The Big Little Hyderabad Comedy festival hosts several comics who will roll out their new sets

Here's what to expect...
Comics
Comics

The first edition of The Big Little Hyderabad Comedy festival (TBLH) kickstarts tonight at Comic Social. The host for the four-day event, Rupali Tyagi tells us that this show is sort of a celebration for the local comedians, who have come to the fore in the past decade. “All of the homegrown talents are coming together for this show. We have unique voices like Rajasekhar Mamidanna and Sai Kiran. There are many more exceptionally talented comics who may have not received their due yet. This is the best place for the audience to get a guaranteed good show and explore the hidden gems of comedy from the city,” she shares. We also ask her about the dearth of female comics in Hyderabad and she adds,“While the scene is super supportive, we have only a few female comics like Sravanthi Basa and Pensy Antall who are super funny and talented. We need more women like them to tell their stories.” The comedians participating include Sai Kiran, Rajasekhar Mamidanna, Bhavneet Singh, Hriday Ranjan, Mayank P, Rohit Swain, Ashok Khatri, and others.

Rupali Tyagi
Rupali Tyagi

BHAVNEET SINGH

Bhavneet, who will host the show, Bhavneet and Friends on day one of the festival shares his excitement with us. “I love festivals of all sorts — music, comedy, and theatre. It’s the vibe of this comedy festival that really excites me. These events are not just important for our scene but also for the city. It’s four days of people just laughing show after show, and that makes it very special for me.” He has been in the comedy circuit for a while now and shares that he has dreamt of being a comedian ever since he was 11. “The first time I saw someone do stand up was on TV, when I was 11 and it got me hooked. I didn’t know you could make people laugh for a living. Ever since, every time I’ve got an opportunity to go on stage and tell jokes, I told jokes.” Speaking of his content he says, “It is going to be a mix of old and new content. I’m hosting a line-up of talented young comics, which will have a lot of interaction. I am also part of The Most Offensive Show, which is what is exciting for me because I can do sets, I usually love doing.

Bhavneet Singh
Bhavneet Singh

SAI KIRAN

One of the first comics to break through from the City of Nizams is Sai Kiran, who is known to leave you in splits with relatable gigs on being a South Indian guy. The comic talks to us about his ideas and shares, “It all depends on the idea. There are times when a thought becomes a set on the very same day. And sometimes, it takes years to develop. Usually, observational content that the audience can relate to is quicker to work on, while the edgy stuff takes time to craft.” The comic, who will headline acts like English Mayhem (a line-up of comics who perform exclusively in English), shares that he has a new set in store for us. “In TBLH, I will be launching my new show called Matrimania —intense social, familial and cultural pressure on Indian men and women to get married after a certain age. I wrote the show during the pandemic, but honestly it feels like I have been preparing for this for the past 10 years."

Sai Kiran
Sai Kiran

HRIDAY RANJAN

Hriday who is well-known for his hilarious movie reviews will be a part of TBLH too. Besides comedy and movie reviews, he was a blogger for a decade,“Stand up comedy seemed like the natural progression for me because I used to regularly follow it on YouTube.” The comic, shares, “This set is perfect for those who truly enjoy politically incorrect humour.”

Hriday Ranjan
Hriday Ranjan

ASHOK KHATRI

One of the younger comics from the comedy circuit, Ashok is a regular feature at the open mics. We ask him what to expect from his headliner act, Toby Thomas and Friends and he tells, “You can expect funny one-liners and weird premises, that will make you chuckle. I usually do small bits, and it’s mostly observational humour. When I notice something strange around me or get a funny thought, I immediately make a note and work on it. So, that’s the kind of content that I will be presenting.” Talking about the kind of scripts that work for the city, he tells us that the city’s crowd is indeed a tough one to crack. “I’ve seen several comics visiting from other cities and struggling here. You need jokes, good jokes to make them laugh. So, only if you have got strong bits and punch lines, will you be able to crack’em up!”

Ashok Khatri
Ashok Khatri


Rs 299 upwards. From August 12 to 15. At Comic Social.

— bsuchitra@newindianexpress.com 

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com