Be it film or TV, the demand for comedians is at an all time high. The business of making people laugh is churning out a lot of money for aspiring artists. Rakshit Malhotra tells you how this is no longer just a funny episode
If you go by the adage that ‘laughter is indeed the best medicine’, and if you have it in you to make others laugh out loud, then a profession as a comedienne is the one for you. With TV being flooded with comedy shows the laughter industry has got a much needed impetus. “laughter is an essential part of everyone’s life and what can be the best career option than carving a niche in the comedy circuit. There is a plethora of career options available for people aspiring to be a part of this industry,” Savita Bhatti, CEO, Mad Arts Jaspal Bhatti film school, says.
SKIllS REQUIRED
It’s an easy task to make people cry but it is that much more difficult to make them laugh. To be a good comedienne, one must have a humourous personality and the knack of making a joke out of real life events and happenings.
“A successful comedian observes the things differently and uses humour for making a point. They should have the courage to make a joke on self,” Bhatti says.
Jamie J, daughter of ace comedian and actor Jonny lever, believes that making others laugh is not a cake-walk. “It is a very hard job. There is no training to make someone laugh. Comedy is something which one learns daily by knowing what’s happening around. One needs to be unique in his or her approach,” Jamie J, comedianne, Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali (CCKM) says.
One also needs to have lots of confidence while performing on stage. “Anyone who aspires to become a comedian should conquer the fear of public speaking, relate the jokes to the people and think out-of-the-box,” Neeti Palta, an ace stand-up comedianne in India tells you.
Right kind of facial expressions, impromptu reaction, pauses and correct timing to make people laugh are some of the other skills that are required for a person to become a professional. “legendary comedian Charlie Chaplin was characterised by his great body language, facial expressions and gestures. A successful comedian should possess all those qualities and have a cool dead pan expression while performing,” Bhatti says.
JOB PROFIlES
Traditionally, the jobs that are associated with the comedy industry includes comic actors in the films, TV shows, theatres and stage shows. Stand-up comedians, poetry artist and mimicry artists are the other options one can opt for. There is a huge demand of comedy scriptwriters in the industry to provide quality and out-of-the-box content.
“With an increase in the Hindi comedy shows on TV and live on-stage comedy nights, the demand for the comedy scriptwriters are on an all time high. People who are listening to the comedy must not feel that they have heard it before. The content has to be supreme and not copied. They should also draft the content for a comedy in such a way that should not hurt the feeling of other people. The content should not be vulgar also,” Palta tells you.
According to Jamie, “Comedy is a thing which will not die; people will continue to distress themselves by visiting the places like comedy store or pubs or by watching the comedy shows on television, thus there will be tremendous growth.”
Moreover, English stand-up comedy has become a fad these days. The performances by the International comedy artists goes to a house full. “English stand-up comedy is coming up in the metropolis cities, inspired by the US casual humour. It’s gaining popularity among the youth of the country,” Jamie adds.
PlATFORM
There are many clubs and pubs in the metropolitan cities that are hosting stand-up comedy nights and it is gaining popularity among the sophisticated young audience. “There are various school and college level comedy contests that happens be it through radio shows, one-act, stand-up comedy and mimicry. The best part is there is no age for making a career in comedy. One can start from the age of five. Youngsters can start their career with English or Hindi stand-up comedy. It’s a new trend that is growing fast in the country, even the audience is young and the responses are direct,” Jamie tells you.
Comedians are now also using the social media platform to gain popularity. They are promoting their acts by uploading their videos on the YouTube channels, Twitter handles and Blogs. “With an increase in the competition among the young comedians, social media is an important thing in pushing yourself. The only challenge remains is the copyright issue. One can steal your good act, modify and redo it in a different style,” Jamie says.
Vir Das’s Weirdass Comedy is another platform which not only conducts comedy nights in India and abroad but also promotes others to participate and be a part of it. The Comedy Store and Humourously Yours are some of the known platform for the stand-up comedians. Other than the film industry a comedian can also work in the TV industry, which is flooded by various comedy shows like Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali, Comedy Nights with Kapil. “Many reality shows promote young talent. They keep hosting auditions for aspiring candidates. It is a brilliant platform,” Sidharth Sagar, stand-up comedian, CCKM, says.
REMUNERATION
The remuneration in the industry depends on many factors. The pay in the English stand-up comedy nights in pubs and clubs usually ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per show according to the ability and popularity of the comedian.
“Big money lies in the corporate deals and performances in wedding function etc,” Palta says. Actors in a comedy role for films and anchors in television shows are also paid very highly.