Can your LOL-worthy talent be a career?

You're confident that you're a comic genius and willing to put your life on hold to pursue the dream of being a stand-up comedian. but, are you truly ready to take the plunge? The legends from the world of comedy help you find the answer. You're confident that you're a comic genius and willing to put your life on hold to pursue the dream of being a stand-up comedian. but, are you truly ready to take the plunge? The legends from the world of comedy help you find the answer.

You're always making your friends laugh. Your cousins vouch for the fact that you've the best sense of humour in the family. You're outgoing, confident and a risk-taker. Often, your batchmates ask you to entertain the crowd at a party. Is it time that you do something about this LOL-worthy talent of yours? Will your parents approve of it - rather should they push you to follow your dreams of being a comedian? We took questions like these and more to some of the best names in the world of stand-up comics to get a reality check. After all, there are careers and jobs, and then there are hobbies and passions - and the role of the elders (read: teachers and parents) is to make sure the youth knows where to draw the line. At the end of the day, you've got to earn money to feed yourself, which by the way is not a laughing matter (pun intended). Yes, careers are constantly changing. Whilst, once upon a time, the job map included only a doctor, engineer, MBA, CA, and lawyer - now, there's a YouTuber, DJ, chef, RJ, wedding planner, stylist, and recently, stand-up comedian. But, is stand-up a viable professional choice? Let's find out.
Chase your dreams
"Comedy and other performing art forms have come a long way from, say, half a decade back. After the success of a lot of local comedians, people are now warming up to the idea that performing arts can be a career choice too. The point of life is to find your gift and then share it with the rest of the world - whatever that gift may be. The parent's (or teacher's) response should be that of encouragement. The world needs more of that right now," says Pawan Manghnani, a part-time comedian with eight years of experience, who runs the Comic-On Nights in the city. "I believe that the only independence is financial independence and that every parent should tell their kids that as long as the kids can pay their own bills, they are welcome to do whatever they like. It is fashionable to 'follow your passion' these days, however, people forget that in addition to a soul, a stomach needs to be fed as well," adds Papa CJ, a world-renowned comedian, who has won awards for being the best stand-up comedian in both India and Asia. He's been doing comedy for 13 years now. He shares how it was only after four-years into the field that he was able to foot his bills via comedy earnings. Says Nirvika Talreja, a 25-year-old Mumbai-based comedian, who recently performed in Dubai: "Parents should thank their kids for saving them the money otherwise dished out for high tuition fees at expensive universities! Also, it will spare them the pain of separation i.e. sending their kids abroad for higher studies. All they need to do is look for a few great improv groups and workshops, and enroll their kids for it."
But first, gain some experience
"Lots of top tier comedians started when they were 17 or 19," says Sorabh Pant, who has been doing comedy for nine years now, is one of India's best and most travelled comedians and the founder of East India Comedy. "I started when I was 27. Others began in their early 20s; some even into their late 40s. There is no real age to be good at comedy; however, if you're under 21 - it's highly unlikely that you have enough life experiences to have a unique or developed sense of the world. It takes time and experience to develop opinions, jokes and thoughts that are unique."
And, work on building a CV
Approach the option with a solid, systematic plan. Build an impressive following on YouTube and other social sharing platforms, follow it up by per-forming at school and college events, try to open for popular comedians, take part in local competitions (by the way, many don't even require an entry fee!), script comic acts for short-films, plays, and of course, attend as many shows as possible to get a real understanding of what happens on the stage. In short, test the waters before you jump in. "By all means, you can get on stage when you're 17, but please don't expect it to be your career - until at least much, much later. Get life experiences, get a degree if you can, get work experience, get all of that - or your world view may not be all that interesting to listen to on stage," says Sorabh.
Follow the success stories
"Realistically, if a child, young adult or even an adult is keen, they must relentlessly pursue their dreams and treat stand-up comedy similar to any other vocation. Parents should encourage their wards to pursue their dreams. However, in several cultures, there is low acceptance for such non-standard careers. I believe that's where success stories play a big role. Famous stand up artists like Gabriel Iglesias, Russell Peters and Vir Das have become house-hold names and people appreciate what they have achieved in their careers. I believe it is only a matter of time before parents (and society in general) become more receptive of stand-up," says Varun Bhatia, People's Choice winner, Short + Sweet Comedy Festival UAE 2017. Our conclusionAs long as people like to laugh, there'll always be a need for people who can make them laugh. And, just like it's never too late to start, it's never too early either - all you need is a plan.

"Here's a fun fact for the parents - successful corporates now train their employees in 'humour' because a good laugh always sells. Think about it - comedy may soon be one of the top careers in the corporate world too."

Nirvika Talreja, a 25-year-old comedian
"Remember Walt Disney's great, magical words? If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started by a mouse."
Pawan Manghnani, festival director, Short + Sweet Comedy Festival UAE 2017
purva@khaleejtimes.com