The only way to survive India, as a tourist or even as a resident, is to have a sense of humour. As soon as you start seeing the funny side of things, this country will pull out all the stops to put on the most entertaining show in the world. It has religion spilling out of its ears, political incorrectness pouring out its mouth, and a superior brand of faith that adds a twinkle to 1.3 billion pairs of eyes. It is wedged awkwardly between the ghost of India past and the ghost of an India yet to come. And it’s this gauche state of being, this tottering on a precarious perch, of an entire nation that inspires the stand-up comic trio of Varun Grover, Rahul Ram and Sanjay Rajoura to create their show Aisi Taisi Democracy.Call it musical comedy, political satire, or simply a stand-up act, Aisi Taisi Democracy or ATD is an attempt to shine light on the idiosyncrasies of India and Indians. A two-hour long performance by Varun Grover, lyricist and writer on such movies as “Masaan” and “Gangs of Wasseypur”; Rahul Ram, bassist and vocalist with one of the country’s best loved bands, Indian Ocean; and stand-up comic Sanjay Rajoura, intends to shake the ennui out of its audiences by raking up issues such as police bullying, religious sentimentality, political hyperbole, and dysfunctional systems in the largest democracy in the world.The act is interspersed with satirical songs by Ram, whose singing voice tends to reverberate in your head and your heart long after you’ve heard it. The three artists encountered each other through various work projects and realizing they had similar views on the state of affairs in the country – which off late have been supplying much fodder for criticism – decided to get together to write this act.Aisi Taisi Democracy will travel across India to perform in Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi, in September 7-10, 2015. Mumbai-based comedian Kamal Trilok Singh will open for ATD on this tour.A Q&A with Aisi Taisi Democracy:Do you feel our country and people as a whole lack a sense of humor, taking into account the comedy in our mainstream films, TV, reaction to art, the recent AIB Bollywood Roast, and the sense of outrage that is always simmering just under the surface?Varun: Not at all. I think we have a great sense of humor and things will only improve as more and more people discover stand-up comedy and realize that stand-up comedians mean no harm – they are just making fun of things that amuse them. The reaction to AIB etc was by just a handful of goons who are in the ‘outrage industry’ for making money or getting cheap publicity from our gullible media. Had AIB been disliked by the majority, it wouldn’t have become such a huge hit that pirated DVDs of the show are being sold on the streets in many Indian cities.Rahul: Indians have a great sense of humor and we joke and laugh a lot. However, there are a lot of taboo subjects that people don’t really joke about, for instance about families (jokes about wives are historically an exception). However of late, a certain intolerance about various things has manifested itself in our society... people get upset or outraged by films, books, cultural references etc and then call for bans, attack theatres and offices. Political issues raise hackles very quickly. With ATD, we hope to make our audiences laugh with us about the various absurdities in our society.Sanjay: We have a great sense of humor when it comes to others, but are not the best people to take a joke on ourselves, and over the years we have just become more and more intolerant. Now we define ourselves by the things that offend us. Whether or not the AIB Roast was funny or not is a matter of individual taste. Don’t like it, don’t watch it, don’t share it. But it was nobody’s business to hound AIB the way they were hounded over this.How would you categorise your act? Only a stand-up comedy act or does it follow in any old traditions since it involves storytelling and music?Varun: It’s a mix of good ol’ stand-up, music, and stories from around us. The novelty is that these three things flow smoothly into each other and the songs are woven into the narrative. Also, there’s a lot of impromptu conversation among the three of us on stage.Rahul: So many old traditions exist... Haasya Kavita, the spinning of impromptu stories, making up new lyrics to existing folk songs etc. We are a continuation of a whole set of traditions. Stand-up as a separate concept may be relatively new to India, but comics are not. Yes the songs plus stand-up adds an additional dimension to the show, which gives ATD its unique flavour.Sanjay: ATD is a socio-political satire, where we use music as a vehicle to further drive home a point. The show itself is delivered in a very informal, unstructured way where we try to come off as three guys sharing their views. There is a lot of talking amongst ourselves while we deliver our piece to the audience.Rahul Ram’s songs add a new dimension to this stand-up act. Whose idea was it to add music to the performance? Who has penned the lyrics to these songs?Varun: I suggested to Sanjay that we should have a musical element to the show. Initially it was only Sanjay and I who wanted to do this kind of a show. Sanjay knew Rahul for a few years and they both liked each other’s ‘voice’. Rahul agreed to do this the moment Sanjay asked. Lyrics have come from all permutations and combinations possible amongst the three of us.Rahul: Sanjay and I had spoken years ago about adding songs to his act, but we didn’t take it forward. Then he asked me last May, saying Varun and he are doing an act called Aisi Taisi Democracy, and whether I would like to join them. So I did, since I love their work and respect their worldview. Most of the lyrics are written by Varun and Sanjay, but we all discuss, modify and adapt everything, even the delivery.Sanjay: Varun and I were frustrated with the whole comedy scene and wanted to bring a change by introducing comedy that takes on relevant issues. Rahul, Varun and I respect each other’s political views and opinions, so we really wanted to do something together. We approached Rahul and he brought his unique flavor to the proceedings.What factors inspired you to put together this political satire act now, not earlier or later?Varun: Mostly coincidence. I saw Sanjay perform in Mumbai in 2013 and he saw me in Delhi later that year, and we agreed we should perform together. Also, as stand-up comedy is getting acceptance in the country, more spaces for such shows are popping up.Rahul: It was an idea waiting to happen that just coalesced at the right moment. It was summer, and I was much freer than I am during the winter, so I was willing to give this my time and effort.Sanjay: I find most of the comedy out there unfunny. To me comedy makes maximum impact when its hardhitting. You must question your own thoughts and beliefs while you are laughing and having a good time. I realised that Varun and Rahul are similar people as well, so we all got together and decided to form ATD.Do you have plans of taking this concept further? I believe you performed a few times in Delhi and at the SAARC meet last year? Have you changed the material for these upcoming performances?Varun: I don’t really know where ‘further’ is. If you mean bigger or diverse venues, yes of course. Smaller towns all over India? Of course. For the second season, we have at least 60-70 per cent new material and it keeps evolving anyway with each show. Rahul: Constant change is the mantra. And the beautiful thing is, our politicians and our reality give us new material every day! Almost 80 per cent of the content we have planned for our upcoming tour is brand new.Sanjay: Definitely, we believe that our brand of comedy is something that the country needs, and the whole premise is that we keep talking about socially and politically relevant things. We intend to keep modifying our material so that the audiences have something to look forward each time they see us. That is the plan for our upcoming tour this September as well.What are the different issues that ATD intends to touch through these performances?Varun: The only issue is stupidity. How stupid we are as a country, as a people, and as a race. How we are unique, frustratingly hilarious, and severely flawed as a nation – and how we are obviously happy to laugh at these things.Rahul: Censorship, political promises, cleanliness, false intellectuals, the cult of the family in India, corporate bullshit. And so much more!Sanjay: Some of the topics we like to talk about or question are the ethos and values that have been shoved down our throats for ages. Also, we love discussing the politics of the choices we make and the hypocrisy of modern lifestyles in India. Is the show entirely in Hindi? Do you feel it might find an audience beyond the urban cities?Varun: The show is roughly 70 per cent Hindi but all three of us are comfortable switching to English on demand.Rahul: Mixed Hindi and English. Of course it has an audience outside the metros... I wish we could take it to the Narmada valley...Sanjay: The show isn’t completely in Hindi and it doesn’t have an English bias like most stand-up in urban cities usually does. It’s a happy mix, which we can always alter on the fly. Because we talk about issues that affect everybody in the country whether you live in Bombay or Gaya. We definitely believe that the show can reach out to a wide audience.What are your views on the state of stand-up comedy in India? Do you think it’s catching on?Varun: I think the state of comedy is great in India currently, and it’s catching on very fast. Lots of diversity in styles and stories – and it’s reaching smaller centres too. In fact one of the biggest contributions of AIB Roast was that it took stand-up comedy to WhatsApp forwards and now everybody in India knows (at some level) what stand-up comedy is.Rahul: Evolving rapidly, but a long way to go as yet. Too much English, too many regional jokes, gaalis (abuses) substituting for substance... but lots of hope!Sanjay: It is a great time for comedy in India, with the format itself catching on and audiences being open to this form of entertainment. The quality of the comedy itself doesn’t impress me much. I find a lot of the comedy seriously unimpressive. We still have miles to go before we create a scene of some value. But things are definitely looking up and we just need to keep at it. Comedy does have the ability to start a conversation that might otherwise never be started.Aisi Taisi Democracy Tour Details:City: Bangalore/ Date: September 7/ Venue: Alliance Francaise/ Opening act: Kamal Trilok Singh/ Tickets: www.bookmyshow.comCity: Kolkata/ Date: September 8/ Venue: GD Birla Sabhaghar/ Opening act: Kamal Trilok Singh/ Tickets: www.bookmyshow.comCity: Mumbai/ Date: September 9/ Venue: St Andrews Auditorium/ Opening act: Kamal Trilok Singh/ Tickets: www.bookmyshow.comCity: New Delhi/ Date: September 10/ Venue: Kamani Auditorium/ Opening act: Kamal Trilok Singh/ Tickets: www.bookmyshow.comTeaser Video: Follow @ARTINFOIndia
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