Stand-up comedian Kajol Srinivasan has an epiphany or two about feminism to share in her upcoming new solo show. We catch up with the social media-famous comedian for a sneak peek
Kajol Srinivasan
Does your mother know you talk about sex on stage? — A question some of your favourite YouTubers are possibly facing from authorities as you read this. This uncomfortable query also makes the title of comedian Kajol Srinivasan’s long-running solo show that has toured cities across India in the past two years. This week, she retires it. “The uncertainty and the hassle around performing, promoting and pulling it off all by myself given the current atmosphere is getting out of hand,” she admits. But the comedian has new ideas brewing. This time, she’s wondering if she’s been a feminist all this while, or simply the titular, Freelance Feminist.
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Kajol Srinivasan delivers punchlines at previous shows
The new material is a collection of Srinivasan’s reflections on being a woman and a feminist over the past three decades, she says. The comedian, who was raised in a Bengali-Tamilian family that “didn’t get along too well” recalls, “I grew up under the wing of a working, independent mother, but the patriarchy was still palpable. As a result, my ambitions included becoming a respected neurosurgeon, an astronaut and an ideal wife raising her children at the same time. As of today, all of the boxes remain un-ticked,” she laughs.
It’s quite serendipitous that the show comes a week after actor Sanya Malhotra’s new OTT release has already set the Internet abuzz with opinions and counter opinions on feminism, we nudge Srinivasan. She doesn’t need the reminder — on X (formerly Twitter), the comedian has had her fair share of backlash for applauding the film through humorous tidbits. “The film is not all about cooking or the kitchen. It’s a reminder that the power dynamic in a family is always skewed towards the breadwinner,” she suggests, adding, “I was, in fact, glad to see that for every troll who was up in arms, there were many viewers who got the point, and did some introspection.”
Srinivasan conducts crowd-work at an all-senior citizens event
But penning a viral tweet that burns bright and fades fast, and writing an hour-long solo show that keeps the audience hooked are two different things, the Kandivli-resident agrees. “The process had me dumbfounded, honestly. A solo show unfolds like a story, and that’s a format I’m not used to writing in. Does Your Mother Know You Talk About Sex Onstage, for instance, was not just sex jokes; it was a story that explored society’s hypocrisy around sex. Freelance Feminist is about the compromises many women like me make in our belief systems to fit in. It took a great deal of self-exploration to put it together,” she reveals.
While she calls it a ‘coming-of-age story at an advanced age’ hinting towards the show’s conversations around ageism,
Srinivasan believes the theme of the show will resonate across age groups. “I have performed for urban Gen Z audiences, corporate employees at private shows and even an all-senior citizen group. Age is not really what determines the experience. As long as the audience knows what they’re signing up for, they tend to enjoy themselves and if everything goes well, there are no harsh words exchanged,” she signs off.
ON March 1; 8.30 pm
AT Dorangos, Pali Hill, Bandra West.
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ENTRY Rs 199 onwards
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