Sahil Shah on his new stand-up special, existentialism, politics, and why climbing Mount Everest no longer tempts him

Sahil Shah will continue his tour in South India next month. PICs COURTESY/SAHIL SHAH

If you were privy to Sahil Shah's weekend itinerary, you'd mistake him for a party animal. Last Saturday, the comedian was in Goa's Anjuna. On Sunday, he flew into Mumbai to catch pop star Akon's multi-city tour. "I lost my friends in the crowd. Then I looked up and saw Akon crowd surfing inside a big floating ball. It all felt like a fever dream," the 34-year-old pieces together the night over our call. While walking inside giant spheres is not on his bucket list, Shah is on tour himself. After shows in Hyderabad, Gurgaon, and Goa last weekend, the comedian is pulling his socks up to tickle Mumbai's funny bone this weekend.

Excerpts from the interview.

What's the story behind the title of your new special, Going Nowhere?
My last special, Broken, was about how life is not always fun and games. The only thing that made me feel complete was spending time with my pets. Going Nowhere is a sequel to that train of thought. I turn 35 in a few months, and haven't achieved much. In that sense, I do feel like I'm ‘going nowhere'.

Shah with his pet dog, Bagel

What can the audience expect from the show this time?
This time, you'll see a new Sahil on stage. I'm turning to a more physical style of comedy - body movement, facial expressions, short action sequences. At the heart of it, the show will feel like a reassuring pat on the back, reminding you that you don't always have to be the ‘first', ‘greatest', or ‘youngest' anything. If you can't climb Mount Everest, you might as well book a hotel room nearby and enjoy the view.

That's a far cry from younger comedians who are chasing virality online...
When I started doing stand-up comedy, my competition was the 60-odd comedians slogging it out across India. That number has shot through the roof in the last decade. There are comedians in every town today, and each one wants to build their fan community. It's only fair that they use all tools available to stand out from the rest.

Personally, I enjoy making content for social media. But if you asked me to do it every day, I'd be exhausted. I'm a stand-up comedian first, and a content creator only later. The funny part is that no one knows how social media algorithms work. Your worst joke can go viral while your favourite one falls flat.

You have been vocal about political issues on social media, but we don't see it often onstage. Would you ever consider doing political comedy?
A long time ago, I believed I could change the world with my comedy. Those aspirations faded away with time. I don't take myself too seriously on stage now. I say silly things, act out like a child, and the audience loves it. Maybe that's the point of it all. Not every punchline has to be a life-changing comment on society. There are enough comedians doing a better job at that. I'm happy in my lane.

On my social media, however, I continue to use my reach for the right causes. I regularly rescue animals and put out adoption pleas on my social media handles. If I feel a global issue needs eyes on it, I repost it to spread the word. As an ‘influencer' that's the least I can do.

ON November 22, 8.30 pm; November 23, 6 pm
AT Backspace Thane, Majiwada, Thane; The Habitat, Khar.
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