'I'm not worried about what I say'

Sorabh Pant is the proud title owner of the most entertaining Twitter user in the country. A part of ‘East India Comedy’, the comic artiste never fails to tickle the funny bones, both on and off stage.

He was recently in the city to perform at the Indiranagar Club for ‘Black Dog Easy Evenings’. He shares some of his interesting performances with Anila Kurian.

What are your thoughts on Bengaluru?

I keep coming back here for various shows and it’s great. I mean, I was stuck in traffic for three and a half hours last time. I’ve realised that Bengaluru traffic is like oxygen, it’s everywhere and there’s no way you can avoid it.

And what do you think about the Bengaluru audience?

I love performing here. The audience is very enthusiastic and they like having fun. Since most of my script is based on political humour, it’s great that people here understand it.

How do you cover up the awkwardness if the audience doesn’t like your jokes?

Well, I have three hours of material ready, so if I see that it’s not working, I try something else. Fortunately, I haven’t faced such a situation yet. It’s probably because I’ve become better at what I do or the audience has become smarter.

With a large number of standup comedians trying to make their mark, how difficult is it to stay original?

Everyone is releasing their performance on social media, so that helps in tracking the originality of content. I guess that’s what makes it unique. I love that there are more people in the field now because I love the competition and it helps push my limits too.

According to you, what makes your performance unique?

I use a lot of political and personal reference in my pieces. I’ve had a lot of people compliment me for that. I’ve learnt that the only thing that can be original is your own story, and I stick to that.

Have you been able to please your family members with your humour?

My wife is just starting to get a sense of humour, so guess that’s something! Thankfully everyone in my family is open to the things I say. However, my parents don’t have my sense of humour. So whenever I write a joke that can be controversial, I run it by them and I’ll change it only if they absolutely don’t like it.

A trend not for posterity...

Man buns — they look like ‘bun maska pav’. You might as well spread some butter and eat it!

What’s something you are embarrassingly proud of?

I have the ability to create songs when I’m bored. I know it’s irritating to people and quite embarrassing. But I embrace it and I’m not worried about what I say at that time.

Something weird you’ve seen in someone’s house...

Kids! They are definitely weird in anyone’s house.

Tell us what the word ‘internet’ means in one sentence.

It’s a platform for people with very little information taking things way too seriously.