What are you waiting for? Get set to lighten up your mood and grin widely.

Amazon Funnies (Amazon Prime Video)

What better than having 14 stand-up comics working together to entertain you and spread some laughter? Amazon added a cherry on top of the cake of festivities with Amazon Funnies – Prime Day Special.  It featured a stellar line-up of 14 comedians – Sumit Sourav, Karthik Kumar, Aishwarya Mohanraj, Shreeja Chaturvedi, Nishant Tanwar, Neeti Palta, Sapan Verma, Sumukhi Suresh, Gaurav Kapoor, Urooj Ashfaq, Rahul Subramanian, Nishant Suri, Rahul Dua, and Anubhav Singh Bassi – who performed a 10-minute set every hour. They covered everything from movies to breakups, to gymming and wedding. If you haven’t watched it yet, you are missing the miniature doses of happiness.

Vir Das for India (Netflix)

After the release of two comedy specials on Netflix – Losing It and Abroad Understanding, Vir Das came up with another special ‘Vir Das for India’ early this year. The special talks about his life spent growing up in India, mentioning India’s favourite Parle G, Old Monk and chyawanprash. What’s amazing about this man is, he finds the funny side about everyday things that make us truly Indian. This special is truly special. Why? Because it is filled with some hearty laughs and nostalgia.

Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill (Netflix)

This show is all about Kanan Gill revisiting his 15-year-old self by the means of a letter that he wrote to himself – the older-Kanan, when he was 15. He goes through the letter which included a list of goals; he evaluates his achievement count and how far he has come in life. The tone Kanan maintains throughout is certainly a poignant one, but his subtle and witty comments rolled into one leaves everyone rolling with laughter.

Comicstaan (Amazon Prime Video)

Comicstaan, both Season 1 and 2 are the reality shows that feature aspiring comics – most of them are widely recognised now. So, Comicstaan showcases the talent of budding comedians who are groomed under the guidance of Kaneez Surka, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Kanan Gill, Kenny Sebastian, Abish Mathew, Sumukhi Suresh, Zakir Khan, Neeti Patla and Urooj Ashfaq. Their comic timing and extra-ordinary sets will leave you splits. What’s more? You also get to these contestants rehearse for their shows, yes, the behind the scenes part, and how they structure a perfect laughter-inducing set.

Pushpavalli (Amazon Prime Video)

Are you looking for a comedy show and not really a stand-up special? Then Pushpavalli, both Season 1 and 2 are your go-to options. Starring Sumukhi Suresh, Pushapavalli is the story of a girl who is obsessed with a boy she has never dated. The show is laced with witty one-liners and relatable situations which will plaster a smile on your face. Sumukhi’s impeccable comic timing steals the show and she delivers a performance to remember. If you haven’t watched it yet, this show could offer you some light-hearted laughter.

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The line includes Sapan Verma, Urooj Ashfaq, Nishant Tanwar, Anubhav Bassi, Rahul Dua, Nishant Suri, Shreeja Chaturvedi, Rahul Subramanian, Sumukhi Suresh, Neeti Palta, Karthik Kumar, Sumit Saurav, Gaurav Kapoor and Aishwarya Mohanraj.

This incredible bunch is all set to make its viewers roll-on-the-floor laughing and forget the trauma that this pandemic induced upon us.

Amazon Prime Video will be releasing one set each every hour, from 10 am to 11 pm on August 7, 2020. Here’s a sneak peak of the upcoming Amazon Funnies: Prime Day Special

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14 comedians. 10 minutes each. Every hour. We've never released something this quickly, but that's just how special we want to make your #AmazonPrimeDay! . @aishwaryamrj #GauravKapoor @be_a_bassi @evamkarthik  @neetipalta @nishantsuri11 @jokesingh  @sumitsourav_official @sumukhisuresh  @shreejachaturvedi @therahuldua @uroojashfaq @rahulsubramanic @sapanv

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Featuring: Shashi Tharoor, Bhuvan Bam, Taapsee Pannu, Richa Chadha, Vishal Dadlani, Zakir Khan, Kunal Kamra, Angad Singh Ranyal, Rohan Joshi, Ashish Shakya and Sapan Verma.

The main attractions of this show weren’t really Taapsee Pannu, Richa Chadha, Bhuvan Bam or Vishal Dadlani but our very own fountain of English, Shashi Tharoor. With his sharp act and a mind blowing display of wit, he outperforms the professional comics we have. With his well-written set and smooth deliveries, the risk he took of entering a comedy club in Noida was quite a success.

Who says taking risks is always bad?

So, the concept of the show is, in every episode, a professional comic opens the show, followed by a preparation video – more like ‘behind the scenes’ wherein they talk mentor the celeb and talk about the art of comedy. Post which, the celeb performs in front of a live audience that seems to heartily enjoy the gigs.

All 5 episodes are independent of each other. Start with whichever you like. If you ask us, we’d say, cut to the 5th episode. The politician-comedian team was a blast!

Here’s a sneak peak of One Mic Stand:

The other episodes would sure put a smile on your face or even make you grin, but don’t expect a LOL moment.

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He has performed along with some of the greatest Indian comedians like Tanmay Bhat, Daniel Fernandes, Anuvab Pal, Aditi Mittal, Vipul Goyal, Biswa, Abish, Sorabh Pant, Vasu Primlani, Nitin Mirani, Sapan Verma, Angad Singh Ranyal, Abhishek Upmanyu, to list a few. He has performed at major venues like Comedy Store (Mumbai, Pune), Canvas Laugh Club (Mumbai), Euriska (Mumbai), Indian Comedy Club, and many more gigs.

Here’s his video School & Fat-Shaming, where he talks about Rejections, State Board School and Growing up fat. He talks about how one of his school-mates used poetry as a medium of fat-shaming, how he got accepted and rejected in a week, how he is still a fatso at heart.

Check out, relate, laugh!

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We have always wondered how our Indian TV serials could lack basic logic, and yet we watch them. These guys hilariously talk about everything from Indian Idol to Naagin and ended with Super Cops vs. Super Villains. While Atul enlightened us on him being the youngest in the family, Azeem told us why he voted for Amit Sana in Indian Idol.

It’s like the Pretentious TV Serial Reviews from East India Comedy.

Better late than never; watch the EIC’s gem here:

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Here are a few of our favourites of Sapan Verma:

When Uber driver Damodar didn’t look like a Damodar, but like a Rajeev Oberoi.

The post Sapan Verma & His Obsessive Comedic Disorder appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

Vipul Goyal on the Modi Ji & the changed Tax structure.

Kunal Kamra on the reason for being patriotic.

Abhishek Upmanyu on homosexuality vs. ghosts.

Sapan Verma on baseless taboos around menstruation.

Neeti Palta on being recognised only on Women’s Day.

Ashish Shakya on the infamous Padmaavat controversy.

Aditi Mittal on women & safety.

The post 7 Times Indian Stand-Up Comics Commented On Serious Issues Using Jokes appeared first on Humour Sapiens.

The finale started with all the seven mentors doing a stand-up act for exactly two minutes each. Then, without much further ado, the stage (at the prestigious Royal Opera, Mumbai) was set for the final battle. We have nothing to comment on the final episode, as it was top notch comedy from all the five contestants; it was really difficult to say which one was actually the best. New terms were also discovered in this episode with them using words like Cheekalicious and Co-Ed Bath. The ‘fantastic’ five are also, co-incidentally, our top five picks from Comicstaan too. That is something, isn’t it!!!

Here’s what we loved about them.

Rahul Dua:

The runner-up of Comicstaan and a Delhi munda, his beginning in the show was just about average. But, the way he picked up around the third act was just amazing. From then on, it was only growth for him. His finale act was obviously hilarious. He spoke about having a girlfriend and how taking a bath together in a 2×2 bathroom is not all that romantic as it seems. But, his funniest act has to be where he talks about how he does not have opinions anymore, after watching a couple of news channel and finds solace in cutting Bhindi instead…that was just amazing.

Shankar Chugani:

This guy from Coonoor was consistent right from the beginning, each act surpassing the other. The last episode before the finale though, did not go so well for him and hardly was funny. He made an effort in the Finale too, where he started off on a positive note, but then the jokes fell flat too. But, in spite of all these minor glitches, he still remains one of our favourites. The one act that stands out is the one where he draws parallels between our Indian dance forms and Hip-Hop…that was phenomenal.

Prashashti Singh:

If you need to see what girl-power is, you need to watch her acts. Her ‘lazy’ kind of striking a conversation is truly appealing and she is a cracker of a performer. She was one of the very few contestants who took topics which were out-of-the-box and made the most out of it. For instance, her act in the finale, which was about a letter that her older self has written to her younger self – difficult to perform, but she did it with utmost expertise. But, her best act, according to me, is the one before the finale, where she comes as death. Dark but absolutely hilarious.

Saurav Mehta:

This chubby boy from Kolkata has such a positive outlook and has an eternal smile on his face. All his acts were consistently good and he is one of those contestants who never actually had a bad day. Yes, he is the one who came up with the term Cheekalicious which I have mentioned before, and he has done it time and again. His best act has to be the one where he talks about the Taj Mahal and how UP Government has scrapped it from the state tourism booklet. Thought-provoking, yet slyly comical.

Nishant Suri:

Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the first instalment of Comicstaan, the guy from Delhi, did not exactly have a dreamy start. His performance peaked only during the end and that really worked for him. His best act, for me, was the one in the finale. Talking about four things that he hates the most, he starts off with how annoying the Bollywood songs are, especially the army songs, since it is not the way it happens at the borders. Another thing he talks about in length is about dancing and how he hates when people bring you to the centre of the circle to dance and then disappear themselves. I do not want to say anything more or else it might ruin the moment for you when you watch it and you definitely should watch it…it was epic!

WATCH COMICSTAAN ON AMAZON PRIME

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News on The Loose with Vir Das

Well, just like anyone else, he too had a humble start, when he became a writer for television. Things turned around for him in 2008 when he met Vir Das and they did a show together called News on The Loose for CNBC-TV18. It went so well, that Sorabh Pant became the opening act for Vir Das’s show, Walking on Broken Das. He remained the opening act for the next three and a half years.

Pant on Fire

People loved his acts so much (we do not blame them!), he also did his very first solo show in 2009 called Pant on Fire and he was certainly on Fire when he spoke on topics like the Royal Wedding and the ‘racist’ GPS system.

Pant with a Pen

While he continued his solo acts, he went on to a few more opening acts for Wayne Brady and then Rob Schneider when they toured India. If that was not enough, Pant also released his debut novel The Wednesday Soul in December 2011, followed by Under Delhi in 2014 and Pawan: The Flying Accountant in 2017

THE EAST INDIA COMEDY

The next turning point for this ‘manic’ comic came in 2012, when he founded The East India Comedy. Each member of this ‘band’ of comedians have made a name for themselves and are as crazy as the founder! Kunal Rao, Sapan Verma, Sahil Shah, Atul Khatri, Azeem Banatwalla and Angad Singh Ranyal – each one of them are unique and all of them have done solo shows; the number of shows are just too many, but as The East India Comedy, these guys churned out a record 130 shows across the country in 2013.

Coming back to Sorabh Pant, he has gone on to do a couple of specials on Amazon Prime, the most recent one being Make India Great Again, where he takes a dig at Indian politics. His style of comedy is ‘over-the-top’ but truthful and that is what attracts his audience. His take on the various communities combined with a lot of talk about ‘sex’ keeps the crowd hooked on to his performance.

MY DAD THINKS HE’S FUNNY

Humour Sapiens enjoyed the special on Amazon Prime on ‘My Dad thinks he’s Funny’ – the way he explains his state when his wife was in labour to the kind of advice that he got from elders to keeping a name for his son – it is a journey that we all go through, but it takes a ‘mentally unstable’ guy like Sorabh to team it up with topics like sperm count test and the likes and still get rib tickling laughter out of it.

ALSO READ: KICKASS QUOTES FROM 7 FAMOUS INDIAN COMEDIANS

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let’s talk about the positives.

We really liked the format of the show where every judge mentors the participants in their genre – Biswa (anecdotal comedy), Tanmay (topical comedy), Sapan (observational comedy), Kaneez (improvisational comedy), Naveen (sketch comedy), Kanan (comedy of terror), and Kenny (alternative comedy). The contestants perform a set in each genre and are scored by the remaining six judges. The best part? There is no elimination till all of them have performed sets in every genre and their cumulative score over the seven episodes will determine, who will be going into the finale. Scoring is done by both the judges and the audience and the average score will be taken as the final score for that episode.

This kind of format gives a chance to the contestants to learn about the different genres there are in stand-up and that too from the experts!

The Hosts.

The hosts Abhish Matthew and Sumukhi Suresh are doing a good job too. Their rapport on the stage and their jokes once in a while, keeps the audience hooked on to the show. The views of all the judges too are in tandem, which is a refreshing change from some of the reality shows, where it is more of drama than actual content.

The positives, though, end there.

The main mission of the show is to find the best stand-up comedian, who is worthy of being the next big thing. Except for a few of them who are worthy of being in the Top 10 and are genuinely funny, the performance of the others is so bad that you just feel like putting it on fast-forward mode; the jokes fall flat and it is sometimes difficult to comprehend what the joke was. Added to that, the judges’ comments are hardly two sentences long and it can’t really be called a constructive criticism.

Things seem to be looking up though.

The recent episode, where Kaneez mentored the contestants in improvisation, was worth the watch. All the contestants seem to have improved by leaps and bounds and that is a positive, going forward.

We can’t wait for the next episode, where Naveen will be mentoring them in the genre of Sketch Comedy. Fingers crossed!

ALSO READ: COMEDY AS A CAREER? DO YOU HAVE ‘FUNNY’ WITHIN YOU?

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