One funny lady

Radhika Vaz talks about outrage, women and life as a 42-year-old

Radhika Vaz.

Stand up comedian Radhika Vaz is married and has no kids or pets; but she does own two plants that are currently on life support.

She shuttles between Gurgaon, Mumbai and New York and is grateful for friends who house her in these three cities.

Recently in Chennai with her show

Older. Angrier. Hairier , Radhika says she loves all types of comedy and is inspired to be funny by the funny people around her.

Excerpts from an e-mail interview:

What makes you older, angrier and hairier?

Older because I am 42 now — my face and body are about two steps from complete disintegration. Angrier, as every little thing seems to annoy me and I can no longer hold it in. And hairier because, honestly, I am just too tired to groom every surface.

What do you talk about in your act which no other comedian is talking about?

In my show, I talk about how age affects women and about the decision to not have kids. As a writer, I find that coming at something from a personal perspective automatically protects you from being repetitive.

What are the challenges of being a female stand-up comedian in India?

The same challenges any working woman faces in this country.

I only ever get hired if a woman is in charge of hiring or if someone in a decision-making position happened to see my show.

Being a bold, angry woman who takes the stage to make people laugh, you must elicit a lot of outrage. How do you respond to it?

I don’t mind outrage at all; outrage is good. It shows us where the double standards and hypocrisy exist.

I welcome conflict as it is important for creative development and it always pushes me to make my own arguments stronger.

Who are the biggest fans of your shows—men or women?

It’s very mixed; I am still not sure if I have either gender firmly in my grasp! I know a lot of women who enjoy my act because they get that I understand them and that I am speaking from their perspective. I also believe that these ladies have a great sense of humour about themselves.

I say this because I make a lot of fun of us women in my show.

Men love all the secrets I spill about life as a lady.

And then again, I know there are members of both sexes that think I should drop off the face of the earth.

What’s the best compliment you’ve received?

That I made someone think about things from a different perspective.

What’s the worst criticism?

That I look like my dad.