They make us laugh, they make us cry (from laughing too hard), and quite frankly we love them, even when they are busy taking a shot at our respective communities. No, this isn’t a dig at today’s leaders that we love to hate, this an indictment of today’s love of stand-up and the comedians that make it all it is. In this given case, we look closer to home, with local boy (based in Mumbai), Daniel Fernandes being invited to headline at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) flagship show, ‘Comedy Zone Asia’.
Now, getting into the MICF is no mean feat. There are two possible routes to be a part of a show that is rated one of the top three comedy festivals in the world, and neither one of them is a cakewalk. The first route involves an artiste producing a show on his/her own, which is a long, tedious and costly endeavour (considered worth it by industry insiders). The second is being invited to perform at one of the organiser’s flagship shows, which is considered a massive honour in itself; which is precisely what has happened in Daniel’s case. ‘Comedy Zone Asia’ is a flagship show that features top acts from 5 countries in Asia. This year they’re showcasing comics from Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, China and India. I have been invited to headline these shows, and in the process, will be the first Indian comic to do so. For me, MICF as a massive learning opportunity where I will have the chance to introduce myself to a new market, meet comedians and promoters from Australia and around the world, and hopefully if all goes well, I could perhaps someday return to Australia for a 3-4 city tour,” he says.
Daniel is a product of the school of comedy’s hard knocks, and represents a time when comedy itself in India had little to no representation. He is of the generation of Indian comics who despite being successful today started approximately half a decade ago, when the comedy ‘scene’ was nearly a myth. Being the pioneers of this revolution of comedic relief, there were no entry barriers, but it did result in said stalwarts spending a lot of time performing in small pubs and clubs, working on honing their skills as comedians and writers. He looks back on his beginnings, saying “I personally don’t feel it was ‘hard’, per se. We were at the right place at the right time and we made the most of it. Mind you we put in long hours to make this dream happen, but because there’s so much passion involved in the process, I do not look at this as ‘work’ in the conventional sense. Now things are at favourable stage. The next 5-7 years, if approached correctly, will help establish this art form as an industry.”
And these waters were truly uncharted at the time that he first began showcasing his work as a comedian, but it is a journey that he believes has served him well. The Comedy Store set up shop in Mumbai in 2009, offering stand up artistes a platform of sorts, from where it just grew. As the concept of stand-up grew in popularity, more venues opened up and that helped establish the grassroots of what is a thriving scene today. “Today, we’ve moved from a couple of rooms in Mumbai in 2010, to comedy venues across India, international shows, comedy festivals, massive internet success and TV shows in 2016. All of this makes the next few years very exciting. Sure, not everyone is brave enough to follow their dreams, but the mental make-up of a good comedian is naturally conditioned to take risks, so for me personally it was a risk worth taking. There’s been no looking back ever since,” Daniel opines.
In a trade where candour and a receptive sense of humour and geniality is the key to success, both from the perspective of the comedian as well the audience, one can’t help but wonder how this trade could possible thrive in the current political climate, when bans are all the rage towards more liberal statements and comedic intent, as was the case with the ‘Love Charger incident. However, Daniel feels that it should not be a deterrent to those seeking to make a career of it. “Censorship will always be a bone of contention when it comes to creative arts. That shouldn’t stop anyone from venturing into stand-up or any other art form. Comedy in India is serious business today. The revenues that a lot of smart comedians are seeing will find very few competitors in a 9 to 5 scenario. So if there are people out there who feel that they have a flair for comedy, I would advise them to definitely give it a shot. And if it works out, trust me their life will change in ways you cannot imagine,” he advises.
Very often though, especially when faced with the prospect of catering to a global audience, popular local cult references can get lost in translation, though with a fair share of international experience, having done shows in Utrecht, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, where he played to a variety of nationalities and cultural sensibilities, Daniel believes that his material will work well with a global audience. “So far, the international audience’s understanding of India comes from comedians like Russell Peters and Aziz Ansari. I represent a group of comedians who are now venturing into international waters, where we bring a legitimate Indian perspective to the world. So don’t expect head bobbing and accents from me. I’m going to keep it as real as the next guy, irrespective of where he’s from,” he says, loading his gun as he prepares for his upcoming string of shows.
Daniel Fernandes will be performing in Goa at the Pajama Festival being held at Ravindra Bhavan in Margao, at 8 pm on February 4, 2016.
