Anyone who has travelled in an auto in Hyderabad will endorse Hamid Kamal’s statement. “Unlike Mumbai and Pune where commuters travel in taxis with ease, the Hyderabadi autowaalahs present a questionnaire to their customers,” points out Hamid Kamal. “They ask: ‘ kidhar jaana hai, kitna sawaari hai? samaan bhi hai kya, sirf chodna hai yaa waapis bhi laana hai …And, after all this, they demand one amount which makes us speechless,” says Hamid Kamal poker-faced. The ace-Hyderabadi comedian is in the hustle-bustle of things as he and his comedy partner Subhani called the ‘Dedh Matwaale’ celebrate 40 years of laughter in Hyderabad.
Hamid and Subhani made a humorous entry when the term ‘stand-up comedy’ was unheard of. Now as the country sees more youngsters entering the fray with their gags, slapstick comedy and punch lines, the two have struck to their brand of asli Hyderabadi humour and make the world laugh with it. “We have always believed in sober and clean comedy. We have never resorted to double meaning or vulgar jokes to attract audiences. We can say with pride that women would be present in more numbers in our shows. Such is our popularity,” states Hamid.
Hamid recalls their first show presented in Ravindra Bharati in 1975. “The tickets were priced Rs. 5 and Rs. 10 and we would try to sell the tickets among our acquaintances. Somehow, the crowd got filled in and it became housefull,” smiles Hamid. Since the day, the group has been presenting a show every Sunday till the year 2000 at Ravindra Bharati! “The high point is that the shows were not free or sponsored. They were all ticketed,” recalls Hamid.
Peppered with Hyderabadi words and oozing Hyderabadi humour, the shows also reflect the happenings in society. “We have always believed in delivering a message but with a pinch of humour. Be it the cricket-crazy nation that we are or youngsters neglecting their studies to have fun… we speak about these topics but in a comic way,” he avers. Their CD Dedh Matwaale Baba depicted a fake baba and how people throng these babas for miracles. “Even educated people visit such babas who take the gullible for a ride. We wanted to highlight the issue,” says the 62-year-old.
Hamid was in Bombay to make a career in the film industry and has contributed to films like Hero Heeralal and Rajkumar Santoshi’s Lajja . He even taught Boman Irani, Ila Arun and Minissha Lamba, the Hyderabadi dialect for the film Well Done Abba . “I could not adjust to the Bombay way of life. People live in small, congested apartments and even make use of balconies like a room with a bed. Here, in Hyderabad, I live in a spacious house. I have travelled to Australia, USA and Canada on my own right as a comedian and that is my identity,” he states.
Now, Hamid plans to create a Youtube channel and upload comedy bits to reach out to the younger generation.
Johnny, the friend
Johnny bhai is the most down-to-earth person one will ever find in the industry. He is a celebrity but has no airs and never forgets his friends. Our association began in the ’80s when we would do stage shows together. We have done shows in Ahmednagar, Sholapur and Nasik. He values friendship so much that he is not charging any fee for the show.
(Dedh Matwale Hamid Kamal and Subhani’s 40th anniversary show is at Ravindra Bharati on October 11. The show also includes a funny act by Johnny Lever)
