“What do Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have in common? No Chief Minister, of course. I relate to you guys!” exclaimed Sorabh Pant amid a riot of laughter. Performing at SoCo — South of Comedy last weekend, the comedian regaled the audience with his latest show, Born on Mars, a compilation of ridiculous stories that are almost unbelievable and possibly, out of this world.
The comedian, who first premièred with his solo Pant on Fire in 2009, has steadily evolved as a stand-up comedian and writer. His latest show, Born on Mars, has been a work in making for over 11 years and drifts away from the political topics and pop culture references that he usually addresses. Sorabh elaborated, “I have always focussed on issue-based shows, in contrast, this show is a lighter set which is based on my life. Although I am talking about travel and weight loss, my family and kids form the core of the narrative.” Teetering between weird and funny experiences through life, the show also covered the various hats the comedian has donned, including being a writer for Hindi television serials.
Working on multiple projects at the same time, Sorabh is currently juggling between his two shows, Born on Mars and Making Money for my Kids while engaging in Sorabh Reviews Anything, a humorous critique on movies, shows and games. Talking about how comedy has changed in the last decade, Sorabh is quick to note that comedians have now become more motivated while diversifying into various avenues like podcasts and television shows. He is also the author of three books, the most recent being Pawan: The Flying Accountant which hit the shelves in 2017. Elaborating on the difference between humour in books and in stand-up comedy, Sorabh speculated that while his books are more character-driven, his shows tend to borrow from trending issues and have a central storyline.
The founder of East India Comedy in 2012, Sorabh feels that the group was founded when Indian comedy was still in its nascent stages and required the community to be there for each other; it has now grown into a tight-knit fraternity. Speaking about his journey as a comedian, the writer recalled how initially he would call out members of the crowd if they did not react to his jokes. Now, the comedian feels he has understood that everyone’s reaction does not need to be the same, “I have developed self-confidence in my art and I focus on ensuring that every show serves a purpose. Right now, I want to create fun and happy content while figuring out my next book.”
