#PastForward: Ashvin Mathew reflects on the evolution of Bengaluru's comedy culture

The stand-up comedy scene in Bengaluru, especially the live scene, has undergone a significant transformation since it first became a popular weekend activity to engage in after a demanding week at work. It is no longer just a hobby, the space between the ends of the stage feels like an endless canvas to the creativity of the artiste holding the mic; while she, he or they hold on to the crowd’s undivided attention, often using their sets as an opportunity to create narratives for their storytelling or even making certain social commentary using their satire. Comedy is truly a performing art that now provokes thoughts, helps people unwind and tells baffling stories all at the same time! We chat with comedian, film director and theatre artiste Ashvin Mathew who opens up about the early days of stand-up in the city and how its transformation over the years is bittersweet.

Ashvin begins the conversation by addressing the fact that the formalising of the performing arts, including stand-up, as a professional career option, is in itself a big win for the artistes in the city. “The fact that more people are stepping out and doing it, the fact that people are choosing it as a full-time profession, is one of the most beautiful things that I’ve seen,” he says. “There are so many universities now that offer you film studies or film production and TV production. When I just passed out of college, pre-university, it wasn’t available, so I had to go abroad to study it,” he notes. Upon returning from finishing courses, doubts and questions posed to him were still part of the deal. “You’d finish and return and then your parents or your well-wishers would still say, ‘okay, what do you want to do now?’ So even if you decided to do film or whatever at that time, everyone would say, ‘why don’t you do something where you always have a backup, so you can always have a regular job.’ And that’s what’s changed now, that people can actually step out and say, ‘no, this is my career!” he highlights.

The vast transformation of the audience’s reception and attitude towards comedy has also changed, as Ashvin points out, recollecting his experience performing at The Cellar, an erstwhile pub in the city. “So, someone would make an announcement and there would be a whole lot of people having their drinks, talking to their friends when you come out. They’d just look up going, ‘who is this? What does he think he’s doing? You’re disturbing my drink!’ So, the fact that I had to get people to take their attention off their drink, off their conversation and then look at me, listen to me and then get them to appreciate what I’m doing — it was not just one job. It was almost like a door-to-door salesperson ringing the bell, disturbing you, asking you to give them their time and then saying, ‘could you please appreciate this? And at the end of the day, could you please clap for me as well?’ It was a whole different ballgame. But now, audiences are looking forward to stand-up comedy. They come to you. So, half the job is already done. Whether it’s a pub or wherever it is, they’re there for the show.”

Ashvin also notes that the city’s identity as an IT hub and as the Pub City or Pub Capital of the country during the late ’90s really altered the collective identity of the people here. Bengaluru would see people pouring in from other cities to enjoy the pub life and subsequently would get introduced to the art of stand-up comedy. This ‘eclectic mix’ of the crowd was a testament to how welcoming the city was to its developing culture scene. “Anybody can adopt the city,” he enthuses.

Performing a show of a complete hour or more was not as common as it is now. Being among the first to trust the process of stand-up, all these years later, Ashvin doesn’t perceive his initial years in Bengaluru comedy as a ‘legacy.’ Instead, he concludes, “I opened the first few doors and I guess my close circle of friends always appreciate the fact that I held on to this idea that I’m going to make a living out of the arts. I didn’t give up on that and it’s just nice to see so many more people saying: I am going to choose a life in the arts.”