Make a career for laughs

Russel Peters, Vir Das, Cyrus Broacha are a few names you may have heard when it comes to stand up comedy. However, today there are a number of young, funny and enterprising people who are making a career out of making people laugh. So if you have a single funny bone in your body, it’s worth considering comedy as a lucrative career  choice that will not only make other people laugh, but will also make you very happy and rich.

Why a career option?
The need stems from the fact that today people do not get as easily entertained as they used to. Also with the dominance of comedy shows on television and the arrival of the comedy store in Mumbai, being a professional comedian looks like a promising career choice. 

Skill set
Comedians need to be creative and imaginative, patient, motivated and self-disciplined. Not to mention funny! You should enjoy making people laugh, have a quick wit, and be able to come up with jokes and funny comments on the spot. Comedians need to be good story tellers.

You also need to have the confidence to pursue dreams even in the face of rejection. Comedians should be interested in all aspects of the business, including professional meetings, working with other comedians and producers etc.

Daily mantra
A typical day for a comedian will involve reviewing material, rejecting some old bits and developing new bits and performing for audiences.

Some days the audience will be receptive, but other days the audience will be harder to get laughing. A comedian will spend some of each day looking for new ideas, and looking for that big break.

Learning the skills
There are no specific courses for comedy but students who want to pursue it as their career should do something extra to enhance their skills. A course in acting (see box) will bring you an edge over others and will make you a complete artist.

Career prospects
Amateur comedians generally start as freelancers in parks, parties, etc. As they grow in their profession, they can apply for a job in clubs, restaurants and even TV channels.

These days TV channels are all loaded with comedy shows, reality shows, romantic comedy soaps, etc. A comedian can also work as a comic writer for newspapers, magazines and TV networks or host your own performance once established.
You may take your talents to acting, motivational speaking after a few years of performing.

Money matters
Being in the creative domain the remuneration you get may vary drastically depending on your skills and ability to get yourself good deals.

You may have to work for a poor pay initially, however, once established you can expect a handsome pay cheque as a writer, up to Rs80,000 or more per episode on television and a salary of more than Rs50,000 per month as a performer on stage or at clubs and restaurants.