By George Vivian Paul

“Why don’t you guys sit down?”, is what was heard after I spent almost an hour explaining Stand up comedy to my relatives in Ernakulam. Kerala is yet evolve into a robust scene for stand up comedy, but has immense potential and a mature audience which appreciates a good work of art. Stand up comedy transcends languages, it often mutates into a mixture of various languages particularly in India. All it matter at the end of it is whether the comic is able to make the audience laugh. Malayalis are known for their sarcasm and wit. We also have the rich cultural advantage of Chakyar Koothu to exploit. It is awe inspiring how such an ancient art form still finds its audience in contemporary times. All of it sets stage for the surging stand up comedy scene in Kerala.

 One of the many unique features about stand up comedy as a profession is that one can never get fired as a comedian. The comic manages all the creative domains of the performance. A comic is the writer, director, producer, editor, of the act. This may explains the extent of artistic freedom one gets in this art form. The sole guide to the boundaries of a joke is the acknowledgement of the audience and the timing of the comic. The rules of the games are yet to be set, what that means colloquially is, you can pave your own way. Things that are certain in the initial years on this path is the utter humiliation, heart wrenching debacles and worst of all no monetary benefits. All of it fades away when you are onstage and the joke that you worked so hard gets laughter and applause.

 It is often that initial hesitation one has to overcome to go up onstage. Most people who are terrified of going on stage do not realize that the audience is always rooting for you. They always want a good show, the comic just has to come out and say the jokes. The moment when the punchline is delivered and the audience laughs, is like nirvana for a comic. No matter how many times a comic performs onstage, it never is the same. Like an organic process the content of the joke changes every time on stage.

 There is no right way to become a comic except for start by going to open mics. Open mics can be referred to as workshop for the comic. Aspiring comics should always be on a look out for them. It is basically is a venue where a comic gets to go onstage and try out new jokes, on a rudimentary level it gives chance to anyone who wants to try stand up comedy. There are many events in various venues organized by the comedy clubs in the city specifically intended for aspiring comics. Essentially Kerala is in that lucrative phase now, where if anyone decides to venture into Stand up comedy, there is literally nothing stopping it.

About the Author: George Vivian Paul is a Civil Engineer turned stand-up comedian. He predominantly perform shows in Kolkata and Kochi with comedy clubs called The Komedians and Comedified. He stay in Barrackpore with two of his dogs, Jenny and Noah. 

Note: The author is a brilliant sketch artist and some of his sketches are included in the article