About a month back, Netflix launched the Comedy Premium League (CPL) which takes 16 comedians, including the likes of Tanmay Bhat, Kaneez Surka, Kenny Sebastian, Sumukhi Suresh and pits them in assorted battles. With six episodes in season one, the CPL has received its fair share of praise as well as criticism. A month later, THE WEEK caught up with Amit Tandon, Prashasti Singh and Rahul Dua to discuss the tricks and tips of comedy, how they seek inspiration from everyday life and why India still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to embracing the comedy scene as the one that exists in the west.
Excerpts:
How do you decide on a comedy format?
Amit: When it comes to format, I would generally look at what I have to say before deciding what is the format I'm going to follow. Then you start putting it together on paper. A stand-up format is always my first preference but if not then I must choose the other best way— can I finish it in 15 seconds or 30 seconds because then probably a reel on Instagram makes more sense.
Prashasti: It's not a very conscious call. The initial exercise is to just say things on stage which I think are funny and then the craft part of it comes in - to decide which is the best way of putting it across, is it a story, third-person, etc. I do not approach writing with a set format in the head. The joke comes first and then organically it sort of takes on a format.
Rahul: Anything which suits my own sensibility and something that I feel I can do proper justice to. So, I as an artist don't want to be a pure stand-up comedian but rather a comedian/entertainer. I will even dance, I will be open to it as long as it aligns with my sensibilities.
From where do you seek inspiration for comedy given that we're presently living in times of an unprecedented crisis?
Amit: My inspiration has always been from my own family. Most of one's inspiration in comedy anyway comes from moments or times of pain. The number of things that bothered me during the lockdown especially were many more. In between there was a time that came when there was a lot I could have written about but the amount of sadness we had around us right from losing our near and dear ones. I think that really had an impact on my comedy because I was mentally handicapped for a couple of months when it came to writing jokes. So I did not write anything for two months. But otherwise, I mostly write about stuff that bothers me, be it my relationship with my wife, how to handle shopping issues, time spent with my kids, and more.
Prashasti: My process is very internal. I live a lot in my head and struggle to observe things going on around me. Typically, a lot of tragedies and sadness inside my head become my comedy.
Rahul: The point is to stick to the basics and observe one's own surroundings and you'll find humour. Then there are also tricks and techniques, for instance, what if Covid-19 would have occurred in the 1990s or what if Covid-19 strikes us again in 2050 with aliens around. So, the trick is to keep looking for fun in normal day to day living.
Why and which subjects are off-limits in the Comedy Premium League?
Amit: Anything that can get you arrested is off-limits. We also keep away from politics and take a neutral stand.
Prashasti: We were never told to not touch upon any specific topic. Individually we all work with our dos and dont's. In my case I will not touch a subject I don't know very well and that which is stereotypical.
Rahul: Not really. We had no such briefs that we shouldn't be touching certain topics. We three comics in the Comedy Premium League are a corporate, clean and relatable.
How, as per you, does a comedian prepare to become the best version of himself/herself?
Amit: Honesty on stage is the most important tool of a comedian. As they say, 'finding your voice,' is important. Once you do that you find your audience also and you're found to be relatable, credible. The deeper you get into yourself, the better your comedy gets. Don't do comedy based on what's happening around but do it based on what's happening inside your mind.
Prashasti: Had I known this, I'd have already become the best version of myself. We are all trying. While initially you might be tempted to think that it's all about talent and one being blessed with humour, but in reality, it's a craft and a lot of practice.
Rahul: By continuously working on one's art and craft. By using less words to express more. By constantly keeping on rehearsing so as to improve upon one's art.
How would you compare comedy here with that in the west?
Amit: Live stand-up comedy has been around in the west for six to seven decades now whereas in India it only came in about 13-14 years back. The challenges are going to be a little more in India because here we have more fragile egos. Yet, in the west there is more freedom in what we can talk about but here the audiences are a little more sensitive.
Prashasti: To be honest, I don't watch much comedy in the west. In my limited experience, I feel that they're a mature industry and have so many more perspectives.
Rahul: It's very different. I had the privilege of speaking to a bunch of US comedians who were in India. They said that at any given point in time a comic in New York will have people from diverse countries across the world attending his or her show given that New York is a confluence of multi-cultural and multilingual people. So in a place like that, to crack a joke which becomes funny for every single one who's from some other country attending your show, becomes very difficult. Here Mumbai bears the closest resemblance to New York, we have an audience that comes from across India and not so much from across the world. In that way things are easier and different here. Also, here we have more topic taboos. But then also, restriction will always be the source for inspiration for comedy.
How are we as an audience any better or worse than that in the west?
Amit: The difference is based on the amount of exposure the Indian audience has to live comedy vis-a-vis the western world. But that will develop with time. In the next ten years we will be there where they are, I feel.
Prashasti: In the west, the audience is far more accepting of pushing the limits in comedy which is a real struggle in our country. This is also because we are barely a decade old now. So, there's a long way to go.
Rahul: I have not yet gotten a chance to tour abroad.
