Gone are the days when you had a limited number of entertainment options. Earlier, people had television or radio, and that too, with restricted access. So, the possibilities and the mediums were both limited. The traditional ways of entertainment were daily soaps, cartoons, and scheduled programming. But the good thing is that we underwent a major technological revolution, which gives us access to various sources of entertainment at our fingertips.
Due to more accessibility and increased knowledge, people discovered different interests that also became a source of entertainment and rejuvenation for others. One of the most prominent and best of these newfound sources is stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy as a particular format wasn’t identified until the early 2000s. However, after that, it witnessed a lot of development that made stand-up comedy what it is today. It evolved from a niche entertainment form to a mainstream cultural phenomenon.
Therefore, the article explores the journey of stand-up comedy in India, its history, recent trends, prominent names, and some controversies that surround this scene.
Early beginnings
The only form of comedy we had witnessed earlier was the one that we saw on the big screen. There weren’t any live shows, and all the artists we knew were the ones who played different roles in movies or television during the later 1960s. The most prominent names of this time were Johnny Lever and Johnny Walker, who performed several roles in movies and brought laughter to our faces.
Some artists hail from particular regions and make it big due to their comedy. But again, this was limited to sitcoms. Artists like Jaspal Bhatti and Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi made their names in this sphere. Still, people must become more familiar with stand-up comedy as a proper entertainment source.
A man would make some jokes on the stage, and everyone laughed at those jokes. This is what stand-up was, and it was limited to small rural areas, and no one saw it as an industry per se. However, this perception changed when India introduced a new concept in 2005 wherein different stand-up comedians were supposed to perform and would get judged on their skills to make people laugh. This was a new concept for the people whose daily routine of TV shows was limited to dramatic daily soaps.
This show was none other than the ‘Great Indian Laughter Challenge’. This show introduced us to some comedy legends, including Kapil Sharma, Raju Srivastav, Sunil Pal, Shekhar Suman, and Sudesh Lehri, among other great names. This show was aired on television and was the perfect family entertainer. Due to this, people were now familiar with the concept of stand-up comedy.
Development of Media
With the advent of technology, different platforms became available for comedians, allowing them to reach an even broader population range. YouTube is one of the channels and platforms that supported the growth of these comedians and helped them increase their popularity.
Through YouTube, comedians like Russell Peters also gathered a significant following in India. Many people followed his steps, which led to the development of the stand-up comedy scene here. Then came different platforms like Facebook and Instagram, allowing the audience to interact closely with the comedians. Moreover, even comedians utilise this platform to create a vast range of content, including skits, improv comedy, roasts, etc.
Prominent Names
A few people can be credited with shaping stand-up comedy culture in India. After the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, people became familiar with the concept and became open to people who were willing to perform such shows. Vir Das and Papa CJ were among the first ones. Both of them performed their comedy in English. It is pertinent to note that both of them began their careers outside India but peaked in their careers when they came back.
The 2010–11 period can be called the golden era of comedy because this was the time when most of our now beloved comedians started performing. Names like Zakir Khan, Sapan Verma, Karunesh Talwar, and others appeared during this time. These names performed in various shows across different cities, which led to their popularity. Besides these names, names like Amit Tandon, Neeti Palta, and Abhishek Upmanyu also made a place in people’s hearts with their joyous and fresh perspectives on this newly founded industry.
In recent times, names like Anubhav Singh Bassi, Akash Gupta, Samay Raina, and Harsh Gujaral have been attracting hoards of audiences to their shows. Due to their popularity, some of them have even gotten a chance to act alongside actors in Bollywood movies. People kept meeting each other at various events, which led to different pairs and alliances, eventually turning into some great channels that we all loved.
Alliances of Comedy
As people increased their networking, they encountered several like-minded people willing to entertain people just as they wanted to. This led to creating different kinds of companies that produced content and published it on YouTube for the public to view. Although this was not just limited to stand-up comedy, the creation of these channels can be attributed to stand-up.
Schitzengiggles Comedy, more popularly known as SnG Comedy, was created by Karunesh Talwar and another comedian. Saurabh Pant, Kunal Rao, and Sapan Verma created the East India Comedy, which did various shows for stand-up comedy while also inviting celebrity guests. AIB was another major name in this field, founded by Tanmay Bhatt and Gursimran Khamba. These alliances changed the game, introduced new forms of comedy, and even gave stand-up comedy a new face. People felt more connected, and the content was more relatable for the audience.
Stand-Up Specials
As people were now more attracted towards stand-up comedy, several streaming platforms saw this as an opportunity to gain revenue and audience. Due to this, several comics have released their stand-up specials on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and even YouTube, which has gathered millions of views from across the globe. This shows that stand-up comedy has reached everywhere, and people greatly appreciate this art.
Controversies
While the field is a prominent example of freedom of speech and expression, it has been spotted with a few controversies. Artistic freedom is important, but that has to be balanced with the audience’s sentiments, as not everyone has the same thoughts as the comedian performing. Some might find the joke funny and take it as a joke, but others may be deeply connected with the object/name and find it offensive. This has happened in the past with a few comics in our country.
Munawar Faruqi, a comedian, was performing a show in Indore, Madhya Pradesh when he cracked a joke and allegedly remarked against Hindu deities. This was not perceived well by some people, which led to an FIR being lodged against him and a few others for hurting the religious sentiment of the people.
Another comedian who has received a certain share of criticism is Kunal Kamra, known for making political jokes that certain quarters do not take well. There have been widespread protests against his performances, and some factions have even threatened against him performing the shows. This is another side of this thriving industry that everyone should see and learn from.
Conclusion
Stand-up comedy has grown tremendously over the years and has now become part of mainstream culture. It now consists of diverse content and creators reflecting on the changes that we witness in society. As this continues to evolve, it will remain an important place for humour, dialogue, and artistic freedom.
