Clean and Mean showcases family life in India through relatable humour

The debate between artistic liberty and censorship has been an ongoing one. While some artistes use the platform to speak their heart — often touching upon controversial themes — others like to use it to entertain the audience. Stand-up comedian Rupen Paul, uses his art to speak his heart, but believes that comedy must make people laugh. He comes to Hyderabad with Clean but Mean, a show for families, about families.

He talks about parents, and the Indian mindset of financial management in this show. “We want to spend money and enjoy, but also feel guilty because of our ingrained mindset of saving.” He also talks about the never-ending rut of corporate life where people leave their job in search of a better place, only to find themselves unhappy in the new company too.

Rupen’s idea of curating a clean set rooted from a show he had done about a year ago. “The owner of the place had invited his friends, and most of them were senior citizens. When I saw them enjoy my performance, I realised that comedy should be for everyone, not just the younger generation,” he says. The idea is to go to the show together as a family.

After about 10 years in the industry, Rupen notices a lot more people stepping into the world of comedy. He notes that the controversies surrounding stand-up have fuelled interest in the art form, leading to a surge in its popularity. “Over the last few months, I’ve been invited to a lot more corporate shows as a result,” he adds.

His perception of comedy along with his creative process has evolved through the years. When Rupen started, he would note down pointers every time he said something funny or stumbled upon a muse. Now he practices long-form writing where he pens down his thoughts, and curates content from there.The jokes are then just tested in open mics and developed further.

In light of the current ongoings, he says that comedy is a platform which allows you to express your thoughts unfiltered. “The audience sometimes gets offended during my shows, even though it’s clean comedy,” he says. However, Rupen believes that feeling offended and expressing it is completely valid, as it can open the door to meaningful conversations and even drive change.

He emphasises that while disagreement is fine, resorting to violence is not — there are other ways to voice one’s displeasure.

Tickets at INR 299. April 5, 7 pm. At The Street Comedy Club, Madhapur.