The Canadian comedian tells Ankit Ajmera that the actor has achieved superstardom simply by virtue of her ‘pretty’ face
He is a renowned comedian and keeps audiences world over engrossed with his wry humour. No wonder Russell Peters has been nominated for four Gemini Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Emmys).
Russell is coming back to India to perform live on his 20th anniversary tour after a year. Russell believes that everyone cannot perform comedy. “You are either born with it or you are not. You can’t learn it. Comedy comes naturally to me and is inspired by my real life experiences,” he says.
Russell’s shows often are a spoof on South Asians and their culture. What does he find so peculiar about them? He says, “When I hear them speak English with an Indian accent, I cannot help laughing. I laugh at it probably because I don’t have it.”
Poverty is another thing that Russell doesn’t like about India. “I hope you guys could do something about it,” he says.
However, Russell loves Indian food and his relatives who live in West Bengal. Does Russell also like Bollywood films? “I wouldn’t watch a Bollywood film even if I am at the lowest point of my life. These films have horrible stories and terrible acting. I don’t know why your films have singing or dancing every other minute. Either you are telling a story or you are not. Aishwarya Rai is the biggest example. She has proved it time and again how bad acting can do wonders. In Bollywood people can become superstars just by having a pretty face,” he says.
However, Russell is very fond of Hollywood actors such as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro even though their recent film Righteous Kill has flopped.
Russell has a big fan following in India. Would he do a TV show here? “I am not quite sure if the money will be good enough. India has a population of 1.2 billion people. You can find somebody to do a comedy show for you. I won’t do it as I am quite content with what I am already doing,” he says.
Russell will perform in Kolkata (October 23), Mumbai (October 27) and Delhi (October 29) respectively.
a_ankit@dnaindia.net
