OTT platforms, film industry opening up new avenues for stand-up comedians in India

The common statement that it's easier to make someone cry than laugh is no longer true in India, thanks to a crop of seasoned and professional stand-up comedians. One such comedian who has chosen to stay away from cuss words and make clean jokes based on relationships, family, marriage, and children is stand-up comedian Amit Tandon, better known as ‘The Married Guy.’

Tandon's career in stand-up comedy took off at the age of 34, while he was running an HR consultancy firm. He started doing comedy as a hobby to escape the run-of-the-mill grind, but he gained attention in 2017 when his videos on social media went viral. From selling 30 tickets in 2015, Tandon went on to perform at sold-out shows and international tours. In 2018, he decided to close his business and move from Delhi to Mumbai. He became the first comedian to have a Hindi solo on Netflix. Bizz Buzz recently interviewed Tandon during his visit to Hyderabd. He introduced himself with the line, "I am the Married Guy, produced by my mother and directed by my wife."

As a performer, what is your take on Hyderabad as a city for stand-up comedians?

I like performing here. I just hope there were more venues. We need good auditoriums. I have performed more at pubs because the approach roads to these auditoriums are not so great. There have been shows that were cancelled because they said if the audience count is 2,000 then there would be a traffic jam. The new areas like Hitec city can get more auditoriums as the audiences present this side of the city are open to the concept of live shows.

What can your fans look forward from you?

I am touring for my new shows. Next year I will be performing in the US, UK, Australia. I am also working on two movie projects and three to four series for OTT platform. By the end of next year, some things will be coming up on Sony Liv. There is a reality show I am writing, there are four to five of those projects that will come out in the next two to three years.

Tell us about the birth and growth of stand-up comedy in India…

The birth of comedy is very old in the country, Johnny Lever or Raju Srivastav are the first comedians that came out of India. We also had other forms of stand-up comedy called as, ‘Hasya Kavi Sammelan.’ But, live stand-up took-off only in the last 12 to 13 years after the clubbing and pub culture started opening up in India. First there was only live music and then slowly people realised that live comedy is also another art form. Comedians Veer Das came from the US and Papa CJ from UK and started open mics here in India where new comedians could try their material. Comedy Store London opened its first store in India in 2010 and that is how the culture started. Thanks to YouTube and social media it grew fairly fast.

Earlier people pursued stand-up purely out of passion, there was no real money except for some established comedians. But today, there is lot of money and people can see a proper career growth in this field. If I perform one live show, I am likely to reach out to 36,000 people in a year but due to social media, if the video goes viral, in a week I am reaching out to a million people. With YouTube videos and Instagram reels the game has changed and its driving the growth of stand-up comedy.

How serious is stand-up comedy as a business?

10,000 to 15,000 tickets are being sold every weekend in every big city. There are at least 300- 400 full time stand-up comedians who are earning from this field. There is other related businesses dependant on comedians for a earning, such as ticket selling platforms, event organisers, food and beverage owners, celebrity managers. Hence, stand-up has generated employment and earnings to many. Comedy has crossed over boundaries to International markets and penetrated into tier-2 and 3 cities of India wherein 2,000 tickets are being sold. Earlier it was English then Hindi, now Gujarati, Punjabi and other regional comedy has also picked up. Indian comedians have done nearly 700 international shows. For audiences abroad it is not just a show but it is a festival, a celebration and gathering of family and friends.

What is drawing audiences towards live stand-up gigs?

Stand-up comedy is definitely a stress buster. During Covid we would get messages from people saying that while they are stuck at home watching my video has kept them happy. Secondly, it’s giving voice to lot of sections. Comedy is widely known as tragedy plus timing. When you hear a comedian speak about the same pain the audience or listener is going through that makes people to identify with the comedian. It makes them laugh at their troubles. For me, it is therapeutic to see people laugh and create a diversion for the audiences who are otherwise deep into their smartphones.

What do you have to say about the new comedians who enter for the glamour but have to later face the reality check?

New comedians see other comedians touring and performing in the US or UK, but what they do not see is there has been five or six years of struggle. We were sometimes told to get off the stage, sometimes the show did not happen, such humiliating incidences they do not see. I would tell people to be mentally ready as you will not make any money in the first four years and if you are able to make some money in the process then that is good but do not expect it. I would also say be honest and do not copy. Have a different and unique identity and bring your own story.

How do you deal with trolls and offensive remarks?

Lot of times people do get offended. Now, I know that whatever we do there will always be two per cent people who get offended. I just delete it from my memory. Sometimes it becomes an argument on the reel or post, then I just switch off the comments. My conscience is clear. As long as I genuinely know, I have not tried to step on somebody’s toes and did not mean ill. When 95 per cent of the people are happy then its fine but if 95 per cent or say even 25 per cent of the people were bothered then I would be worried. The five per cent are just looking for attention.

Has parent’s acceptance to stand-up comedy as a career choice got better?

Parent approving their child to taking up stand-up comedy as a career is much better now. Parents concern is whether their child will be able to earn a livelihood or not. With any field of occupation it’s the same, if by the age of 30 will their child will be able to survive or will be on the road. That is all they are worried about. But what I advise is, do not leave your other career for comedy unless you start making more money from comedy than making from the current career. I have run a large business for eight years while doing comedy. It’s anyway a night work. And if you are passionate enough then you should be able to put in that effort to do something during the day and perform on stage in the evening for the first four years. If someone says it is not possible then either they are lazy or lying.

What is needed to become a good and successful stand-up comedian?

Partly, one needs to be born with the skill. Still, attitude is way more important than talent. If someone does not have the courage to get on stage every day and rule the stage then they cannot become a comedian. Some talented people have had two bad shows and they quit. One has to put in the effort every day.

Why do we get to see lesser number of female comedians?

We have much lesser number of female comedians than male that is not because women are not funny but the reason is if you look at the profession most of the shows happen after nine in the night. 80 to 90 per cent of women are not allowed to go out at night to pursue her passion. In most of the houses in India if the girl says I will go by nine and come back by 12, you have wiped of entire population up to tier-2 cities. You are only left with few houses in tier-1. There are very funny women out there who are not getting on stage because of these social constraints. Women are proving themselves wherever they are getting the opportunity but they are not getting enough of opportunity… that is my take as a male comedian.

Will a comedian stop being relevant with the new set of comedians coming in?

Any comedian who stops writing new material is anyway dead, and then you are dead after five years also. We have seen a lot of that also, where comedians were doing very well, and then the next wave of comedians came in and the others got wiped off because they did not write new material. The challenge is to stay relevant. That is what happened with comedians we saw on television that after 10 years also they were doing the same set. So they lost the relevance there. Johnny Lever live shows are an example of a seasoned comedian evolving with time and staying relevant even till date.

What is your prediction on the future of stand-up comedians in India?

So what is happening in India is what happened in America probably 30 years ago. We write our own set, we perform it, so now we are being looked as creators. They are getting opportunities to write movies, series, acting, so a lot of other avenues are opening up for stand-up comedians. It is not just going to be limited to getting on stage and performing. The partition series I am writing is almost a story about my family, that I cannot do as an act on stage so I wrote a series and have an OTT platform who is interested. The film industry, OTT and other creative platforms are open to listen to our ideas and hire us for those role whether it’s acting, directing, producing. We will get to see more of that where comedians are accepted not just as somebody who can make you laugh but somebody who can perform, write and so on.