Laughing it up in Mumbai

It has long been a pet peeve of mine that the average sense of humor in Indian media had never evolved beyond the slapstick shenanigans and not so witty one liners and cliche double meaning suggestive phrases that are in plentiful supply in most films, tv shows and theater dramas. I have long been yearning for the quantum jump in graduating from " pie in the face " jokes to something that tickles a more intelligent funny bone.

Dont get me wrong I've appreciated the " Jine bhi do yaron "s and the " Andaz apna apna "s and the " Golmal "s ( the utpal dutt one ... not the shoddy Devgan flick ). Yet there has been nothing to reflect the generation gap from those flims to more contemporary ones. The same holds true for tv shows and dramas. Hell even most of the good stand up comics of Indian origin had most of their comic wits sharpened and honed abroad. I had all but given up hope on Indian comedy in general. Until the very well informed Mathanki, came up to me one day and said, " hey! theres a Comedy Store in Palladium, Lower Parel. We should go. "

Comedy Store ... The venue thats been graced by the sharp wits of the likes of Eddie Izzard and Paul Merton, was in Mumbai bringing comics from the UK and more importantly promoting local talent !. I had to see this.

I went in expecting a good ol laughs club with beer and rowdy crowds and generally intoxicated people. While this was all true in a way, the crowd was more reminiscent of a night club than a comedy store. I guess everything in Mumbai has to be a little glam !. So i started out the evening with a couple of beers and scarfed down some gourmet pizzas at the cafe inside while waiting for the show to start. Be warned ... If you drink a lot of beer, the restroom is a fair trek from the comedy store. Why they couldn't have a restroom on the premises i have no idea. This significantly cut down on my drinking for the rest of the evening. I was not about to hike a mile just to take a leak again.

By the time the show started the crowds had poured in and for a 10:30 show starting at 11:00 it looked like a full show was on the cards. The show started with Mickey Hutton, who struck me as a veteran comic. He was also the compere for the evening. The jokes were sarcastic, on the spot, well timed and pertinent. They were jokes about India, mumbai its juxtaposition with london and the difference between the people. The jokes were about a modern india and very pertinent to a young crowd. I was hooked. Hutton was brilliant, picking on the front row crowd, which included an embarassed but well humored Dino Morea and family, with a particularly flamboyant gentleman who was wearing something out of the 80s disco collection. ( Mumbai fashion never ceases to amaze ). This fact did not go unnoticed by the comedians.

The canadian Glen Wool had the first set of the evening. The jokes were a little cliche and a bit too much toilet humor for me but funny none the less. Following hutton however seemed like a tough ask of the young comedian.

There was a short set following wool by a local comic, picked out of open auditions. The first name escapes me, but Mr. Pal was noteworthy at least. This delighted me. The jokes obviously were amateurish and still a bit dated. But finally! something other than the overworked dead horse humor from the early 90s ! Thumbs up to the comedy store.

The closing act is usually the best and packs quite a punch. Allistair Barrie is all that and more. He is my favourite type of comic. The witty, angry, cynic. I prefer my ranters with whisky but he decided to go for beer. The rants started with London, its people, british imperialism, Mumbai, its crowd, its disregard for safety, the commonwealth games, politicians and all of it. Barrie was in control and i had to catch my breath from all the laughing. Overall a very satisfying experience and some solace to my heart, for having found a place that i will be sure to visit often. !!