Move over Television… These Comics are the new face of entertainment!
All those who were born in the 80’s and grew up in the 90’s, would know for a fact what an absolute symbol of status a color television set was…
And the type of shows we used to have back in the day made it a matter of pride to own one in your own house!
The kids these days will never know what television was to us!
The good old “Afternoon Transmission” on Doordarshan was something to look out for in every kids life.
Television then emerged as not only a medium of entertainment but also a source of addressing issues, which were otherwise a taboo or social stigma.
The shows were great!
Shanti (The first daily soap), Alpviram, Chandrakanta (Irrfan Khan’s Launchpad), Surabhi, Humlog, Buniyaad, Malgudi Days, Circus (SRK’s start)…
I can go on and on with the list!
But then, something happened… a particular Kapoor decided to give cancer to the Indian television!
So was born the age of the Saas-Bahu soaps and extravagant use of K’s in the nomenclature.
Homemakers were ready to kill or die to catch episodes of daily soaps, thinking they would miss something. Little did they know nothing will change as the series is going to probably run for another million episodes.
But then Star Plus came up with some sort of relief. A reality show which did not cater to the emotional streak of the audiences, but to their funny bones.
Yes, I am speaking about The Great Indian Laughter Challenge!
The show changed the dynamics of the Indian Reality TV shows.
Raju Srivastav, Sunil Pal, Naveen Prabhakar, Rauf Lala etc became household names along with Siddhu Paaji. Shekhar had already proved his mettle with Movers and Shakers, the first late night talk show India had.
And then with the penetration of Internet in our lives, things changed.
AIB (All India Bakchod) changed the way people looked at content. Their brand of comedy and content was fresh, realistic, relatable and to top it all, funny!
Now we have not only YouTube, but also players like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, TVF etc for our dose of entertainment.
The audiences have now matured in terms of content. People no longer want the run of the mill comedy that we used to have in the old days. The days when Johny Lever did 4 hour shows for packed auditoriums.
The new crop of comics or comedians are not in any mood for mimicry, movies or lame shows. They believe that CONTENT IS KING and that’s what makes them worth every penny you spend on their tickets.
Here is a list of some comics that have made it big and how! I am not going to give life details for them as that is their job to do so. Their content is basically what they have been through in their life.
1. Anuvab Pal:
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| youtube.com |
One of the oldest in the game, he is also a screenwriter, playwright and novelist! His play “The President is Coming” was also made into a movie by Rohan Sippy and directed by Kunal Roy Kapur.
His Amazon Special “Alive at 40” is one of the most watched specials on Amazon.
2. Kunal Kamra:
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| redbull.com |
If you are on social media and YouTube, there is no way you don’t know this guy!
If not YouTube, you would have surely seen him in one of the debate panels on some news channel. His views on the current government and their polices will keep you looking for oxygen.
To find him, just type “Siachen mei hamare jawan lad rahe hai”
3. Karunesh Talwar:
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| youtube.com |
His is a superb act. I was at a live show for this guy. The opening act lasted for 10 minutes…
This guy stepped in and delivered for 150 minutes straight. No Breaks! The audience did not want one either. I saw a packed house with some people literally falling off their chairs. I guess a lady also puked as sh was not able to breathe due to the constant laughter.
He is quite popular on Youtube. With superior writing and impeccable delivery skills, he is at the peak of his act
4. Atul Khatri:
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| rwgenting.com |
The 50 year old proud Sindhi businessman who runs his own company as the CEO, recently parted ways with his company to continue his career in comedy.
Having done this for around 7 years now, he is a master if his craft and has done shows for housefull auditoriums around the world. He was also a part of East India Comedy (EIC).
His Twitter and Facebook updates are something to look out for.
5. Zakir Khan:
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| wasthatfunny.in |
This one has all the aces up his sleeve!
I recently saw his trial show live at the Cuckoo Club in Bandra, Mumbai, where he had the audience in splits for more than an hour.
The stupendous storyteller that he is, makes his act a class one!
He shares his life experiences in the most relatable and simple way, which instantly connects with his audience.
6. Daniel Fernandez
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| youtube.com |
His brand of comedy is something that does not go down well with everyone, but is very well crafted and presented. He is the king of dark comedy!
His videos on Youtube for Syrian crisis, Marital Rape, USA Presidential elections, Student Suicides are some examples which showcase his talent of creating comedy out of the darkest of issues.
Having performed around the globe, he still has his friends held very close to him. Especially Pravin Tambe, who you will know once you see any of his videos or performances.
7. Abhishek Upamanyu
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| youtube.com |
This young guy has proved that he is a pro when it comes to writing.
With a lisp (I would like to call it so), he delivers punch after punch after punch, leaving his audiences rolling on the floor.
8. Aakash Gupta
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| youtube.com |
Only around 22 years of age, and he is doing this comedy thing for some years now.
His style of comedy is observational, wrapped in superior writing and great delivery. Although it is difficult to digest that someone only 22 has life experiences worth making an hour long show on, he still has done shows at many venues across the country.
9. Kanan Gill
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| youtube.com |
With one of the most successful specials on Amazon, Kanan also has a movie opposite Sonakshi Sinha to his credit. But the latter is not an achievement to be discussed, as the movie had lesser people in the theatres than Kanan has in any of his trial shows.
A master at his art and the Ninja of callbacks, his style of comedy is very relatable especially with the younger audiences.
I recently met him at the cuckoo club in Bandra, Mumbai. The only reason I did not walk upto him was to avoid an obviously awkward fanboy moment. But the guy is one of the most approachable people in the comedy circuit. Not intimidating at all!
10. Biswa Kalyan Rath
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| storypick.com |
If you have ever been an Engineer or have ever stayed in a hostel, his Amazon special “Mast Aadmi” is what you were looking for all your life.
With a delivery style that is non comparable to anyone, he creates punches in live shows at the drop of a hat.
If you want to look him up try googling “Aye Tatti, tera naam kya hai?” or you will come across a lot of memes made on him, saying “Main jaake so jayega”
11. Vipul Goyal
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| youtube.com |
This is a funny man! One of the funniest by far…
His web series “Humorously Yours” was one of the best takes on the life of a comedian once he takes up comedy as a full time profession.
He is the one who posts pictures with liquor bottles before every cricket match India is playing. His followers on Facebook and Twitter look forward to his updates.
His take on how to solve the Kashmir issue is hilarious and available on Youtube.
12. Rahul Subramanian
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| huffingtonpost.in |
“Kal Mai Udega” is the name of his show that he currently performing across the country.
My first impression of him was what I still hold. He is a fabulous performer! If you remember the AIB video made on demonetization, he was the one who was seen dancing to “Mujhe mil jo jaaye thoda paisa”
I saw him hosting an Open Mic at the Canvas Laugh Club in Mumbai a couple of weeks back. Open mics usually have low numbers of audience members. But Rahul’s name pulled in a good number! And he was superb as a host.
His pains of being from Chembur are very funny and available on YouTube.
13. Amit Tandon
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| tandonamit.com |
He is the quintessential married guy and he proves it in all his performances.
His take on married life, mother in law and kids is super hilarious… He also performed on Comedy Dangal, a show televised in recent times.
He too has a number of videos on Youtube, which are funny to all and relevant to all married people.
14. Nishant Tanwar
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| youtube.com |
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