Giving laughter a try

Azeem Banatwalla

There is only one acid test for comedians when it comes to a routine they have penned - performing it in front of an audience. They might consider the jokes laugh-out-loud funny when they rehearse it alone, only to be met with yawns at a venue. That's why trial shows are of supreme importance, feels Azeem Banatwalla. The stand-up comedian will perform one of his own tomorrow at a Bandra venue. It's titled Life's Mid Crisis, and is 50 minutes long.

"I have it prepared, but I don't know if it's going to be funny," he tells us, adding, "There are two ways of approaching [trial shows]. One is to try out five-minute bits, and then build upon that. But for me, it's a bit different as I do more thematic shows. So, I try to do it an hour at a time."

This routine is titled the way it is because the name is a play on two things - Banatwalla's own mid-life crisis, and the crisis that the pandemic has brought about for us all, including the comedy circuit. He admits that having half the number of audience members allowed at a venue, now that things are crawling back to normal, means that the room will have half the energy it did before March 2020. But it's still better than performing online, he continues, saying that he's keeping his chin up.

On February 6, 4 pm
At That Comedy Club, Bandra West.
Log on to in.bookmyshow.com
Cost Rs 499