Singapore-based comedian Sharul Channa brings punchlines, Punjabi family humour to Pune

Time of India

17-07-2025

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Pune: Singapore-based comedian Sharul Channa has embarked on a multi-city tour across India with her latest stand-up special, 'Saree-ously Not Sorry'. Armed with an arsenal of unpopular opinions, a glamorous saree, and zero interest in being agreeable, she will take the stage at Godaam Specialty Coffee Co.
in Shivajinagar on July 19.
A trained theatre actor turned stand-up artist, Sharul did not exactly plan to be Singapore's first Indian-origin female comic. "I started stand-up 13 years ago when a comedy club owner asked me to do a three-minute performance because there were no Singaporean women in the scene at that time. My training in theatre helped me become confident on stage, and I learnt basic performance skills in acting school.
Having said that, we break the fourth wall in stand-up comedy, and that only comes with practice when you jump up on stage for open mics," said Channa.
Since then, Channa has worked rooms across continents, blending her theatre chops with no-nonsense candour. Born in India and raised in Singapore, her comedy straddles both worlds. "Singapore helped me understand different cultures and customs in depth since we are a cosmopolitan and multicultural society.
But my Indian roots remain strong and influence my comedy style in a big way. My humour is expressive, colourful, and always circling back to idiosyncrasies," Channa said.
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Singapore's comedy circuit, she explained, is seen to currently be in its "third wave" and still enjoys race-based humour. "We're a multicultural society. There are more than four races in Singapore, and we love to address our similarities and differences to celebrate them.
Singapore's comedy scene is one of the friendliest in the world," she said.
A highlight in her career so far was opening for Malaysian-born American actor-comedian Ronny Chieng's Double Confirm show in Singapore in 2023. "Malaysian and Singaporean audiences are very polite; they are some of the hardest crowds to crack, but once they laugh, they trust you, and it's all up from there. Indian audiences laugh loud, interrupt, and its community comedy.
I feed off their energy," she said.
Channa does not worry much about hecklers either. Handling interruptions is not just part of the job for her, but she turns it into a reminder that women on stage are not there just to play nice. "A drunk man once heckled me in Malaysia. But that turned out to be in my favour. I told him off in a funny way, and he kept quiet thereafter," she recalled.
In her upcoming show, Channa dives into a script that is personal and political with equal flair.
"I love performing in India because the audience in every city differs in the energy they bring and what they laugh at. I love that challenge. I also enjoy celebrating my 'Indian-ness'. In the show, I will talk about travel, airplanes, current events, my dog, my husband, and how I survived Punjabi family 'trauma'," she said.
Channa is married to fellow comedian Rishi Budhrani, with whom she occasionally performs as 'Asia's Funniest Couple'.
"Onstage, it is no holds barred. Offstage, all our fights mostly become funny, and many jokes come out of it. Our marriage is one lifetime of comedy specials," she laughed.
Pune: Singapore-based comedian Sharul Channa has embarked on a multi-city tour across India with her latest stand-up special, 'Saree-ously Not Sorry'. Armed with an arsenal of unpopular opinions, a glamorous saree, and zero interest in being agreeable, she will take the stage at Godaam Specialty Coffee Co.
in Shivajinagar on July 19.
A trained theatre actor turned stand-up artist, Sharul did not exactly plan to be Singapore's first Indian-origin female comic. "I started stand-up 13 years ago when a comedy club owner asked me to do a three-minute performance because there were no Singaporean women in the scene at that time. My training in theatre helped me become confident on stage, and I learnt basic performance skills in acting school.
Having said that, we break the fourth wall in stand-up comedy, and that only comes with practice when you jump up on stage for open mics," said Channa.
Since then, Channa has worked rooms across continents, blending her theatre chops with no-nonsense candour. Born in India and raised in Singapore, her comedy straddles both worlds. "Singapore helped me understand different cultures and customs in depth since we are a cosmopolitan and multicultural society.
But my Indian roots remain strong and influence my comedy style in a big way. My humour is expressive, colourful, and always circling back to idiosyncrasies," Channa said.
Singapore's comedy circuit, she explained, is seen to currently be in its "third wave" and still enjoys race-based humour. "We're a multicultural society. There are more than four races in Singapore, and we love to address our similarities and differences to celebrate them.
Singapore's comedy scene is one of the friendliest in the world," she said.
A highlight in her career so far was opening for Malaysian-born American actor-comedian Ronny Chieng's Double Confirm show in Singapore in 2023. "Malaysian and Singaporean audiences are very polite; they are some of the hardest crowds to crack, but once they laugh, they trust you, and it's all up from there. Indian audiences laugh loud, interrupt, and its community comedy.
I feed off their energy," she said.
Channa does not worry much about hecklers either. Handling interruptions is not just part of the job for her, but she turns it into a reminder that women on stage are not there just to play nice. "A drunk man once heckled me in Malaysia. But that turned out to be in my favour. I told him off in a funny way, and he kept quiet thereafter," she recalled.
In her upcoming show, Channa dives into a script that is personal and political with equal flair.
"I love performing in India because the audience in every city differs in the energy they bring and what they laugh at. I love that challenge. I also enjoy celebrating my 'Indian-ness'. In the show, I will talk about travel, airplanes, current events, my dog, my husband, and how I survived Punjabi family 'trauma'," she said.
Channa is married to fellow comedian Rishi Budhrani, with whom she occasionally performs as 'Asia's Funniest Couple'. "Onstage, it is no holds barred. Offstage, all our fights mostly become funny, and many jokes come out of it. Our marriage is one lifetime of comedy specials," she laughed.