Some coffee and chortles seem to be the order of the day at most cafes and bars in Bengaluru and everyone seems to be ready to laugh out loud.
Text by Namita Gupta
It’s a laugh riot out there. The stand-up comedy scene is at an all-time high now in Bengaluru. Not only the regular tipplers but everyone seems to be making the most of their weekends at these stand-up gigs. Cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs are buzzing with comedy evenings and laugh in the Luru are on the rise. The demand for the genre is seeing an upswing and how. Open mic evenings, Improv and Stand-up gigs are clearly the talk of the town. Comedy is serious business for some of these hotspots that are giving Bengalureans a dose of some fun nights with a funny twist. Whoever said ‘Laughter is the best medicine’, said it right. After all who doesn’t like a good laugh. Meet these catalysts who are changing the way we look at entertainment.
THAT COMEDY CLUB, ANANTH NARAYAN, SUMENDRA SINGH AND ADEEL
Ananth Narayan popularly known as the serial nightclub owner started his career with Urban Edge, Over the edge, Club X, Tuscan Verve fusion lounge, Fusion lounge, NYX, On da roxx, Mixx, Beer republic and many more. His newest offering That Comedy Club with partners Sumendra Singh, an engineering graduate and Adeel KQ is Bengaluru’s hip comedy club in Koramangala with a nightclub called Clubx and an open-air fine dine lounge called Publikk and two standalone restaurants Oriental kitchen and Great Indian thali. Sumendra Singh adds that he started by entering electronic dance music spaces to give something different and then decided to have a space dedicated only for comedy. He curated Bengaluru’s first comedy festival, The Bengaluru Comedy Festival.
What are the reasons for the popularity of comedy nights with a funny twist?
The last one or two years have been insane for stand-up. People are bored of the usual and are looking at alternative sources of entertainment.
How do you curate something different in stand-up comedy? Name some stand-up comedy artists and shows who have performed here?
Comedy Wagon is an exclusive comedy production house. At the all new That Comedy Club in Koramangala we have two nights Tuesday and we dedicate to open mics to find and nurture new talent in Bengaluru and also provide a platform to the existing comics to workshop their material. Thursdays are dedicated to Solo shows and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are featured shows with a host and two comics either from Bengaluru or even around the country. We also have started doing India tours with international comics – first one being The SOHO Theatre from London in association with Comedy Wagon ft Ahir Shah and Lauren Pattison.
What do people like most about your place?
Best thing about That Comedy Club is that we are the only exclusive comedy club in South India – the stage is dedicated to anything to do with comedy. So people know that you can walk into the club any day of the week and you are treated to the best of comedy/comedians from across the country and now slowly even artistes from around the world.
What is planned for the year ahead?
We moved from a 150 seater to a 300 seater and that’s an achievement in its self, and all this in a year’s time. On Nov 4, 5, 6 we have Ahir Shah and Lauren Pattion hosted by Sanjay Manaktala. And Nov 17th to 26 of 2017 we have The Bengaluru Comedy Festival.
