When Nishant Tanwar Made Bhubaneswar Laugh Aloud At His Jokes

When Nishant Tanwar Made Bhubaneswar Laugh Aloud At His Jokes

We absolutely loved his performance in one of the top cafes of Bhubaneswar, Frespresso, at an event organised recently by the talented team of Bhubaneswar Komedians. The way in which Nishant Tanwar, a renowned Indian stand-up comedian, was keeping the audience (including us) at our wit’s end was so commendable that we are still wearing the grin reminiscing his jokes. This guy has just got it all! His sense of timing, the way he keeps the audience hooked, the diverse subjects which he talks on and his ‘fun’ body language, we must say that comedy comes naturally to him.

As the show ended, we were lucky to have an exclusive private chat with the COMEDY MAN himself, and below we have noted all we got from him.

To begin with, did you enjoy the audience of Bhubaneswar?

I greatly enjoyed the audience out here. It’s my third performance in Bhubaneswar and my second time with the Bhubaneswar Komedians team. People and especially the youngsters of Bhubaneswar are definitely fond of good humour.

We know that you were associated with NDTV earlier. From media, how did you get into stand-up?

I never planned to become a full-time comedian, it all just happened. In fact in the beginning, I didn’t even know who Russell Peters was! While I was working with NDTV, one of my colleagues once told me casually to try stand-up since I have been good at pulling people’s legs. It was 2009 and the era of stand-up comedy in India was setting in, so I thought to give it a try. Eventually I went for my first open mic in Delhi and that’s how it all started for me.

Picture Courtesy: YouTube

Now that we know about your journey, tell us which subjects do you like covering through comedy?

There’s no particular subject on which I talk and crack jokes. My humour is generally universal; any and every segment which lets me connect to my audience works best for me!

National and international, you’ve been to and performed in a lot of places. Where did you enjoy performing the most?

Outside India, I loved being in Hanoi where I was the only Indian stand-up comedian to perform. Singapore and many other places abroad were also fun for me. In India, I initially performed in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai and now in nine years, my jokes have traversed to almost every corner of the country.

On and off the stage, how are you as a person?

I am exactly the same! In life, I am just the way as I am on the stage. Being witty, humorous and loving leg pulling define me.

Have you planned your future or will you just go with the flow?

Right now, I am focused and thrilled about my upcoming Amazon Prime show named ‘Jugaad’ which will go LIVE by April this year, and for which I have been touring to many Indian states and cities. Gradually I have plans to get into web series as well.

If not stand-up comedy or open mics, what are you mostly seen doing?

Whenever I am not engaged with anything, I just plug into music. I have got a universal playlist of different singers and genres, and I love listening to them back to back.

Do you think stand-up comedy or comedians are underrated in India?

This is not at all the case. Anyone who thinks or believes so is actually under a misconception! I have been across the globe and I must say that stand-up comedians in our country are in a much better place compared to other regions. The kind of name and fame we have got in India in just a few years is simply not possible anywhere else. The struggle is too hard and real outside.

Getting such huge fan attention and followers, what do you have to say about that?

I welcome every person who comes to me and asks for a picture or an autograph. I never ignore my fans; even if it takes me hours and days to reply to them on social media,I somehow find time to interact with each of them. After all, I know all the popularity I am getting now is short-lived, so I want to cherish every moment with my fans.

Anything you want to suggest to the budding stand-up comedians?

Learn, record yourself and practice from your own mistakes – is my only advice.

In one word, what does stand-up comedy mean to you?

LIFE

Picture Courtesy: The Indian Express

Any stand-up piece you want to do on Odisha?

Yes, I did right after my show began. I wanted to taste the authentic cuisine of this state and the Bhubaneswar Komedians team took me to try something called ‘Pakhala.’ When I asked about the dish, they told me it is rice and water, and I responded with, “That’s how we all prepare rice.”

Feature and Banner Image Courtesy: Just Dial