Meet the UAE comedian running to be named the Funniest Person in the World
Meet Nitin Mirani – the UAE comedian in the running to be named the Funniest Person in the World.
The Indian funnyman is representing the emirates at the first annual contest, hosted in the USA this week.
After beating off competition from hundreds of comedians from across the globe, the 35-year-old took to the stage at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles on Monday, October 20, performing a five minute routine alongside nine other semi-finalists.
We caught Nitin on the phone as he left the stage, in the early hours of the morning, US west coast time. Ahead was a sleepless night waiting for online votes to roll in, deciding whether he ranks among the five most popular comedians who will make it through to the grand finale, hosted in Las Vegas’s sister Laugh Factory on Friday October 25. He will find out at about 3am UAE time Wednesday.
View the contest and vote for Nitin here [http://www.laughfactory.com/contests/funniest-person-semi-finals/online-voting]
So as we talk, the votes are rolling in, think you’ll make it through to the next round?
I have to – I didn’t get a return ticket. The semi-final was thrilling, the energy was brilliant, and being up there was surreal. There are no words. For someone who started doing comedy in the Middle East when there was no comedy, to make it to Hollywood – it’s just sinking in now. It’s quite a thing.
Where were you when you got the news you had made it into the last ten comedians in the competition?
I was in India with my girlfriend. When we got the email we were all jumping about – we did a whole Bollywood song... for three hours.
How are the Hollywood audiences treating you?
It’s a different world here. The audiences are really good, quite receptive, I’ve been very happy with them. I was pleasantly surprised. When you’ve been doing comedy for nearly ten years, and they ask you to do comedy set of five minutes, and if you do more you get your points cut, you do go a bit crazy trying to squeeze [jokes] in.
The final will take place on United Nations day. Do you think comedy can help bring people together?
It’s quite auspicious that we’ll be onstage on such a special day, spreading laughter, spreading love, through comedy. It really all comes down to that – you’ve got a completely mixed audience [for comedy]. That’s why I love doing comedy in Dubai, because I get the chance to perform to a world audience. Every show that I do in Dubai, it’s like I’m literally performing to the world – a Filipino, sitting next to a Pakistani, next to a Indian, next to a German, next to a English guy...
When did you first fall in love with comedy?
I didn’t fall in love – comedy stalked me.
Right, and when did you get started?
Nine years ago – in a [now closed Dubai] club called Jimmy Dix. It was an accident, I was never meant to go onstage. The opener didn’t show up and my friend who was organising it said “just go up and do five minutes”. The thing is [the host] wanted me to fail badly, so the guy after me would look really good – but I actually did really well, and the next time people came just to watch me.
So, how does it feel to be named one of the ten Funniest People in the World?
Wow – for a comedian to run out of words... it’s something that leaves me speechless. Being an Indian expat, people don’t expect me to be a comedian. It’s just a great feeling, and this is just the beginning. Once I make it, that’s when it begins. It’s world domination next.
