Azeem Banatwalla: ‘When you talk about civic issues with a lens of comedy, it becomes entertaining, engaging and easier to get people aware’

Mumbaikar and comedian Azeem Banatwalla does comedy about many different things but you know it is personal when it is about Mumbai and its civic issues because it is something only we know too well. Every time he has put out a video about the city and its failing infrastructure, the video has gone viral, and he credits that to the relatability factor as everyone in the city feels the same frustration. Beyond Mumbai's bridges, he freely delves into politics, elections and railway station names, and the infamous potholes, and every single time, if you are a Mumbaikar, it will be shared by your friends.

Most recently, it was about the entire Gokhale Bridge fiasco and its misalignment with the Barfiwala flyover by two metres. Within no time, it got over 2.6 million views and counting on Instagram; it is only one of the many videos but a much needed one. Banatwalla's observations and rant about the bridge with his comedic touch and timing went viral in no time. Over time, the Mumbaikar has found his niche in Mumbai and its civic issues, and it is like a breath of fresh air, which is also hard to find in the city with the air pollution these days.

With Mumbai's ongoing civic woes, monsoon and election results almost here, ask Banatwalla what inspires him to talk about Mumbai's civic issues and he says, "I think I've always had a lot of general stuff to say in Mumbai because I spend a lot of my time like in cars, driving to go from my house to my office or a show." However, the Mumbaikar says a large part of his material since 2018 has been about traffic, and just the overall lack of infrastructure in Mumbai. It is evident in his standup special ‘Problems' that he released in 2018. "The first half of the show is pretty much me complaining about Mumbai," he adds. More particularly the Gokhale Bridge, which soon turned into a meme fest online.

Also Read: Monsoon brings surge in dengue cases: Doctors advise caution, early detection

Breaking down of Gokhale Bridge
Over time, Banatwalla has taken the liberty of delving into many issues and with the most recent issue one could easily make out that the Mumbaikar in him was frustrated. Having called the city his home almost his whole life, he shares, "Comedy is all based on observation and what you see around you and most of what I see around me is just roads being shut, construction, inconvenience, not being able to get places. It is a constant anxiety. I have literally started cycling everywhere I go in Bandra because I don't know if the road will exist for me to park my car and that is not an exaggeration."

So it is no surprise that the news about Gokhale Bridge on a lazy Sunday must have made him jump out of his bed and rant about it. "I literally just woke up and my phone had a notification, and it just blew my mind. I thought, 'How is this even possible?" and if it is possible, how is nobody talking about it?" As the internet started to post about it, Banatwalla put his craft to use but not without being a Mumbaikar at heart. If we are not surrounded by the construction of new high-rises, it is the digging and re-digging of roads, and to make it worse the never-ending construction of the metro across the city.

Banatwalla expresses. "Honestly, the reel just came out of a place of pure frustration. Also, I think for me, it is very personal because I grew up in Juhu and without an exaggeration, for most part of my adult life, either one of the Gokhale bridge or the Barfiwala flyover has been shut -- for at least nine years. I have not effectively been able to get from my house to the highway or the airport and it's insanely frustrating for me." Being one of many people who thought it would get done one day, Banatwalla reveals he has reached tipping point. "I have decided I am moving to Goa. When I come to Mumbai and to go and stay at my parents's place in Juhu, the only two bridges that I need are these two bridges and they are not connected," shares the comedian about the irony of Mumbai's development.

Being very personally invested in these two bridges specifically and after the first video got a lot of shares and the authorities put out a clarification, the Mumbaikar was encouraged to put out another video, just to see where it goes. He shares, "The explanations that they are giving is pure comedy gold. I am quite committed to this plan that I said in my last video, which is that the day the two bridges are combined and joined once again, I'm going to organise one dance party on those bridges somehow. We'll see if we can get permission to do it, but this could be like my private 30-minute dance party on the bridge. If politicians can close roads for their purposes, then citizens can close the road to celebrate the bridge being open."

Also Read: Commuting by Mumbai local trains during monsoons? Mumbaikars share fashion, travel hacks

Evolution of his comedy
Being a comedian now for over a decade since he started out in 2012, Banatwalla says his comedy has evolved in many ways, and that is a gradual progression that comes with time. He explains, "There are several factors. As you grow older, you evolve and your thoughts evolve and your problems that you have in life also start changing and your audience also changes, evolves and grows up with you. When I started out, I was a 22-year-old who was writing for other 22 - 25-year-olds but now I am writing for the 30 â€" 50-year-olds and are those who care about bridges and infrastructure."

Beyond his evolution personally, the Mumbaikar says comedy was different all those years ago. "Between 2012 to 2016, it was quite different because there was very little general outside censorship or fear of saying something and getting into trouble for it. So, there was a lot more we used to talk about not just about infrastructure but also about politics and religion. It was less nuanced and we did not know the risks associated with it." So, every time that people bring out his old jokes on the internet, Banatwalla says he has to explain how he was a completely different person back then. "I was a different person 10 years ago, and I was not aware of the context and issues that people will take from it 10 years later. For me, I have realised the sweet spot of how nuanced I have to be while talking about a particular issue or how hard I can go on a particular thing."

Citing his comedy on the BMC and infrastructural issues, the Mumbaikar, who started out with East India Comedy (EIC), says it was such a troubling point of contention for everybody in the city and it was something everybody was talking about and angry about it, so it was easy to go hard and ask for accountability because that is what everybody wanted. "My mom has been a local activist in Juhu with the Juhu citizen's welfare group for over two decades, so I get a little of that from her, seeing her improve our local area." However, he says when it comes to other political subjects, comedians have to often tread more carefully, and everybody is figuring their way around it.

However, doing comedy about Mumbai and politics may often come with brickbats as people often do not take it positively depending on their world view, but Banatwalla has had his fair share of it but that doesn't stop him from talking about things he believes in. So, what role does he think comedy plays in making people aware about civic issues? He shares, "The vast majority of people won't take up these civic issues because they find it boring or difficult to understand. So, when you do it with a lens of comedy, it becomes entertaining and engaging, it is easier to make people aware, even if they are not taking action, comedy spreads a lot of awareness."

Connecting with Mumbaikars
So, how does it keep him abreast with all that is happening? It is simple. Reading the newspaper as his daily ritual, Banatwalla says on continuous days when he isn't able to read it, he simply bing-reads to stay up to date. He adds, "When I started the first rant video, it was just pure my rant, and not about the audience but just me putting it out. When I saw that there were so many people who feel the same way, then I decided to make a follow-up video with more information."

Being somebody who has always enjoyed doing news comedy, and owing to the fact that he has been a journalist in the past, Banatwalla says researching, writing and fact checking comes naturally to him and helps him hone his craft. He explains, "I think everybody has their own voice and it takes a lot of time to find your voice, and once you have found it, then the audience starts to find you. My idea is to largely keep it clean but be informative and the writing doing the heavy lifting. I still think I am more of a writer than a performer."

With everything becoming communal at the drop of a hat today as people unnecessarily stoke the fire of Hindu-Muslim hatred, being a Muslim comedian must be tough, but the Mumbaikar has learned to tune out. He adds, "However, some days you can have bad days and people say certain words and slurs and you will be angry about it, and I actually report it; some days you have to do that. Most times, we learn to ignore it. I won't say it is difficult to say things as a Muslim comedian, but it is about how you say it, and being nuanced and not being stupid about what you say, and the intent. I never do jokes with the intent of hurting or maligning someone but just expressing my opinion."

As he basks in the popularity of his news comedy, Banatwalla says he also found a new audience as there were a lot of new people who started following him and explored more of his work. Even though he is moving states as we speak, the Mumbaikar says he is working on his standup special. "It is called ‘Minor Celebrity' that I did in Mumbai and Bengaluru and will be available for people to watch on YouTube in a pay-per-view," he concludes.