<div align="justify">He was the ‘fourth funniest person in the world’ in 2015, a title presented to him by Laugh Factory USA, and Nitin Mirani makes one see why. The Dubai-based Indian comedian has performed in over 1500 shows and has earned a reputation of being able to make anyone laugh. <br /> <br />Having performed at ‘The Biere Club’ and ‘Vapour’ recently, Nitin talks to <em>Rajitha Menon</em> about his love for hecklers and the comedy scene in India. <br /><br />What made you decide to take to this field?<br />Many comics were shy kids in the past and I too was one of those. A skinny, pimple-faced boy who had trouble walking up to people and saying ‘hi’ but who could crack a joke anywhere. But I tried my hand at several jobs before deciding to take a leap of faith and getting into this. Comedy is my calling, not my career.<br /><br />And how has it worked out?<br />It has been brilliant. India is becoming a very popular place for international comedians and I have been blessed to have had a very successful stint so far. While performing in Dubai, I had a very mixed audience which has turned me into a ‘glocal’ comedian, something the audience appreciates.<br /><br />How different is the Indian audience from the ones abroad?<br />Every audience is different in terms of how much they can handle. India has been very kind to me though. I want to remind people that it’s good to laugh though there are some idiots who can take offence at jokes too. But my policy is laugh and let laugh. <br /><br />What is your opinion about hecklers?<br />I love hecklers; knowingly or unknowingly, they contribute to the show. It all depends on how you handle it. I do improv comedy and want my shows to be dialogues rather than monologues. If the person is not mean or racist, I don’t shut him down. Sometimes, the heckler is funnier than the comic.<br /><br />Any taboo topics when it comes to jokes?<br />I am still learning and finding what is off limit. Indian comedy as a whole is finding its voice and a lot of people are talking about topics that were considered taboo earlier. For me, I work around the topic. Like I wouldn’t make a rape joke but I will try to address the stupidity of some of the reactions we see to such incidents.<br /><br />Who would you like to perform with?<br />Jim Carrey. He is my idol both in comedy and acting. In fact, I am saving up money so that I can stalk him wherever he goes for something like six months at a stretch. <br /><br />Any funny onstage incidents that weren’t planned?<br />Plenty and those are usually the best parts of the show. Once I was talking about how men find it difficult to remember dates and time periods. I asked a guy sitting in the audience how long he had been married. He was stunned for a moment, thought a bit and said ‘five years’. Immediately his wife sitting next to him almost hit him and snarled ‘six years’, thereby proving my point!</div>
<div align="justify">He was the ‘fourth funniest person in the world’ in 2015, a title presented to him by Laugh Factory USA, and Nitin Mirani makes one see why. The Dubai-based Indian comedian has performed in over 1500 shows and has earned a reputation of being able to make anyone laugh. <br /> <br />Having performed at ‘The Biere Club’ and ‘Vapour’ recently, Nitin talks to <em>Rajitha Menon</em> about his love for hecklers and the comedy scene in India. <br /><br />What made you decide to take to this field?<br />Many comics were shy kids in the past and I too was one of those. A skinny, pimple-faced boy who had trouble walking up to people and saying ‘hi’ but who could crack a joke anywhere. But I tried my hand at several jobs before deciding to take a leap of faith and getting into this. Comedy is my calling, not my career.<br /><br />And how has it worked out?<br />It has been brilliant. India is becoming a very popular place for international comedians and I have been blessed to have had a very successful stint so far. While performing in Dubai, I had a very mixed audience which has turned me into a ‘glocal’ comedian, something the audience appreciates.<br /><br />How different is the Indian audience from the ones abroad?<br />Every audience is different in terms of how much they can handle. India has been very kind to me though. I want to remind people that it’s good to laugh though there are some idiots who can take offence at jokes too. But my policy is laugh and let laugh. <br /><br />What is your opinion about hecklers?<br />I love hecklers; knowingly or unknowingly, they contribute to the show. It all depends on how you handle it. I do improv comedy and want my shows to be dialogues rather than monologues. If the person is not mean or racist, I don’t shut him down. Sometimes, the heckler is funnier than the comic.<br /><br />Any taboo topics when it comes to jokes?<br />I am still learning and finding what is off limit. Indian comedy as a whole is finding its voice and a lot of people are talking about topics that were considered taboo earlier. For me, I work around the topic. Like I wouldn’t make a rape joke but I will try to address the stupidity of some of the reactions we see to such incidents.<br /><br />Who would you like to perform with?<br />Jim Carrey. He is my idol both in comedy and acting. In fact, I am saving up money so that I can stalk him wherever he goes for something like six months at a stretch. <br /><br />Any funny onstage incidents that weren’t planned?<br />Plenty and those are usually the best parts of the show. Once I was talking about how men find it difficult to remember dates and time periods. I asked a guy sitting in the audience how long he had been married. He was stunned for a moment, thought a bit and said ‘five years’. Immediately his wife sitting next to him almost hit him and snarled ‘six years’, thereby proving my point!</div>
