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South Indians are not prudes when it comes to comedy, says stand-up comic Kartik Iyer

Karthik Iyer who goes by the name 'Higher Iyer' is a popular stand-up comedian in India.

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There’s a common perception that South India is very conservative and traditional and that the same would apply when it comes to its stand-up comedy and comedians. However, popular Bangalore comedian Kartik Iyer begs to differ.

In a chat with dna, he talks about how stand-up comedy has gained popularity in the south, the AIB controversial roasts and more.

In recent years, stand up comedy has gained more popularity in the south.

Yes, as it has in other parts of the country. I guess the presence of groups in Chennai and Bangalore today, who have taken it up as a mainstream art form performing all most three or four times a week, has definitely fuelled its popularity. The lack of a comedy club per se hasn't stopped these acts from performing. My respect to all of them.

Do you find the audience in the South more prudish?

Honestly, you cannot pick people by region and point out if they are prudish. We are all Indian - we have a natural instinct to be prudish when it suits us. It’s always about the setting. The nature of the gathering decides how people react or how much they are willing to let their guard down. If at all, I find that people in the South are definitely more open-minded about a lot of things. But people generally find a lot of solace sniggering to stuff they can never admit in public amongst a crowd. 

Are there certain topics that are taboo in stand up comedy in India? 

Anything that pisses anyone off, who has the time and clout to make an issue out of it is taboo. 

What do you think about the controversies around the AIB roasts? 

They did what they did and they did it well. They didn't invent the roast. But they went out there and did it in the biggest scale possible. Nobody in India had even had the balls to attempt something like that. The controversies were around people taking offence. There was nothing they did or said that wasn’t even a patch on all the other nonsense that happens legally or in the name of faith in our country. By pulling their content off, they did the right thing. They made their point and they made no enemies.

Do you the audience here is not thick-skinned when it comes to jokes on them?

One cannot generalise. Again, it all depends on the audience and the comedian. Once they make a connection, the content hardly matters. Between content and performance there exists a place called magic. There, everyone is naked.

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