Shankar Chugani - Once You Establish Yourself and Build a Following, You Can Have a Stable Income From Stand-up Comedy (Standup Comedian)

I definitely enjoy live gigs more because the energy you feel from a live audience is unmatched. 

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

I grew up watching a lot of funny shows and listening to comedians like Johnny Lever. When I got to college, I started watching comedy specials. During my time working in tech support, I discovered stand-up comedy on a massive scale and began writing my own thoughts and ideas. 

About 12 years ago, I decided to pursue stand-up comedy seriously. I didn't know if I could do it, but I started watching one special after another and made an Excel sheet of them. That Excel sheet is now quite extensive.

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

I generally enjoy live stand-up the most and love putting out clips from my live performances. The most challenging aspect is that it takes six to eight months to refine a joke. 

The more you perform in front of a live audience, the better the joke becomes. Once a joke is polished, you have to start working on new material again, which takes time. This process is both what I enjoy most and what I find most challenging.

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

I definitely enjoy live gigs more because the energy you feel from a live audience is unmatched. No matter how much people like and share my work online, it doesn't come close to the sensation of performing live and feeling that immediate connection with the audience.

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

There are comedians who are naturally funny from an early age, and then there are those who work hard to become funnier over time. Everyone has a sense of humor; some just focus more on developing it. If someone wants to pursue comedy professionally, they can work on their humor and improve by understanding what makes them laugh and translating that into their performances. Both natural talent and hard work are important.

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

Initially, it's not very stable because you don't get paid much and often struggle to get gigs. However, once you establish yourself and build a following, you can have a stable income from stand-up comedy. The future of the profession in India is promising, with more comedians doing live shows and expanding their reach across the country and beyond. I hope to see the industry grow and thrive.

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

I don't aim to make a large-scale impact on the world. Instead, I focus on leaving a significant impact on the live audiences I perform for, making them laugh as hard as possible. My goal is to reach and entertain as many people as I can.

7. Which is your favorite book and why?

That's an interesting question. I haven't been reading regularly for a while, but if I had to choose one favorite book, it would be "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. It really moved me and is one of the best things I've read.

Bio:

This is Shankar Chugani. He is a stand up comedian and has more then 20k followers on Instagram.

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Interviewed by - Ashmeet Kaur

Edited by- Arunangshu Chatterjee