يحاولGOLD- Free

Laugh track: What's funny now

Brunch|December 23, 2023
Comedy is viral on Reels. Stand-up shows sell out in small towns. Three Indian comics tell us what works, what doesn't and why the way ahead is no joke
- Urvee Modwel
Laugh track: What's funny now

Even five years ago, if someone admitted that they wanted to pursue comedy, reactions were different. Friends, family, nosy neighbours everyone worried if any money would come of it.

Then, in 2020, Instagram launched Reels, aiming to fight TikTok, but unwittingly giving all performers a platform. Funny folks didn't need a 15-minute show or a full house - clips under 30 seconds were going viral. Funny folks broke into mainstream entertainment. American comedian Matt Rife made cameo appearances on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fresh Off the Boat.

Today, he has 6.4 million followers on Instagram,

For India, the playbook looks different. Viral fame is hard, sustained fame is harder. Bollywood has limited roles. Reels rarely pay. Comedians Amit Tandon, Abhinav Chand, and Shreya Priyam Roy tell us where the craft is headed.

Abhinav Chand
@RJAbhinavv. 4.1 million followers

Chand, 30, is best known in Delhi as an RJ, even though he left radio in 2018. He's been creating content ever since his former boss encouraged him to shoot videos in 2017. His video, Indian DJs vs.

Videshi DJs, had more than 5 million views in three days. He's collaborated with Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon and was among the first Indian digital comedy creators on the Cannes red carpet in 2022.

"I did five open mics after leaving radio," Chand says. "Two bombed, three worked well." What he needed was a formal platform for his writing, a tough ask in India. "Here everything is hit-and-miss," Chand says. Thankfully he's used to learning by himself.

New performers flounder because they lift published material instead of developing a style that comes naturally to them. "Analyse your work and find your comfort zone," Chand say. "Plan something with the resources that you have and experiment."

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 23, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 23, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BRUNCH مشاهدة الكل
Hardik Singh
Brunch

Hardik Singh

Hockey player, @HardikRail6

time-read
1 min  |
May 31, 2025
Cook, don't get cooked
Brunch

Cook, don't get cooked

Are you burning up in the kitchen? Try these cool hacks to beat the summer heat

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Cut. Take two, please
Brunch

Cut. Take two, please

Nobody asked for a new Pride and Prejudice film. Instead, here are 10 movies that truly deserve a do-over, with better actors, tighter plots or a modern twist

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Not all bright and rosy
Brunch

Not all bright and rosy

With vivid pinks and a hint of irony, Arpita Singh shows how disorienting the world can be for women pushed to the margins

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
You want to break free?
Brunch

You want to break free?

Quitting your 9-5 to become your own boss sounds like the dream. But are you ready for a different kind of grind?

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Brunch

Lost in the sauce

Condiments are no longer the sidekicks. Here's how chilli oil, tahini, pickles and aiolis stole the scene from the main dish

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Vibe check
Brunch

Vibe check

Delhi or Bern? Raclette or chaat? Alps or the Himalayas? Swiss-Indian singer BombayMami debates which country does it better, and where her loyalties lie

time-read
4 mins  |
May 31, 2025
The stars are aligning
Brunch

The stars are aligning

With three Michelin wins, it's a big week for Indian food, and for the country's new wave of under-40 chefs and restaurateurs

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Expand your palette
Brunch

Expand your palette

Why do romcoms love the desi girlwhite guy trope? It's overdone and outdated. The real interracial diversity is on Insta Reels

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Last-minute cram session
Brunch

Last-minute cram session

What's an extra suitcase in the grand scheme of things? Ditch the minimalism and pack what you want

time-read
3 mins  |
May 24, 2025

نحن نستخدم ملفات تعريف الارتباط لتقديم خدماتنا وتحسينها. باستخدام موقعنا ، فإنك توافق على ملفات تعريف الارتباط. يتعلم أكثر