Stand up Comedy in India is Booming in 2019.
I started much of the stand-up comedy wave in India and Bangalore with Praveen Kumar and Sundeep Rao back in 2010, and although I don’t attend the open mic’s as much anymore, I’m happy to see what has become of the scene.
Well, mostly.
Indian comedy clubs are opening up everywhere, audiences are hungry for fresh, unique content and with so much diversity that is India there is honestly a joke for ANYTHING.
Indian Stand Up Comedy and Bangalore’s Role
Bengaluru has the most stand up comedy nights in the country and has set the tone for how the rest of the nation operates.
In fact it has the most diverse crowds in the country, as comedy crowds in Bangalore speak English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and more.
Amazon Prime and YouTube are also giving more exposure to Indian stand up comedians from all walks of Indian life, whether Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali, Kannadiga and of course English.
Canvas Laugh Club is also a household name despite some legal troubles and its unique backdrop has quickly been cemented as the signs of a video to watch, much like the Hollywood Laugh Factory did in California.
South India is the Best Place for English Comedy in India
It’s nice to see the comedy scene growing, and comedians from Mumbai and Delhi and Chennai are constantly coming down here (even though our travel from the airport to the city longer than their flight from Mumbai).
I personally enjoy the market in Bangalore as it’s predominantly English which is great for in-person shows, corporate events, and diverse crowds… yet tough online in the Hindi dominating Indian digital space.
So I thought I’d start keeping a list of the best comedy videos for Indian stand up that I see month to month.
But first, for the Indian comedy newbie…
What is Stand Up Comedy?
For this post, Stand up comedy in India is defined as:
- live crowds who aren’t part of a TV-set,
- a mix of English and whatever language,
- hecklers,
- avoiding hack jokes, yet obviously exploring topics like MBA, engineering, porn (if you have a clever take), clean family-friendly jokes and pretty much anything that gets Indians to giggle and probably share funny videos on Whatsapp.
- bars and comedy clubs,
- YouTube and podcaster style comics.
- And lastly, the comics in this list are folks who know legendary names like Carlin, Chris Rock, Chappelle and so on.
I’m defining Stand up Comedy in this country not as what you see Raju Srivasta or Kapil Sharma do nightly, but more along the lines of Vir Das, Netflix, and the Western-Indian style of stand-up comedy. Those guys are also great but generally operate in a different space and market. (And it’s probably more lucrative too) than what I know personally.
Regardless, although YouTube has yet to be kind to comics who remain in Namma Bengaluru, here are my favorites desi comedians from the city that I also think have some of the best videos in India.
Best Indian Stand Up Comedy Videos in Hindi (ranked by views)
I will continue to update this list so if you have any suggestions do let me know in the comments.
The beauty of stand up comedy as we saw from that Bassi cheating clip recently, is anybody, and I mean anybody who puts in the effort can leverage the democracy that is the internet.
Those who have been doing it for 1 year can quickly perform at a level of someone doing it for 10, and if you can hit a chord with your audience you will be rewarded.
I hope some of these folks below get their shake.
Best Hindi Movies on Netflix India
Give them a watch!
So Which are the Best Indian Stand Up comedy videos in English?
These are the best Indian comedians as of 2019 who do primarily English stand up comedy.
1. Sundeep Rao | NRIs
Sundeep Rao is probably the funniest comedian in India you’ve never heard of. He’s partially blind yet fully dirty, although this clip not very adult, hence I’m putting it on this list.
As an NRI I also find this comedy hilarious and accurate AF. After the whole #howdyModi event this clip is even more relevant.
ALSO SEE: How to Have a Stand Up Comedy Career in India
2. Aditi Mittal | Bra Shopping
Although Aditi is not from Bangalore, she calls every time she wants to do some workshop here and has an affinity for our crowds so I’m putting her on the list.
She’s one of the top comics in the country who actually puts her money where her mouth is and doesn’t let high view count misguide her into thinking she’s done learning, which I just LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Keep going, dude. This bit about shopping as a woman for bras is just packed with punches and nuances and of course, her signature act outs so enjoy!
And the fact that some of the comments are negative from guys who don’t get it is just proof that Aditi is a pioneer and hustler who has a thick skin, as we all need to.
3. Rupen Paul
In India, if you follow your dreams, you parents will use your dreams to kill your dreams
Rupen on sports quota for medical students.
I used to confuse Rupen with Shridhar because they’re both such clean-cut kids if that makes sense. But my favorite line of the year comes from this set, which you should watch but is basically:
Glad to see Rupen do his podcast also.
This video with some super clever insights any kid who is interested in stand up comedy about engineering or IIT or an MBA would easily relate to, and the writing is very well done.
4. Vamsidhar Bhogaraju – Swiggy and Girlfriend
There is arguably no better physical comedian in India that I personally know.
Actor turned funnyman Vamsidhar Bhogaraju’s most hilarious video moments happen when he says nothing.
Not many comics (myself included) can be the loudest with silence, and Vamsi does just that with his facial expressions and physical gestures.
This stands up comedy act out about Swiggy and landlines is hilarious from a live stand up comedy show in Indiranagar, Bangalore.
An ex marketing manager who knows acts in films and can do both funny and serious roles, in this clip Vamsi tells jokes about heartbreak and experience in wrong numbers everybody in Bangalore can relate to.
Hilarious and please wait till that ending!
5. Shridhar Venkatarama
Aside from having to google his last name to figure the spelling right, Shridhar works hard, still has a day job and is so PUNNY with his tweets I can’t help but admire his hustle.
He’s also grinding in a way I like to see comedians grind, with a series called Prime Time jokes where he smartly talks about current events that can quickly be written about, delivered and released.
Ten Mistakes Indian Stand Up Comedians Make All the Time in 2019
Mark my words, he’ll be a big name on Indian twitter and amongst the “intelligent political” comedy crowds because of his take on humor you’ll likely find based on Times NOW or CNBC.
Just yesterday he got to open up for friend Kunal Kamra, who ironically probably looks the most opposite on stage to well dressed Shridhar.
Well done buddy.
6. Atul Khatri – On the UK (Netflix)
Atul Khatri is the 50-year-old who has two kids and started comedy at 42.
He’s proof (and I know first hand) that older guys with limited time (in the day I mean) are way more productive than younger guys who just complain about comedy or art or whatever.
You can see Atul Khatri doing stand up comedy Netflix and also all over YouTube, and check him out on Twitter at his handle One_by_two.
7. Satish Perumal – Marketing Comedian
I was at this show and I remember seeing SATISH kill it.
South Indian weddings aren’t as fun as the North, but laughing about them can be.
Satish Perumal is a big part of that comedy group called the Bangalore Comedy Club.
He cracks some funny jokes about growing up in defense family also, but more so gives insights into the unique comedy culture of the south and train journeys between Bangalore and Chennai. Very relatable and highly hilarious.
Also Is that Mallu actress Madhuri Braganza in the front BTW?
8. Comedian Praveen | Tamil Comedy Video Star
I’ve known him forever, but nobody invents himself more and more than Praveen Kumar.
Early on Praveen had a hard time getting accepted into the cliques in Mumbai, even though he was one of the first to perform at Canvas, which was then owned by the London Comedy Store.
From English stand up comedy to clean comedy to Tamil clean comedy to now Tamil clean comedy and movie reviews and Comicstaan, the number of haters and idiots who gave Praveen stuff in the early day’s of comedy would have made me quit years ago.
In fact, most comedians who struggle still do.
Now he’s doing better than ever as a judge on Comicstaan Tamil (and has mentored the judges on the main Comicstaan) and well-done bro.
So happy for you.
But aside from the bromance, the main reason I dropped CPK on this list is that….he holds the record in Indian comedy for most viral video over an hour.
AN HOUR!
Who would have thought doing a full one-hour special comedy video in Tamil would get nearly 3M views!!!!! Big ups to Evam stand up Tamasha for producing this great video for him.
BRO!!!! ONE HOUR!?!?!
9. Kritarth Srinivasan | Hairloss
Kritarth has a wonderful stand-up segment on balding as a young Indian dude and any fan of Indian stand up comedy who struggles with hair loss, shampoos, parents and more will love this comedy bit from Bangalore.
Any young middle class guy who is worried about male pattern baldness or losing hair can probably related to this, whether they want to take finpecia or not.
10. Aravind SA | Why Tamilians Don’t Speak Hindi
Aravind SA was on my podcast here but also a funny dude who captured the South Indian comedy market well.
He’s one of the top South Indian stand up comedians also and is the leader against the Hindi being the national language voice. Good for you bro!
SA Also had various shows on Amazon Prime and tours the world performing for South Indians all over.
11. Saikiran | Dark Skin and Marriage
I’ve never met Saikiran but this is probably the most viewed video for Indian English stand up comedy and good for him.
Glad the material resonated well and considering he hasn’t uploaded much else it stands to show this is a truly viral clip.
Well done dude!
Conclusion
They’re many English stand up comics in Bangalore and India but these are just some of my favorites.
If you’re a fan of the North Indian style of comedy, you’ll likely not prefer these folks as someone like Vipul Goyal or Zakir Khan, but the beauty of comedy, just like ice cream, is there is a flavor for literally everyone.
Read Next: How to Do Stand UP Comedy in India
The key is to be the comic that most folks want to order two scoops of 🙂
Questions or suggestions? Comment below.
If you’re in Bangalore do check out the vibrant stand-up comedy scene here.
Sanjay Manaktala is one of the top stand up comedians in India who started building the comedy community in the country back in 2010. Since then his stand up comedy videos and podcasts have helped millions laugh or get motivated. His latest effort is the Birdy Num Num podcast, helping you learn creativity in life after engineering. You can learn about Sanjay here or check out his YouTube channel here.