With comedy turning into serious business, Hyderabad gets its own passionate stand-up clan
Rohit Swain and Rajasekhar Mamidanna. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: From the viral satires of AIB (All India Bakchod) or the impact stand-up comedians have on the public opinion today, comedy and comedians are getting larger by the minute. And just in time, the city has its very own comedy revolution brewing.
Courtesy ‘Funny Side Up’, a group of comedians, who though only six months old, has already got up to some serious funny business with weekly thematic shows, fortnightly open mic nights, and a monthly city show that involves having a well-known comedian over to town.
At their show this week, the group sold out again. And after the performance by comedians Rajasekhar Mamidanna and Rohit Swain, members of the audience were seen telling the group, “I wouldn’t mind paying again to see you guys perform.”
Interestingly, for Rohit a similar statement had sparked off the idea of taking up comedy professionally. “I was always the funny one. I was the funny kid in school, college and among friends. But it wasn’t until someone once told me ‘Man, you are so funny, I could pay to hear your jokes’, that I realised that I could actually do it,” says Rohit, who has been juggling comedy with a job at TCS for a little over a year now.
When Rohit wanted to really get into stand-up comedy, he found professional comedian, Rajasekhar Mamidanna to help him out. Raja, in turn, was mentored by a well-known comedian in the country’s comedy circuit, Nitin Gupta aka Rivaldo, who has been called the ‘Seinfeld of India’ by director Subhash Ghai. Raja quit his job in sales for comedy and now he has travelled all over India for shows.
Although stand-up comedians abroad have the freedom to pick on audience members, these guys handle it a bit differently. Raja explains, “I ensure that there is interaction with the people but I don’t put anyone down. But it is only a matter of time before people can take a joke.”
Another comedian involved in the city initiative is Avinash Agarwal, who is quickly gaining popularity in the national circuit. In fact, he had to miss the city’s weekly edition this time to be in Mumbai for a show.
So far, the group has worked around the Hitec area, and is now looking at spreading out the events. “We have Nitin Gupta coming to the city and the venue is State Art Gallery. This way we are ensuring that our reach is a more,” says Rohit.
( Source : dc )
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