India's got comic talent, and you can see it in Dubai

Saeed Saeed talks to the stand-up comedians bringing their particular brand of desi humour to Dubai this weekend with a one-off Laughter Factory show.

The comedian Sorabh Pant says he's trying to move away from stereotypical jokes that tend to target specific Indian communities. Courtesy Laughter Factory

A small but determined group of funny people is working hard to make sure Bollywood is not the sole source of entertainment coming from Mumbai anymore.

They want people laughing at their jokes, too.

While India has already hosted tours by leading comics from the US, including Wayne Brady and Rob Schneider, the country's own stand-up comedians are starting to make a name for themselves, too.

When Schneider – a Saturday Night Live veteran and the star of several broad American comedies – visited Mumbai last year, he was so impressed by what he saw that he called for an impromptu meeting with some of the city's best talent at the end of his five-city tour.

"Schneider told me he wanted to sit down with a bunch of us and talk comedy," says Sorabh Pant.

"About 15 to 20 of us came and he sat there chatting to us about his experience and his work in television. He was absolutely fantastic and encouraged all of us."

Pant, along with Ashish Shakya and Neville Shah, will perform in Direct from Mumbai, a special one-off showcase of Indian comedy in Dubai on Thursday night.

The trio represents the first generation of professional Indian stand-up comedians in a small industry that started less than five years ago, and which is limited to India's biggest cities. "There is Bombay [Mumbai], New Delhi and Bangalore," Pant says. "Everywhere else, they're still trying to figure out what this is all about."

The situation has often resulted in a series of awkward early gigs.

"In the big cities, they know what your requirements are, but not in the out-of-the way places," Pant says. "Over there, they say: 'Listen, we don't have any spotlights here and we don't have a stage, so go from table to table and do your comedy for these people'."

Those experiences form the basis of Pant's early material, which poked fun at several Indian communities. "Before, it was more like, the Gujaratis are like this and the Punjabis are like that," he recalls. "But I want to keep it a little more generic so it can appeal to everyone."

Shah, who is making his UAE debut with Shakya, is still figuring out how "local" to make his set.

"I know Dubai is like a 'Little India'," he says. "That said, I'm a bit scared about how 'Indian' I can really get, as some of the Indians in the audience might not get all the jokes."

If the material gets a little too obscure, Shah - who is known for his sly observations – says he will rely on that old comic chestnut: relationships. "The topic, like marriage and politics, is funny all over the world," he says. "It depends on how you spin the stereotypes."

Or how you mix them.

Shah describes Indian stand-up comedy as a "weird" amalgam of American and British stylings.

"British comics are very poker-faced on stage," he says. "They are not in your face but subtle. Their humour is self-deprecating, while American comedy is social commentary with a lot of energy.

"Indians have the performance style of the Americans but the material of the British – it is a strange place to be, I think."

For Ashish Shakya, it was the thrill of the stage that made him sign up for an open mic night three years ago.

At the time, he was already a successful humour columnist for the daily national newspaper The Hindustan Times and a script writer for CNN-IBN's late-night talk show The Week that Wasn't.

Shakya, who still holds both jobs, says he views the stage as "a natural extension of his writing talent".

"The idea of doing two minutes on stage seemed like fun but, in reality, it became extremely terrifying," he admits. "I just didn't want to wet myself – that was the goal."

An established name in homes all over India, Shakya believes Indians are interested in comedy because it offers what theatre and the written word cannot.

"If you are doing a play, you are performing to the same script, whether people like it or not. And if I write an article, I will have to wait for feedback, for someone to say something about it," he says.

"Stand-up, apart from improvisation,is the only art form where you can change the material depending on the audience's reaction. It is very gratifying to have people respond immediately to what you are saying."

And if the material bombs, well, don't worry, says Shah, because there is plenty more to bring to the stage, especially comments on life in Mumbai.

"It is a very crowded city and there is this constant talking, this babel," he explains. "For example, the crowds in the trains think nothing about entertaining themselves by making passing remarks about people. I know it's wrong but the city somehow just sets you up to be funny."

Catch the Laughter Factory's Direct from Mumbai tomorrow at Al Thuraya Ballroom, Grand Millennium, Tecom, in Dubai. The show starts at 9pm and tickets cost Dh95. For more information, visit www.timeouttickets.com