slice-of-life settings like the gym and the salon but there are social and emotional layers to it. Seemingly banal yet political, it’s a look at the neighborhoods we live in; in an increasingly polarised India. It’s been nearly four years since and the material and tone of the show have evolved. I must have performed this show a hundred times if not more. But somehow, I never performed it in Chennai before. And since I plan to record and retire this show, this will also incidentally be the last show, in Chennai.

What are the notes you treat as life lessons?

One good night does not make or break a career in stand-up, neither does one bad show. Give it everything on stage but at the same time, never forget to have fun. Freedom is the ultimate goal; fame and money are only incidental.

Stand-up is a form of unemployment, you have said. Why?

In a country as poor as ours, education is completely vocational and all jobs are strictly formal. So stand-up is way over at the other end of the spectrum. I still can’t believe we get to this and get even a little money for it!

Why then are more and more people making a foray into stand-up comedy?

It’s largely because it looks simple — just a guy talking like he does with his friends. But people don’t realise the huge effort it takes to achieve that ease with strangers in the audience in a different mix and set-up from show to show. The democratisation of content creation on social media also has a role to play in more people feeling brave enough to attempt stand-up.

Do you think stand-up comedy will soon reach a saturation point?

It may seem like overkill with the tsunami of painfully mediocre stand-up spamming your timeline. But that’s just a crowd, not really competition. Great stand-up, like any good art, will continue to stand out regardless.

Can you live without comedy?

I used to feel I couldn’t, but the lockdowns changed my perspective. As long as one is living a balanced life and gets to express himself, one can get by even in a hot cruel world. I have always been a writer first; I’d probably go back to writing more often.

In the audience, what do you always look for?

I simply look for a discerning audience. Listening is a lost art, just like foreplay.

Tickets at Rs 399. June 8, 7 pm.

At Offbeat Music Ventures, Raja Annamalai Puram.

Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com

X: @rupsjain