Move over mimicry and comedy skits. It is time to roll on the floor with laughter with a group of young stand-up comedians. Cochin Comedy Project’s (CCP) show ‘Sobha Chirikkunnille?’ (Sobha, aren’t you laughing?), a live ticketed show, is one of the performances that is going places.
Malayalam has perhaps one of the oldest, traditional versions of stand-up comedy in any language, Chakyarkoothu. The performer had the right to make fun of every person in the audience and neither King nor priest was spared. However, even as many forms of parody flourished in Kerala, the modern version of stand-up comedy never really caught on, as in metros such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru. But, over the last two years, the genre has found many practitioners and takers.
While CCP, a collective of stand-up comedians, has a lot of shows lined up, the popularity of stand-up is mainly on account of two television shows, Funs Upon a Time on Amrita TV and Oru Chiri Iru Chiri Bumper Chiri on Mazhavil Manorama. People across age groups are making a beeline to do stand-up in these shows. In fact, members of CCP too have performed in these shows before they became part of the collective.
