With laughter being the best medicine, we certainly can do with a heavy dose of comedy to cure our physical and mental woes in these testing times. And what we can certainly do to this tonic of laughter is add some much-needed local flavour to go with it. Just like our PM said last night, it’s time to go vocal through local by watching stand-up specials in a language that is close to our hearts.
If you’re missing the light-hearted banter that takes place in your local lingo, we’ve put together a list of five regional artists for you to enjoy. With their impeccable comic timing, wit and sarcasm, these comedians will set you up for perfect laughter riot in your mother tongue.
Praveen Kumar – Tamil
Don’t let his intense looks fool you. Praveen is a complete softy from the inside which is pretty evident from his family-friendly jokes in Tamil that are narrated with utmost simplicity. With the experience of performing more 1400 shows in India as well as abroad, his latest show, ‘Mr. Family Man’ on Amazon Prime Video is an absolute laughter riot. We see him give the audience a hilarious take on how being a family man is more difficult than being a superman or spiderman. With his USP of ‘Clean Comedy’ being loved down south, we’re pretty sure that here’s a family watch that sees you’ll smile throughout.
Manan Desai – Gujarati
He cracks relatable jokes for the Gujarati audience, on their behavior, habits, rituals, funny pronunciation and travel etiquette. He uses raw Gujarati lingos and slang that makes me hilarious to his Gujarati speaking audience.
A radio jockey, actor, entrepreneur, writer, producer, and most importantly the pioneer of Urban stand-up comedy in Gujarat and Gujarati-speaking audiences across the world, Manan Desai has done it all. With an ever-increasing fan following, his successful Gujarati YouTube channel The Comedy Factory has more than 6 million subscribers. You’ll find his jokes highlighting the behaviour, habits, rituals, diction and travel etiquette of the Gujarati community highly relatable. That’s not all, with Manan striking the perfect connect by using Gujarati lingo, there’s no surprise to see his audience laugh out loud.
Prashasti Singh – Hindi
Prashasti Singh became an overnight sensation after starring as a contestant on Comicstaan. Bringing out her inner feminist to the fore, one simply couldn’t get enough of her as she spoke about relationships and fuckboys. Prashasti, in that time, has come a long way with an appearance in Netflix’s ‘Ladies Up’, where she got her own stand-up special called Recently Empowered. It certainly is one to watch as she highlights the awkwardness of having overfriendly parents, the difficulties of dating, her experience of hailing from UP along with reflecting on life as an independent woman in Mumbai.
Mir Afsar Ali – Bengali
Mir is known for his witty sense of humour and presence of mind be it on stage or as an RJ on Radio Mirchi in Bengali. He is no longer just a comedian of the country but a voice of the masses as he talks a lot about religion misconduct, political jokes and on the hike in onion prices. This comedy king of West Bengal is not only known for leaving Bongs in splits with every appearance but also plays a telling role in spreading awareness and educating people having recently made an appearance on the India Today Conclave. With a rich background of hosting, acting, singing, and being a radio jockey, Mir can easily be labeled as one of the most experienced and talented stand-up comedians in Bengali language and is certainly one to look out for.
Trupti Khambar – Marathi
Actor, comedian, and a self-proclaimed full-time single person, Trupti Khamkar is a recognized name in theatre and Marathi Television. After starring in successful projects like Tumhari Sulu and Girls Hostel, this Marathi Mulgi, with cult hits such as Fu Bai Fu and the recently launched Bai ka Swag, is stepping onto the stand-up stage. She was also a part of a couple of AIB projects before rising to fame with her stand up special ‘Baba Lagin’, where she expressed her hilarious opinions about lust, sex, farting in public, and arranged marriages, topics completely uncommon to the Marathi comedy scene.
So, there you have it. If you’re someone who enjoys comedy in its purest form, then these artists, with their own local touch, are sure to provide you with a good dose of laughter.
