Vikas Kush Sharma brings his unique comedy and Witty crowd work to Hyderabad

“Present a person’s tragedy in a way that it is funny and they themselves laugh at it,” says Vikas Kush Sharma, a stand-up comic celebrated for his crowd work. This Delhi based artiste comes to Hyderabad with his show Halki Halki Fati? Along with his crowd work, he brings to town a set about dating apps, what happens on them, the experiences of people on the apps, and their behaviour.

“I got the inspiration to write this set about a year back when I went on the apps. I had a breakup, after which I decided to check these dating apps. This show is about why people go on such apps, their friends’ reactions and everything in between,” he says.

Talking about his crowd work, he says that the audience is his inspiration. “At the end of the day, people don’t like the jokes you perform, they like your personality; hence creativity is best showcased raw.”

Roasts and crowd work are two of the toughest things to do in comedy. Understanding the fine line between a roast and offensive jokes is important. Vikas says that in the first few minutes he understands the audience, and makes a mental note of the line he must not cross. “I know that if this line is crossed, it will make people uncomfortable and I make sure never to cross it.”

One of the biggest challenges he has faced is learning how to write a joke. He says that no comic he went up to for advice ever taught him how to write a joke. “People are so insecure about their craft that they often tend to gate-keep it,” he says.

This show, he says, is going to be a one-of-a-kind dating-comedy show where, by the end of it, “a new couple is going to be made.”

Story by Ananya Mehta