Sibling humour

Niveditha Prakasam

Love them, or hate them, you simply can't do without them. Essentially, you are stuck with your sibling - be it while teaming up against your parents or fighting over who gets to pick what to watch. And so, this Sunday, make plans with your brother, sister or cousin and head to a special sibling edition stand-up comedy night conceptualised by Jeeya Sethi and hosted by Christopher Barreto. The evening will also see performances by Kruti Kattige, Niveditha Prakasam, Raunaq Rajani, Mohd Hussain and Adesh - all of whom have siblings.

Jeeya Sethi with her brothers

Sethi, who has two brothers, says the idea took off last year during Rakshabandhan, and was brought back due to the audience's response. "I have shared a lot of stuff over the years. I'm the second child and have always been told that my elder brother is older so I should respect him, and my younger brother is a baby, and therefore I should look after him. This would drive me up the wall because it meant no one was looking after me," Sethi jokes, explaining the inspiration behind the sketch. She also has plenty of inside jokes that she plans to leverage at the gig.

"These pranks are specific to different sets of siblings," agrees Barreto, who has a brother who is two years younger. "Most of my set draws from the fact that I have a younger brother and how we are placed on either sides of the spectrum - he's a footballer and I'm a stand-up comedian. My material needs to be genuine, so there are also jokes about brotherly rivalry and trying to make adjustments. The most relatable thing when it comes to siblings is the fact that every sibling thinks their parents pay more attention to the other child," the Andheri resident tells us. "Another common thing is how siblings team up against parents - a team of three will be the stronger party," says Sethi.

But just because they have their own pool of memories to dip into for content doesn't mean that they can just wing it. "These are still stories that must be told in a particular way on stage so that all comics, including me, can't go for an improvised-only performance," adds Barreto.

Raunaq Rajani

And as chuckle-worthy as the jokes may seem, the event also carries a somewhat sombre message. "These days, a lot of people only have one child. This is our way of reminding those people of the joy of having siblings," concludes Sethi.

ON: July 14, 7.30 pm
AT: The Integral Space, 1st floor, Senapati Bapat Marg, 14, Janata Estate, Lower Parel.
CALL: 24973138
LOG ON TO: www.insider.in
COST: Rs 300

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