From rage bait to roaring laughter: Harman Preet Singh brings his new show to Hyderabad

For Harman Preet Singh, the spark for a joke lies in a thought that feels slightly off — something uncomfortable enough to demand unpacking. “My writing process usually looks like a statement that sounds wrong and then I try to justify it,” he says, leaning into the tension before diffusing it with humour. With his upcoming show Risky in Hyderabad, the intent is to hook, mislead, and then recover. “It’s a rage bait approach. I get the audience’s attention and then when I’m justifying it, it gets way funnier.”

Risky and ridiculously funny: Harman Preet Singh tests provocative premises on Hyderabad stage

Harman’s starting point is rarely structured. “I think it’s an uncomfortable observation that comes for me and then it turns into a premise... punchline comes way later.” That unpredictability extends to performance too. Jokes he’s certain will land don’t always work: “There are plenty of jokes that in my head were like ‘this would kill for sure,’ but they either end up being too serious or I’m not reading the room too well.”

Rewriting, then, becomes less about the joke itself and more about placement. “The joke’s funny, but where you place it is what makes the difference,” Harman shares. “Sometimes standalone, that joke might not be funny.” He refines material until it consistently holds attention. “It doesn’t have to be a laugh, but if I am able to hold attention on every line, then that line stays in the set,” he explains.

Off stage, inspiration isn’t forced. “I’m more of a ‘feed the premise on a platter’ person. Premises just find me in hindsight.” Open mics, he admits, become the real testing ground — where ideas are stretched, trimmed, or dropped.

As for Hyderabad, Harman is stepping in with curiosity over certainty. Having heard “good things” from Hyderabadi comics, he’s prepared to read the room in real time. His interest lies in the grey area — the space where a risky thought can be flipped. “If it’s risky, there’s an area to explore,” Harman adds.

And until that balance shifts, he’s clear about what he’s chasing: “I would rather be funny; silly funny than provocative,” Harman concludes.

Tickets start at ₹449. April 4, 7.30 pm.

At The Comedy Theatre, Gachibowli.

Email: isha.p@newindianexpress.com

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