Stand-up comedian Abishek Kumar on his new show, Enjoy Life, nostalgia and returning to Chennai

The response so far has been overwhelming. Comedians usually take a show around the world before releasing it online because the magic of a joke is strongest the first time you hear it. Unlike a song, which gets better the more you listen to it, a joke doesn't have the same effect after you've heard it a few times. So, we only release the special once the entire tour is over.

I usually perform with Nirmal Pillai and we did a lot of crowd work, interacting with the audience. We also created a dating show where we tried to set people up. But I realised it's easy to get stereotyped as a crowd work comedian. This show is mostly written material with a lot of new elements. There are original songs and visual jokes running behind me through a presentation. I'm trying to give the audience a complete entertainment package that feels completely paisa vasool.

For me, a lot of enjoying life comes from family. The show is about growing up in Chennai and growing up in India. I initially thought it would only resonate with South Indians, but it has connected with audiences across the country. It's a nostalgic journey from school and college to where I am today.

It's difficult to pick just one. Some of the material is written as songs, which is quite different, and there is plenty of visual humour throughout. The stories themselves are familiar because they're about growing up in India, but I think what makes the show stand out is the way they're presented.

That's actually the crux of the show. There are many stories about my parents, my grandmother and my school days. My parents have played a huge role in helping me reach where I am today. They've given me the freedom and confidence to pursue comedy full-time, so this show is, in many ways, a dedication to them.

Absolutely. I think we've all become a bit too serious. The internet has shortened our attention spans so much that if something doesn't grab us in the first few seconds, we move on. This show is my attempt to take people back to a simpler time and hold their attention for 90 minutes. I want audiences to forget about work, stress and everything waiting for them outside, and simply have fun.

Creating this show! Enjoy Life is my attempt to be the funniest version of myself. At first, I was nervous because there are so many personal stories in it. I wasn't sure whether people would relate to them, but they've turned out to be very relatable, almost like boy-next-door stories.

I recently performed in Tokyo, which had never hosted a public-ticketed Tamil or South Indian stand-up show before. The response was incredible and people immediately started asking me to come back, so it's been a very rewarding journey.

There are so many. Kenny Sebastian and Rahul Subramanian have been huge influences. Naveen Richard has always been one of my favourites because I enjoy physical comedy and theatrical performances. I also have to mention Aravind SA, Praveen Kumar sir and Karthik Kumar, who paved the way for many of us in the Tamil stand-up scene.

There might be a shoot later this year, but I can't reveal much at the moment. Right now, my focus is entirely on the tour. Once you commit to a tour, you have to give it your full attention because film schedules depend on many other people's availability. Hopefully, there'll be an exciting project to announce later this year.