Take three

Bow down to The Three Kings who descend on Bangalore to split the sides of even the most severely stiff lipped in the city

Take three

Bow down to The Three Kings who descend on Bangalore to split the sides of even the most severely stiff lipped in the city

It won't be very different from Jerome K Jerome's iconic 1989 book, Three Men in a Boat. Except that it's a stage and not a boat this time around.
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And the three funny men are script and screenplay writer, documentary filmmaker, pet and of course stand up comedian Jaydeep Sarkar and playwright and screenplay writer Anuvab Pal from Mumbai and UK based Aussie, Ro Campbell, who's performing in India for the first time.

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Jaydeep Sarkar, Anuvab Pal and Ro Campbell

Ro, who was crowned Scotland's "King of Comedy" at the Fringe 2009, among other achievements, will do a 40-minute set preceded by Jaydeep and Anuvab's acts of 20 minute each.

Bangalore's comedy enthusiast Ajit Saldanha, who's bringing the trio together, describes Jo as 'an explosive comedian.'

"Having been in the business for 15 years, Ro is a comedian's comedian. He's completely international. Since he spent about a week in Kerala, he should have a lot of interesting anecdotes about the state for the show," says Ajit.

Jaydeep, the writer of films like Shaurya, Khoya Khoya Chand, Tera Kya Hoga Johnny and Drona, has a mild Bangalore connect. He lived here for three years of his childhood.

The 32-year old will present to Bangalore the infamous Gandu Bachha, a character modeled on his childhood friend in Delhi. Prod him about the character and he says, "I'd like you to meet him on stage," before giving him.
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"I had a friend called Ranjit in the colony that I lived in Delhi. His grandfather would always call him Gandu, which, somehow I used to find really weird despite growing up in Delhi where ma, behen gaalis are commonplace.
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He's a successful dentist in Minneapolis now which I never imagined him to be given his traumatic childhood," chuckles Jaydeep.

Gandu Bachha essentially is a child's world view. "I delve into tales like how Mrs Malhotra is having a scene with Mr Sharma and nobody knows about it except me, who catches them together," he laughs.

Jaydeep, who's performing in the city for the first time, is more of a racounteur. "Pieces of the anecdotes I do are more about my experiences as a screenwriter in Mumbai andu00a0 growing up as a Bengali middle class boy in Delhi whose father wouldn't let him watch Bollywood films andu00a0u00a0 still has problems coming to terms with my career choice," he says.

The observational comedian, who's been doing stand-up for a year and a half now, says, it all happened because of friends and was largely accidental.
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"Stand up honestly wasn't my idea. Whenever I got together with friends at parties. I used to tell them jokes, stories about Bappi Lahiri or some RJ I heard and they would find it funny.u00a0

That's how it all started. Being a stand-up comic is a great thing for your ego as the spotlight is constantly on you, unlike being a scriptwriter. It's a bit like going to the shrink for me. If one gets paid for it, why not?" he asks.

What's interesting is that both the comedians from Mumbai are scriptwriters and don't consider comedy a full-time profession. "I'd rather be known as a filmmaker than a comedian," says Jaydeep.

For Anuvab, who performed in the city in July this year, humour happens when he gets interested in the specifics ofu00a0 something.

"I'm a child of the 80s which makes me au00a0 gigantic loser and on the wrong side of history compared to this generation which has seven choices of Honda. I like people living on the fringes of history. I'd never be able to write Ra.One, but maybe about one of the engineers who wasn't a superhero," he quips.

His comedy is about the new India and shared experiences which make everyone get his jokes. "If there's some truth to our shared experiences, it will be funny.It's more like jazz music. I have a scenario and things that happen," he states.

The first row in the audience doesn't need to be empty in his shows, for he doesn't pick on audience members. "I don't say stuff like, "You're ugly and you don't have sex," assures Anuvab.

ON: November 4, 5 and 6
8 pm onwards
WHERE Alliance Francaise(Novemberu00a0 4)
108, Thimmaiah Road
Vasanth Nagar, Bangalore
Park Plaza Hotel(November 5) 90/4 Marathalli , Outer Ring Road
Munne Kollalu Village
Manchester United Bar & Lounge (November 6)
Thavarekere Main Road
Koramangala
FOR R 1000
CALL 9342395732
www.bookmyshow.com