‘Talking about sex may spook Mumbai’

That’s what stand-up comic from the UK, Jeff Innocent says about his Comedy Store performance in the city. “My car mechanic and my chauffeur back at home in the UK are Indian. Now I’m here to earn some of my money back,” he adds. Innocent teams a kurta with shorts, often gets mistaken for a “hitman of the Hare Rama Hare Krishna people”, but claims to be as far from the sandal-wearing hippy stereotype as possible. Anita Aikara talks to him about the ins and outs of performing in Mumbai.
 
How has it been performing in Mumbai?
This is my very first time in Mumbai. The audience has been responsive and receptive. I did wonder how everything would turn out. Obviously, even though we speak the same language, English, culturally there are some differences. It’s been a really good surprise.
 
Why a surprise?
Because the audience is not familiar with this kind of an act. There were times during the show when I felt the audience wasn’t sure how to react. They are possibly new to this format, but by the end of the show, I felt they really liked it.
 
What were you thinking about when you stepped out to perform?
I wanted to shake things up a little. If you noticed, when the compere stepped onto the stage, the crowd didn’t really give him a great response. He had to ask for it (laughs). I guess that they are not familiar with stand-up comedy. The swearing and speaking of sex in an open manner must have come as a surprise.
 
Are you saying the audience in Mumbai is reserved?
They are well-behaved, reserved and a tad conservative. I was in Delhi the night before, and the audience there was rowdy and didn’t seem as conservative. The audience in Mumbai looked shocked after a few acts [Particularly when he pulled his pants down and ran around the stage, he says]. They hadn’t seen anything like this before. They didn’t know what they were supposed to do. This could happen in London, too.

Did you feel restricted while performing?
Stand-up comedy is different. The individual expresses his feelings about himself and the world around him in a very immediate way, unlike other forms of entertainment. But I have been slightly on the back foot in Mumbai.

Have you used references to Mumbai sparingly in the act?
Back home I could have been a little more controversial. But here, I don’t want to come across as the English guy who was trying to be nasty about India.
 
The last thing on your mind before you get offstage?
That the act was fine, just fine. Next time I come back, I’ll try to be swaggering and a little more controversial. For my act today, I plan to wear a turban and puzzle people. But I’m not sure if the audience will appreciate it. 

The Comedy Store laugh riot is at Taj Mahal Hotel, Colaba on Sunday, October 11 at 6.30pm.