Rejoy Joseph - People Relate More When I Talk About Things That They Too Felt or Did or Imagined (Comedian)

Comedy has become a part of life now and my day seems incomplete if I haven't performed. Comedy hasn't become my career yet cause as of now I'm balancing my corporate job and comedy. But I still believe I have what it takes to make it big. I'm doing my part, let time do its. 

1. How and when did you choose comedy as a career?

I always was that fun-loving kid of the class who mimics & is quirky but never knew something like comedy as a profession existed until when I was in Mumbai for my studies and went to a live recording of On Air with AIB Season 2. It was not a proper stand up show but it still introduced me to the world of comedy. 

After watching AIB live, I realised that being funny on stage is a thing and I too can do that. But I didn't know where to start and what to speak about. Besides, talking in front of an audience & trying to make them laugh didn't sound as easy and comfortable as talking among friends and making them laugh. 

So this fear of "HOW", didn't let me do stand up for another year. Then one day, I was out with my friends to a pub where a stand up gig was going on. Out of the 3 comics who performed, one tanked really bad that day and that gave me the confidence. I was now ready to take that leap of faith. 

I started searching for open mics in the city and started performing once every week for 3-5 minutes. But I knew, this wasn't enough. I kept interacting with other performers after every gig to know about more places to perform. And that's when I came to know about Jeeya Sethi and her comedy classes. 

I had seen her perform once and I had no doubts about enrolling for her classes and now, 2 years down the line I know what a fantastic decision it was. I have understood the craft a lot better, I'm doing shows regularly and learning something new everytime I go up on stage. 

Comedy has become a part of life now and my day seems incomplete if I haven't performed. Comedy hasn't become my career yet cause as of now I'm balancing my corporate job and comedy. But I still believe I have what it takes to make it big. I'm doing my part, let time do its.


2. What type of content do you enjoy producing the most and is the most challenging?

I mostly talk about my experiences. People relate more when I talk about things that they too felt or did or imagined. I also enjoy observational comedy a lot. I was always in awe whenever someone used to do observational comedy cause that always makes you say "Oh my god yes that's bang on. 

I too felt the same, but why didn't I think of it". So I really enjoying doing observational and whenever I write, I look for the relatability. I want people to connect with me through my jokes.

I think comedy in general has become challenging in these times. You never know what joke might offend someone. But yes, political comedy is definitely one genre that's challenging. The reason being, it's difficult to make a politically correct joke and more importantly the stage life of political jokes are not as long as other genres.


3. Do you prefer digital as a medium or do you enjoy doing live gigs more and why?

Digital medium although gives us a larger audience at a time but it can never give the vibe & feel that live gigs give. I would any day prefer being on stage than in front of my laptop cause my corporate job gives me enough time there. Also, performing digitally comes with a lot of challenges. 

From not having a stable connection to noisy audience & hecklers, digital platform has everything to not let a show run smoothly. I was hesitant initially to perform on zoom but then gave up to the trend, but as live shows resumed, I again no longer prefer doing gigs on zoom. It's always good to get an instant reaction for your jokes rather than waiting for the lagging to be over.


4. People, who are interested in taking up stand-up comedy as a profession, do they need a funny bone or they can develop one?

You can develop the craft once you start performing, but you need to have a funny bone. If you feel you are not funny then no one can help you. Writing jokes, performing on stage, finding your voice and attitude, everything can be learnt but no one can teach you how to be funny. 

That has to be in-built. You need to think different from others. You need to know what makes you laugh. And if you feel you have that humour in you, then hit any open mic and keep performing. 

Never be too sad about tanking and specially never be too happy about how hard you killed cause everyday on stage is a new day and a different experience. The same joke might work with some audience and it wont with others. So keep trying and trust your jokes.


5. How stable is being a stand-up comedian as a profession in India? And what is the future of this profession?

It is stable only when you are a ticket seller comic. Although, it's no hidden fact that even the top notch comics have suffered due to pandemic. A lot of open micers ask me how much can one earn from comedy and they have hardly been on stage. 

It amuses me how people think that the moment they start doing comedy money will start pouring in. That's not the case, you need to earn a name for yourself first & have at least a tight 60-70 minutes material only then you can talk about money. The industry is growing rapidly and comedy has reached places where no one even knew about it 7-8 years back. Be funny, find your voice & you can make it into the scene. TBH, I'm still searching for mine. 


6. What impact do you want to make in this world?

That's really a huge question. I haven't really thought about it. In fact all I can think while I go on stage is what impact can I make on my audience today. If my jokes make them laugh, I feel blissful and that's what I want for the rest of my life. And if in this process, I happen to make even a slight impact on the world, then that's just brownie points. 

7. Which is your favourite book and why?

I loved IKIGAI a lot. I am not a voracious reader but that's one book that I don't mind reading again and again. It tells us about the art of doing something, meanwhile enjoying it as well. And that's exactly what I'm doing with comedy.

- Rejoy Joseph 

Instagram @rejoy_joseph 

- Interviewed by - Nishad Kinhikar