Bollywood meets social commentary in a show by the India-based comedy troupe Aisi Taisi Democracy. Guitarist Rahul Ram, from the band Indian Ocean, satirist Sanjay Rajoura, and Bollywood lyricist and writer Varun Grover – best known for Jabra Fan, the title song of the new Shah Rukh Khan drama Fan – are set to bring to Dubai a humorous take on Indian current affairs.
How did the Aisi Taisi Democracy collaboration happen?
aIt was accidental. I saw Sanjay performing in Mumbai and he saw one of my shows in Delhi and it was like love at first gig for us. I’m a snob and don’t really like too many Indian comics at the moment. Sanjay and I have similar concerns about Indian politics and the mindset. We were both doing anti-establishment comedy, looking at the privileged class in India, and it all clicked for us in 2014. We thought we’d experiment by adding a musicial element to our shows and that was when we approached Rahul to be a part of it.
How has your material changed, given the political situation in India?
I don’t think the topics we approach have changed much, because India is that kind of country where the issues remain the same. I was reading a speech by Jawaharlal Nehru that he gave in 1955, and it seemed so contemporary because he was talking about discrimination, caste and religion back then, and all of that still exists now. What has changed is our rapport on stage and how much we can push the envelope with our audience.
Speaking of which, are there any limitations on what you can discuss in India?
So far, we haven’t had issues with the authorities on our content. But we have had backlash from social-media followers, and even people who come to watch us and tell us we shouldn’t be making jokes about certain things. But some comedy troupes have been harassed in the past and so it is a scary time for comics.
What are some of the issues that you will be covering on Friday night?
We have a lot of topical material such as the current issue of chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai [a controversy in which the president of the ruling BJP has called for all Indians to chant the slogan or be labelled anti-national] and how it has become a test for patriotism; the drought situation in certain states and what the state governments are doing about it; and classic issues such as the behaviour of corporate people who live abroad and raise kids with certain dogmas.
• Aisi Taisi Democracy (Hindi and English) will perform at Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, tomorrow at 8pm. Tickets cost from Dh150 at www.ductac.org
aahmed@thenational.ae
