Let the laughter bugs bite you!

Mumbai-based stand-up comic group, The Keedas, comes to town. The Guide figures out what makes this group of five friends tick and tickle

Let the laughter bugs bite you!

Meet a crazy group of five friends known as The Keedas who are known for their perfect comic timing. Stand-up comedians: Jatin Sharma, Raunaq Rajani, Andy Reghu, Chris Lazarus and Avinash Agarwal are a part of the group.u00a0Tracing their passions, Sharma asserted why he chose the profession in the first place — “there is no other feeling greater than making people laugh.u00a0

This is the only job where if people laugh at your work, it makes you feel the best”. Known for their regular TV stint, Sharma opines that comedy shows are a lifesaver when it comes to what is broadcasted on television, these days. He quips that they are a boon for the audience as well as the producers because till now producers have spent crores of rupees on sarees for saas bahus in the soap operas and glycerine for all the bua-fufi-fufa-chacha-dadi-dada-padosi-doodhwala-maali-kutta-gadha on the show. He further relates that comedy shows are extremely economical as even a single dhoti makes for a fabulous costume on a comedy show.

Jatin Sharma

Cracking the audience
On a serious note, Sharma feels that the audience makes a huge difference as their sole purpose is to entertain. “If they laugh and are open to comedy, we, as comedians start enjoying more and the whole show becomes a laugh riot. An audience with a sense of humour is always better than the one at the funeral,” Sharma gives a tongue-in-cheek reply to our query.u00a0Reghu, adding further to the uproar, says, “I always wanted to be a politician, and then I realised that in order to be a great politician you must first become a stand-up comedian”. Lazarus speaking of his motivation to pursue stand-up comedy, shares, “I’m just a plain funny guy. I normally make people laugh. So, getting a mic in hand and a dedicated audience is just an added bonus.”u00a0

Andy Reghu

No monkey business
Dismissing Lazarus’ nonchalance, Sharma highlights how stand-up comedians have led successful lives contrary to the popular opinion of them being strugglers: “I don’t feel so. Mahmood was the guy who gifted Big B his first car. So, I feel comedians in our country are always respected. But because of the nature of their work, no one takes them seriously.” u00a0Agreeing to how the art form is neglected and taken as ‘monkey business’ Lazarus informs, “people don’t think that stand-up comedy is a profession, they often ask me what I actually do to sustain a living. Yet every time a person approaches me after the show, I see a certain amount of respect in his eyes because they know very well that it isn’t easy to make 150 odd strangers laugh for 20 minutes straight.” The group of five friends who comprise the laugh riot will be in the city, tomorrow.

Chris Lazarus