Sakil Ansari turns migration and memory into a hilarious comic set in Hyderabad

There’s a particular kind of inspiration that comes from watching someone fail repeatedly, and still show up the next day with a pen and a punchline — and it’s exactly that honesty Sakil Ansari is bringing to Hyderabad. As he readies his show Odisha to Hyderabad, his comedy doesn’t arrive as spectacle or swagger, but as something far more lived-in. It builds slowly,
from half formed thoughts, personal memories, and the stubborn belief that even the most ordinary experiences can become funny if you sit with them long enough.

From cyclones to punchlines: Sakil Ansari's unique comic perspective

The title comes firmly from memory. Having completed his education in Odisha before moving cities for work, the set pulls from “my school stories, the realities of living through cyclones and floods, and moments from my personal life in Hyderabad,” he explains. The move itself was practical — a job brought him south — and even today, he balances comedy with a full-time role as a financial accountant.
Sakil began performing stand-up in 2018, inspired by Facebook videos. Watching comic stars like Jasprit Singh and Zakir Khan, he thought, “Maybe I should also try,” especially since he was already “funny in my friend’s group.” His first open mic was in Hitech City — a detail he remembers clearly, almost like a personal milestone. “So it’s almost the anniversary of my stand-up journey,” he says, laughing. “Eight years.”

What has shaped his comedy most, though, is failure. “Stand-up comedians… they fail almost every day,” he says candidly. Writing, for Sakil, is discipline more than inspiration. He writes daily — “I try to write at least one page a day” — even rewriting old material when nothing new comes.
 The result is a set that leans unapologetically personal, touching on relationships, intimacy, and even an Odisha cyclone that affected Sakil’s family — subjects he feels haven’t been explored enough in comedy.
He promises, “It will be a little different. I make jokes without caring much about them being clean or not.”
 
Tickets start at ₹199. February 8, 7 pm.
At The Street Comedy Club, Madhapur.

Email: isha.p@newindianexpress.com

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