“As a student in BITS Pilani for four years, I did about 50 comedy mimes. After graduating, our group of friends went in different directions and I didn’t perform mimes any more,” recalls Praveen Kumar. “But, I always wanted to do something related to comedy,” he adds, “and so I got married.”
Be ready for more such quips at Praveen’s stand up comedy show Mr Family Man. The 85-minute performance has an opening act followed by non-stop laugh riot, promises Praveen. “The show was launched last November and so far I have performed it in Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Coimbatore and Tiruchi and I am coming to Madurai for the first time. The second round of shows will be at Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and Hong Kong.”
Written in both Tamil and English, the show is about how a ‘family man’ is also a superhero like Batman or Superman. “Especially because of the challenges he faces everyday, from the kind of responsibilities he manages to the relationships he maintains with not just friends and relatives but also with the driver, plumber or the carpenter. So it’s basically a comical take on his daily struggles,” says the 37-year-old family man. “Much of it is from my personal experience. For instance, I will talk about what I did when a rat entered our kitchen or what happened when I took my wife for shopping. That will make it relatable to everyone.”
A Kanchipuram boy, now based in Bengaluru, Praveen has been a stand up comedian for nearly 10 years now. “I make sure that my shows are clean comedies. Adult jokes don’t excite me any more. And since I want families to enjoy my shows, I steer clear of anything that can embarrass parents and children in each other’s company,” he says.
Organised by Evam and Eight-O-Eight, the show will be in Tamil, on February 10, 6 pm at JC Residency, Chinna Chokkikulam. For tickets, visit comedianpraveen.com or call 7373000034
