Are you ready to rumble? I mean quite literally — shake with laughter in a belly-squeezing, jaw-throbbing, eye-watering way? I know I am.
This weekend, Comedy Central’s 2012’s India’s best Stand-up Comedian-winner Zakir Khan joins Abish Mathew, star of Son of Abish, for a giggle fest at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates. The duo will take the stage in two batches, as part of the finale of this year’s Laugh-A-Thon series, on May 13.
Ahead of their show, the comics talk expectations, conversations and sounding boards in an email interview with Gulf News tabloid!
ABISH MATHEW
Thirty-year-old Mathew, known for original songs, improvs and just generally being funny, has worked with companies such as Weirdass Comedy, The Papa CJ Comedy Company and East India Comedy.
What should people in Dubai expect from your show?
It’s been some time since I have performed stand up in Dubai, so people can expect a tonne of new jokes!
What are you expecting from Dubai?
I’m expecting the same amount of love all of us get every time we come to Dubai.
What is your pet peeve when performing?
Personally, when I am on stage it is like meditating. Most of my pet peeves are never on stage but before and after. I really like meeting people who came for the show and [to] exchange a few words [with them] but unfortunately sometimes that doesn’t happen. Sometimes it is because of an overwhelming response and sometimes a lack of time.
What makes you laugh? What inspires you?
Nothing makes me laugh more than real-life goof-ups, I [aspire] to recreate that moment to an audience the way I felt.
What made you get into stand-up?
If you are an annoying sibling according to your other siblings then this is the path you should follow.
Who is your sounding board?
There’s no better sounding board then the audience themselves. You have to take your jokes to many shows before it becomes perfect bit. That’s where open mics come to the picture.
If you had to invite five people to dinner — dead or alive — who would they be and why?
First of all, I would not invite anyone dead, because it will be really unethical to disturb them from the divine rest. Also, “alive” guests would freak out seeing dead guests.
What have some of the challenges been while breaking into the industry?
You have to be consistent at whatever you do. Joke writing is like a muscle that you have to develop and keep it in shape. I constantly keep writing new jokes just to make sure that I am getting better at that skill. If you keep doing that people will start recognising you and so will the industry. Comedy is less about the industry noticing you and more about the audience noticing you.
What is your motto in life?
You are about you leave behind. Always spend every moment trying to create a legacy for yourself.
ZAKIR KHAN
Funnyman Khan, 29, whose YouTube channel garnered more than 27 million views in less than a year, comes equipped with tales of college and bullying, love and loss, family and singledom.
What should people in Dubai expect from your show?
A hilarious night filled with gobsmacking anecdotes and stories. The stand-up [routine] will have a strong focus on my experiences and relationships and what it means to be single.
What are you expecting from Dubai?
Dubai always goes beyond my expectations. I am expecting a fantastic group of people from different walks of life and I am looking forward to seeing that energy, love and warmth.
What is your pet peeve when performing?
I think it’s more personal than a pet peeve, but even though the hall may be packed with an audience with tonnes of people laughing, my eyes still wander on the 10 people not laughing and it becomes an obsession to try and make them leave with some laughter.
What makes you laugh? What inspires you?
Human behaviour — the small moments that people don’t realise brings me a lot of laughter. I observe [people] a lot. Like the other day in the audience, there was a family of four people and the mother and two daughters laughed at my joke but the father didn’t get it. So it was just so amusing to watch how the daughters were trying to explain the joke to him while trying to watch the rest of the show and seeing the delayed laughter afterwards.
I think people in specific moments inspire me. The other day [cricketer] Virat Kohli had a fantastic interview and I was just in awe [of that]. Besides that a constant source of inspiration for me is my father, because of all the love and appreciation he gives me.
What made you get into stand-up?
I didn’t realise stand up was my calling until a friend in Delhi suggested that I go for an open mic night. But I knew I had a knack for comedy from childhood. I studied at a boys’ school and used to write jokes and keep a stock of stories for a good laugh. It was just about finding the right outlet.
Who is your sounding board?
My friends, especially my roommate, and the audience. Most incidents are from my life, so it’s always my closest friends who I experience these moments with and test out my jokes with.
If you had to invite five people to dinner — dead or alive — who would they be and why?
They would have to be all women. So Mamta Kulkarni, Raveena Tandon, Disha Patani, Deepika Padukone and Mahira Khan would be there at this fabulous dinner. I have a really clear focus as you can see, so I would rather spend the evening with these gorgeous women instead of the greats.
What have some of the challenges been while breaking into the industry?
When I first got into comedy five years ago, the language barrier was a huge challenge. Typically, stand up was reserved for English and TV for Hindi. However, the industry has been very accommodating, and the industry has evolved a lot in the last two years, and it’s all in my favour.
What is your motto in life?
My motto and aim in life is to give my parents everything I possibly can and make them proud and happy.
Don’t miss it!
Abish Mathew and Zakir Khan will perform at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, on May 13 as part of the Laugh-A-Thon series finale. Tickets start at Dh150 for both Mathew (7pm) and Khan (on at 9pm) routines.