Sumendra Singh, known as Sam to everyone in the circuit, started out hosting music gigs in the city. But when he witnessed the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Road show in a club in Koramangala, he realised there is a huge market for comedy in India as well. Those were the nascent days and there was only one comedy club in the country at the time (Canvas Laugh Club in Mumbai). “I mentioned the idea of opening a comedy club, which at that point looked like a long shot. Adeel KQ (the co-founder) liked the idea a lot. We started looking for places together. One thing led to another and we partnered to open up That Comedy Club on Church Street,” confides the 28-year-old.
This year, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) has invited four Indian comedians for a Special Indian Showcase at Forum Theatre in Australia. The comedians performing at this event are known names from the industry — Sapan Verma (part of the group EIC), Daniel Fernandes, Neeti Palta and Sumit Anand. Sam explains how it all came about, “I had invited Gideon James, the associate director of MICF to come and see the second edition of the Bengaluru Comedy Festival (BCF) last year. He was impressed with the way the festival was organised and with the performances of the comics. That is why he handpicked me to conduct the showcase.”
Sam believes that the Indian comedy circuit is right at the cusp of becoming huge right now, and an international exposure, such as this, will give it a much-needed boost. “There are easily over 100 comedians in the country currently, doing serious stage time every week. Humour is the need of the hour and the response to the art form has been tremendous,” he adds. To build the industry, what is needed is more infrastructure and more people taking part in open mics, both of which a comedy club like theirs provides.
The future also looks bright. Sam feels the way forward is with different styles of comedy. “Improv is the next big thing. There are some brilliant improv groups in the country that are performing regularly. Apart from that, sketch, musical comedy and radical mime are finding their roots too. As we go forward, there’ll be more experimental routines that will find their way to bigger stages, both Indian and international,” he signs off.
Showcasing our flavour of comedy and bringing a slice of our country to one of the biggest comedy festivals in the world feels unreal. I have dreamt of being part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival as a featured artiste. And to be able to do this with my fellow comedians is stupendous. I’m so excited, I would do a cartwheel if my butt didn’t have other plans!
- Neeti Palta
“The scope for Indian comics to learn while they entertain in Australia is immense. We will return wiser and sharper. We’re also keen to host Aussie comics at BCF next year. All in all, I think there’s so much to gain for both (Indian and Aussie) comedy circuits
— Daniel Fernandes
April 20-23. Details: comedyfestival.com.au