Even on tough days, performing comedy pulls me through, says Aakash Gupta
Aakash Gupta
, the stage has a way of pulling him through. 'Comedy is like any other job, and you can't escape work. It's not always easy,' he admits.
'The difference is, I love what I do, and I try to stay fully present.
Of course, some days are harder than others, but comedy is pure emotion. And sometimes the stage itself pulls you in, and suddenly you forget you were having a bad day,' he adds. Excerpts from a chat with the comic on how he shapes his material, why relatability matters, and the special warmth that he finds, only in Bengaluru...
'Timing is everything in comedy; to me, it's become muscle memory'
For Aakash, comedy lives and dies on timing. 'After so many years on stage, it's become muscle memory.
I can sense what will click with the audience and what won't. That only comes with experience,' he says. 'I started with theatre, and I carry that into my stand-up through improv and physical comedy. There's no one conventional style in stand-up: everyone has their own. But for me, this mix has worked,' he adds.
'The show you see today has been evolving for over two years'
Aakash adds that for him, the stage isn't just a platform to perform, it's a workshop where his material takes shape.
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'I develop most of my content on stage. I don't take a set straight to a big show; I test it at open mics, making small tweaks each time for better flow. The show you see today has been evolving for over two years. If you had watched it back then, you'd notice how much it has changed.'
I've always been inclined towards visual comedy, and that's something I keep in mind when I'm writing any routine. It's just my natural way of being on stage
- Aakash Gupta
'Comedy is about making an audience feel connected'
Over the years, the comedian shares that he has noticed a shift in how audiences connect with his comedy. 'When I first started performing in different cities, I relied heavily on local references,' he recalls.
'But in tier-1 cities, the audience has matured, they want to hear your set as it is. Smaller cities, however, are different. In tier-2 and tier-3 cities, local references still excite people. It makes them feel like the show is made just for them.
When I perform abroad, I add Indian references because people there love it. It gives them a sense of connection and relatability they miss in their everyday lives.'
'The Bengaluru crowd is one of the warmest; they arrive ready to laugh'
Ask him about performing in Bengaluru, and Aakash says, 'The Bengaluru crowd is one of the warmest in India. It's not just about ticket sales; it's the kind of people who show up, ready to laugh, ready for the show. As a performer, that makes all the difference.' He adds that he loves the city's live comedy scene. 'We can do shows in multiple venues here because the audience is spread out, but huge everywhere. That's why Bengaluru is the only city I visit every five or six months for a weekend, doing three or four back-to-back shows.
I don't think there's another metro where I could do Friday, Saturday, Sunday shows like that, one after the other.'
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