Looking left and right

The online playing field is a whole new ball game for stand-up comedians, and ahead of the first one-hour virtual show he will perform this weekend, Azeem Banatwalla explains why.

Banatwalla tells us that the maximum disruptions he would face at a physical event would be people talking to each other or someone's phone starting to ring. "However, online, someone can walk into the listener's room and start talking; a pressure cooker can suddenly start whistling; or the sound of azan can start filtering in through the windows. So, it's an entirely different world of distractions we have to deal with," says the founder of comedy group East India Company.

Banatwalla adds that the show itself - titled Between the Lines - takes no prisoners when it comes to trolls on both sides of the political spectrum, left or right.

He says, "A lot of comedy right now focuses on the right wing and cracks jokes about that. But I also wanted to talk about the role that the ultra-left plays." So, keep all prejudices aside when you log on for the online show. But while at it, do remember to take the pressure cooker off the hob.

On June 20, 8 pm
Log on to insider.in
Cost Rs 399

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