The Great Indian laughter Challenge is back with a bang. The show’s new mentor and internet sensation Mallika Dua spoke to Kritika Dua
Comedienne Mallika Dua finds humour in everydayness and says laughter is just a matter of a mindset. “An individual’s perspective of a situation or a circumstance plays a huge role in creating comedy. One can create comedy from even the most trivial of settings if he/she possesses a unique and interesting perspective of the same.”
In her new role as a mentor on The Great Indian laughter Challenge, which is returning to the small screen after nine years, she will be looking at how comics perceive their surroundings and how interestingly and amusingly that differs from popular thought.
Unlike other comedy shows, which have character-driven performances, this one will have its contestants compete through stand-up comedy.
With 15 contestants – 13 girls and two boys — each mentor will have five students each. The mentors will provide them with valuable feedback on every level along the way. “And to add a twist to the show they have done away with public voting and numerical scores this season,” said Dua, who is teaming up with Zakir Khan and Hussain Dalal. And the man who aces comic roles, Akshay Kumar, will be the super judge.
Dua started uploading comic videos on Instagram and Snapchat as a hobby while she was still working in an advertising firm as a copywriter. “Even after some of my videos, like the one on Sarojini Market (where she portrayed various types of customers that come to shop) got popular, I did not quit my job though lucrative offers from popular comedy channels kept on pouring. I only shifted to Mumbai last year after I got comfortable with the idea that I could earn enough to survive.” Since then, she has worked with comic giants like AIB.
However, the irony is that she never wanted to be a comedian at first. “I was in comedy plays and penning comic scripts. I am from a theatre background. Before I got into advertising, I did my theatre major from Franklin and Marshall College in the US. During summer vacations, I would do comedy plays with Crazy Spotlight Production house. It was an enriching experience,” said Dua.
She revealed that Sunil Grover was her idol on television for the comic finesse he portrays in his roles. Talking about her rapport with Akshay Kumar and how he is like a glue that keeps the show together, she said, “He is funny and friendly. He didn’t have any seniority complex and made us feel comfortable on set. One can learn a lot from him just by being around. He carries energy, is super fit and sincere. He adds value to the show.”
In order to be a good comedian, Dua felt, one should trust his or her judgment while writing comic scripts.
As comedy comes naturally to her, Dua is ready to portray any character in films provided it is significant and not stereotypical like a true blue Punjabi or a bubbly girl. She has played a small role in Irrfan Khan starrer Hindi Medium and wants to portray a grey shade on screen some day.
Realising that her brand of wit may sometime upset others, Dua follows a simple philosophy: “Trolls na karo, na saho (neither should people troll, nor should they tolerate it). There should be no personal attacks on people without the artist’s consent.”
As a mentor, she believes in keeping herself abreast with the pulse of the audience. Humour, in the end, is genderless and being one of the few female comedians in a male-dominated profession, Dua said, “There is nothing like a male or a female comedian. I did not have to face any problems to get gigs. I just don’t accept inferiority. But I do feel that female comedians get paid a lot less than their male counterparts. If a woman uses cuss words in a stand-up or video, it gets received differently than a male comedian doing the same. So female comedians have to fight more for audience acceptance. Open mics are not female- friendly. My route was different so thankfully I didn’t have to face any kind of bias. But there has to be a change in mindset.”