Indian audience is reactive and very generous’’ - says Sharul Channa as she returns with her new show ’Saree, these are just jokes!

Sharul Channa talks Indian audiences, saree identity & live shows in Mumbai & Pune.

Indian audience is reactive and very generous

Sharul Channa

1. You’ve performed in India before - how have Indian audiences and their sense of humor changed over time?

I think audiences have become way more open about the concept of English stand-up comedy and now they like to communicate with the comedian on stage. There are many times people answer back even when a comedian is setting up a joke. This is great! It’s a highly reactive audience here in India. Of course, then it’s on the comedian to do crowd control and know when to draw the line. I love Indian audiences for their response to jokes - they laugh and clap quite generously.

2. What has your experience of performing in Mumbai been like? What makes this audience unique?

Mumbai audiences are very cosmopolitan, much like Singapore. Also, the audiences that come to comedy clubs are well-travelled; within their own country and outside, so they understand contexts faster. Additionally, I feel the audiences nowadays are in touch with the recent trend so it’s easier to do topical jokes with Mumbai audiences.

3. Do you think people today are more open to jokes about stereotypes - especially around women and the Indian diaspora?

It really depends on who you are performing to. If you are performing to a predominantly male audience and they want to hear some women-bashing from a comedian who does such jokes - it works. It’s a different story if you put the same jokes online. The wider online audiences don’t tolerate that.

Jokes on the Indian diaspora still work but they work outside of India. Indian comedians have heard it all - the traffic jokes, the cow on the road joke or the yoga joke. They want something way more authentic and real than that.

4. The saree is now a big part of your stage identity. What does it represent to you?

My paternal grandmother only used to wear sarees, and she fulfilled all her roles so well - all wearing her comfortable Cotton sarees. That’s what it means to me, wearing my ancestral identity proudly to work and showing people that a woman in a saree can be just as trendy and comfortable on stage. This is my way of showcasing that the saree as a textile is a versatile garment - it can be worn in many styles, just as women play so many roles in their lives single-handedly, all at the same time.