Like comedy, offense is also subjective: Varun Thakur

Varun Thakur has been a stand-up comedian for several years. During this time, he’s got the chance to entertain people in the capital many times as well. The co-founder of comedy group Schitzengiggles, who is performing again in the city today, says it is always special to be on the Delhi stage. “The audience is quite smart. They are involved and loud, and when they like a joke, they make sure they let you know it!” he laughs. Over to the funny guy...

Are there going to be a lot of Delhi v/s Mumbai jokes in your set today?

Not really, I think comedy has evolved a lot. There will be a couple of jokes about things that I have observed. I have a lot of friends and family members in Delhi as well and I keep going there quite often. I make a lot of fun of Mumbai, though. It’s fun to go to the capital and tell them about all the stupid stuff that goes on here. More than that, I like to tell stories about my life, things I have seen or happened to me. Comedy is very subjective. I don’t like to analyse it too much. I just try out a bunch of stuff on stage and figure out what is the most fun I have performing. I enjoy anecdotal comedy because that’s where my career began. I would tell my friends and family stories about what happened and they would laugh. Now when I look back, I think that was the foundation of my storytelling style of comedy.

While a lot of avenues have now opened up for stand-up comedy, people tend to get offended quite easily as well. How do you ensure you don’t hurt anyone’s sensibilities?  

Like comedy, offense is also subjective. Somebody might get offended by a joke on religion, while another might not like one on their city. I had once cracked a joke about chemists and some people who were studying Pharmacy had left angry comments on social media about it! There is no end to this. What’s important is to keep doing what you believe in. A comedian doesn’t crack a joke with malicious intent or to rile up a certain section. If you don’t like a joke, just say so, but respect the fact that I can say what I want to and I will respect what you want to say. People are so angry, annoyed and irritated that they forget to just sit back and have fun.  

Your web series, Shaitaan Haveli, has got a positive response from the audience. Tell us a bit about the idea behind it.

Apart from stand-up, I also act. I have done bit roles in independent films. With Shaitaan... I was not only acting but was also the creator of the show. It was an idea I had when I was 15. Over the years, I kept developing it. I wanted to make a film and was heavily inspired by Ramsay Brothers. I want to put out content which nobody else is doing and I feel horror-comedy is one such genre. I tried peddling the idea to a lot of people, but there were no takers. I shared the idea with people at Amazon, who really liked it. We developed it into an eight-part web series. If you watch the show, you will realise how geeky we were about Ramsays. We have followed their style of shooting. We shot the series in 23 days! 

What’s next for you? 

I’ve been touring a lot of international destinations. I did a North America tour and sold more than 5,000 tickets. I also went to Dubai, Kenya and I will be heading to Nigeria, Australia and maybe the Middle East. Simultaneously, I keep brainstorming on show ideas that I keep pitching to others. I audition for movies as well. Hopefully, somebody will cast me someday! 

Varun Thakur will perform today at 7.30 pm at Siri Fort Auditorium.