An engineer has turned to comedy, and is among the most talented in Bengaluru doing video sketches during the lockdown.
Puneeth B A, who works as a software engineer, tries to release videos regularly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Over the last three months, his video series ‘Honest Work From Home’ has left many chuckling.
In the show, Puneeth plays a team manager who holds regular video conferences with his team. He is a mix of strict boss and concerned friend, and tries his best to cheer his colleagues with his jokes.
His character listens in to comments by team members Jalaja (‘tell ma!’), Lokesh (whose thinning hairline inspires a jibe — ‘low kesh’) and Bhadresh (who he suspects is ‘abhadresh’ — weak — because of the lockdown).
Puneeth joins a handful of others producing entertaining Bengaluru comedy sketches with a mix of Kannada and English.
In a candid chat with Metrolife, Puneeth talks about what makes him tick.
How did you get interested in acting?
During my childhood, I was a part of a children’s theatre troupe called ‘Bimba’. It was there that I explored my creative interests. I also got to act in children’s films like P Sheshadri’s ‘Tutturi’ and Aarthi’s ‘Mitaayi Mane’.
Did you face any challenges when making the new series?
I am the only person visible on the screen for five to six minutes. As it is a one-shot sketch, I had to prepare myself with what I would be covering, stick on a moustache and then go into shoot mode. The challenge was to keep the content engaging for the entire stretch.
Things to remember when making one-man shows...
The characters need to be highly relatable and believable. Get the nuances right and offer a takeaway.
The experience here...
I had to imagine people who do not exist in real life and talk to them. I had to create the right reaction time. Even a small goof-up could kill the character. A ‘signature laugh’ was my cheat code whenever I forgot my lines.
How many episodes are you planning?
The second season, called ‘Work For Home’, is running currently with three episodes. Any series should end just before the audience starts to get bored.
Have you worked on other one-man shows?
I worked on a series called ‘Unkal’ last year. I did it for almost 21 weeks every Sunday. It was set in middle-class Bengaluru.
In the Bengaluru laughs trade
Other sketch artistes who have been exploring the short video format with a Bengaluru brand of humour are:
*Saad Khan and Shalini Satyanarayan have been doing a series, where Saad plays Shekara, a modern Kannadiga boy living abroad who does video calls with Shalini, his mother.
*Danish Sait plays characters from various social backgrounds. He has created memorable Bengaluru characters such as Ramamurthy-avaru and Bevarsi Kudka. His sketches are sensationally popular.
*‘Aiyyo Shraddha’ is Shraddha Jain, former RJ and now top honcho at a TV channel. She creates sketches in Kannada, Tulu, Hindi and English. Popular sketches include 'Gujri Museum', 'Friendly Suggestion', 'Mask-iri', 'Gruhiniyara Grahachara' and 'Mrs Kulkarni'.
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