What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word ‘sambar’? If it is idli, vada, dosa, rice or vegetables, you are probably not part of The Hysterical, Chennai’s first all-women improv group. When they were asked to do a sketch on sambar, they had to do some quick, out-of-the-tiffin thinking. And that is how they came up with an impromptu sambar fashion parade. They cat-walked down an imaginary ramp, impersonating different types of sambar―from Chennai, Udupi and Bengaluru. Predictably, it was a hoot, and firmly established the group among the country’s comedy greats.
“The suggestions from the audience have ranged from medu vada and Jallianwala Bagh to the invention of the water bottle,” says group member Vinithra Menon. “One of the suggestions we got at a show in Bengaluru was on the discovery of Rajinikanth, during an improv game called Remote Control.” That was a lot of fun, she says. Another time, they had to spin a story using the words zip, zap and zop. For this, they imagined they held a bolt of energy in their hands which they pretended to pass along using their bodies. To warm up before each show, they play games, dance, sing and do character battles, apart from stretches and voice modulation exercises.
The eight-member ensemble was formed six months ago, after Half Boiled, an improv group that freelance performer and writer Shalini Vijayakumar was part of, got dismantled. “When Half Boiled fizzled out, I thought of starting an all-women improv group,” says Vijayakumar. “So, I put out a post on Instagram, to which many women responded. And that is how The Hysterical started.” The women come from diverse fields; there is a radio jockey, a theatre artist, a freelance tech consultant, a tarot card reader and baker, a teacher, a stand-up comedian and a college student, thus proving that homogeneity is overrated when it comes to improv. The Hysterical’s comedy is a blend of the unique sensibilities that each woman brings.
Being all women, though, there are certain directions in which their improv gets channelled. “A lot of our performances tend to be about relationships, friendships and topics like menstruation,” says Saga, one of the members. “It is, however, not intentional. We have content on other topics, too. Most of all, we try to remain true to our characters. Even if it is just about a woman who comes home and removes her bra, we do our best to keep it real.”
But beyond all fun and games, it is not easy being a woman in comedy. After the laughter comes the hard edge of reality. “The sexism we face does not necessarily come from other people,” says Vijayakumar. “I think the mere fact that somewhere within us, we don’t believe we are funny is a form of conditioned sexism. But other than that, it feels great to be doing comedy irrespective of our gender. We have felt liberated in expressing our thoughts, opinions and ideas through comedy. It is important for us to be heard through this form.”
Comedy has helped in other ways, too, like forging a strong bond among the women. “We do a huddle before every show,” says Menon. “We talk about our fears and give each other validation and assurance. Whether we rise or fall, we do it together.” Which is why their content is so potent. With their improv, they show the world that being a woman is not always about bra burning or male bashing. Sometimes, it is just about making people laugh.