Three's comedy in Bandra

Stand-up comedian Naveen Richard says he owes his success to flatmates Kanan Gill and Kenny Sebastian, and Mr Bean

Mr Bean

What do stand-up comedians do in order to make people laugh is a thought that often crosses the mind. Though stand-up has caught on in the city, it is not easy to drum up one-liners overnight. Naveen Richard - a successful stand-up, theatre artiste and YouTube sensation - will share secrets behind his exploits ahead of an Open Mic session tonight.

L-R: Kananâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Gill,âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Naveen Richard and Kenny Sebastian

Richard grew up watching the antics of Mr Bean - a witty television and film character portrayed by Rowan Atkinson. "I watched him during my school days, and I started acting like him in real life. People would call me Bean. As I grew older, I still continued to make those faces but had a few lines to add," recalls the 26-year-old Richard who rose to prominence with the web series, Star Boyz and Better Life Foundation (BLF).

Naveen Richards

Richard is part of fellow comics Kenny Sebastian and Kanan Gill's family - they share an apartment in Bandra. He also owes a piece of his recognition to them. "A lot of comedians prefer not to live together because all you do is talk about comedy. Although we also discuss other subjects; it doesn't take long before someone breaks into an improv. Since we knew each other from Bengaluru, we share a good rapport. If you are surrounded by people who are more talented than you, you tend to push yourself harder," he reasons.

Richard believes that it was Kenny who started the Indie stand-up revolution in 2014 through a video clip from one of his gigs. His performance poked fun at singers trying to fake voices to stereotypical lyrics in Bollywood songs. "His was one of the first videos to touch a million. It opened the gates for stand-up consumption online. Even Kanan (Pretentious Movie Reviews) made everyone believe that fame could be achieved online, which in turn, boosted live shows," he adds.

Time: 8 pm
At: The Cuckoo Club, 5AA, Pali Hill Road, Next to Candies, Bandra (W)
Call: 9619962969
Entry: Rs 300

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