September 13 saw Sorabh Pant, the Director
of East India Comedy, along with Atul Khatri and Angad Singh put on a show
called ‘Men are from Bars’; and Margao is yet to recover from it. With
splitting sides and peals of laughter, the evening has made many realise (just
as many recent shows have), that the potential for Goa to be a viable venue for
comedy, is immense.
Given the success of the endeavour, Sorabh
reflects on the evening as he says, “The audience was fantastic. The show was
open and uncensored, with a crazy level of energy. But for time constraints, we
would have gone on. We were so overwhelmed with the response from the evening
that we are looking at putting together approximately three such shows in a
year, with the next one being as soon as November 2015.”
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Sorabh isn’t the only metro-based comedian
and entertainer to be of the opinion that Goa is a happy hunting ground for
comedy. Renowned stand-up artiste Daniel Fernandes, who has roots in Goa,
shares his views. Yet, he highlights why the industry in Goa falls short in
terms of generating original content. “Goa, as a state, has everything it needs
to succeed in the comedy niche. Audiences are great, amongst the best in the
country, as they are sensitised to comedy, and are a sensible audience on the
whole. However, the need of the hour, if comedy-related acts are to develop
within the state, is grassroots development. In Mumbai, this exists, allowing
up-and-comers to find their foothold. It is the same manner I built on my
career. The best way to go about this is to build a kind of comedy club, which
features acts from outside the state, with a small slot for the budding
comedian. Then this can gradually be expanded to feature more local talent,
once a pool has been built,” he says.
Seconding this is one of Goa’s stand-up
pioneers, Jeffrey Manuel. Co-founder of Goan stand-up duo, Twisted Testicles,
Jeffrey believes that there will soon be an upsurge in the demand for such
entertainment. “The key lies in the backing coming through from the concerned
parties. Sponsors play a key role, and are still adapting to the concept of
more than music as entertainment worth sponsoring. The same was true of many
venues until recently, wherein many proprietors who have a greater level of
upward mobility have understood the value of stand-up in its own right. I think
that the moment there are many such platforms up for grabs, more Goans will see
it as a viable career option. The latent talent is certainly there, with Goans
being amongst the funniest people that I know,” he says.
That ‘Men are from Bars’ was a success with
the local crowd was beyond doubt. AIR RJ, Alroy Fernandes recounts his
experience as well as insight into Goa’s comedy circuit, saying, “Stand-up
comedy in Goa is definitely on the rise. It may not be of meteoric proportions,
but it’s rising nonetheless, with comedians like Vir Das’ performance a few months
ago along with another show, ‘Twisted Testicles’, showcasing home grown
comedians, as well as the ‘Men are from Bars’ evening. It is good to see that
stand-up is really picking up. What has been great is that there has been good
response by people attending these shows as well. The humour is meant to be
taken with a pinch of salt and shouldn’t be over-analysed.”
The funny men all say it, Goa loves a
laugh, and is sensitised to good humour. If that’s the case, when can we see
more funny men come forth?
