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Delhi audiences, arguably, are the most welcoming (and somehow, simultaneously, the most tough ) when it comes to stand-up comics. Following that claim, this month, a couple dozen stand-up comics will test out that claim. Delhi’s September comedy calendar is looking busy, with stand-up shows taking over venues across the city this month.
Whether you’re after a big-name comic, a new set to discover or an excuse to spend an evening laughing at someone else’s problems, there’s plenty on the schedule. From a massive solo by Abhishek Upmanyu to an all-Dalit comedy line-up and a three-comic bill at Hauz Khas, here are the stand-up shows worth knowing about this September.
Toxic | Abhishek Upmanyu Live
If you like your comedy slow, neat and very well attended, start here. Abhishek Upmanyu is bringing his houseful show, 'Toxic', to Delhi yet again. Judging by the interest already registered for the show, half the city appears to have already watched the show, which is listed for Kedarnath Sahni Auditorium, Upmanyu's favourite venue in Delhi.
Some points on the comic himself – Abhishek’s observational comedy is among India’s most widely loved, thanks in part to a delivery so disarmingly simple it almost reads as bland… until, of course, the punch lands. He has a take on just about everything: technology, animals, families, money and love. What’s remarkable is how he keeps returning to these familiar territories, each time with a fresh, unexpected angle.
When: September 26, Saturday, 8pm
Where: Kedarnath Sahni Auditorium
Tickets: Tickets from around ₹1,000
Nearest Metro station: New Delhi Metro Station (Yellow Line / Airport Express) and Delhi Gate Metro Station (Violet Line)
Telling Lies | Aashish Solanki
Aashish Solanki brings 'Telling Lies' to Kamani Auditorium this September, with a set that finds comedy in the everyday chaos of relationships, family and adult life. Solanki's solo set feels like someone narrating their life while slowly realising how ridiculous it all is. He's a former maths teacher, which clearly shows in his structured storytelling. But don't mistake it for anything rigid. The set glides through first love, fatherhood, gym-life delusions and family dynamics.
The solo show moves through subjects including first love, fatherhood, gym-life delusions and family dynamics. Basically, all the things that seemed straightforward until adulthood happened (to him).
When: September 27, Sunday, 4pm
Where: Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg
Tickets: Check booking platform for current prices
Nearest Metro station: Mandi House Metro Station (Blue Line / Violet Line)
Blue Material | An All-Dalit Line-Up Comedy Show
If you want your comedy with a little more bite (and satire), this one is worth catching. Blue Material is a Mumbai-based, Dalit-led, queer-affirmative comedy collective bringing India’s first all-Dalit stand-up comedy line-up to Delhi. The show uses humour to express the absurdities of caste and intersecting forms of oppression, while making it not so serious, too. It is also part of the collective’s YouTube recording tour, so you’ll be part of a filmed performance.
The 90-minute show features multiple comedians whose sets move between the personal and the political. There are two shows on September 13, so you can pick between an afternoon or evening of comedy.
When: September 13, Sunday, 2.30pm and 8pm
Where: Lilanoor Center for Voice and Music, South Extension II
Tickets: From ₹299
Nearest Metro station: AIIMS Metro Station (Yellow Line) and South Ex (Pink Line)
The Trio | Harpriya Bains, Anshu Mor & Neeti Palta
Three comedians, with their three distinct comic styles, all put together on a stage at Hauz Khas. The Trio brings Harpriya Bains, Anshu Mor and Neeti Palta together for an hour-long stand-up show packed with some refreshingly new jokes and relatable observations. We’d say it’s the perfect date-night plan or simply an excuse to spend your Friday laughing. And with three comics on the bill, there’s plenty of room for the evening to keep switching gears. Mind you, these names are often associated with very well-written scripts, too.
When: September 18, Friday, 8.30pm
Where: The Comedy Theatre, Hauz Khas Village
Tickets: From ₹299
Nearest Metro station: Hauz Khas Metro Station (Yellow Line / Magenta Line)
Nishant Suri Live | A Stand-up Comedy Solo Show
If you like your comedy more observational and easy-going, conversational, this one is for you. Nishant’s set does go a little awkward in the middle, but he has hacked the trick to bring it back with clean humour. The comedian brings his solo show to The Comedy Theatre in Hauz Khas, with a set that switches between Hindi and English. Expect a huge crowd, since this is a legendary stage in Delhi for humour. The capital’s run begins on September 13 and continues into October, so there are multiple chances to catch him this month.
When: September 13, Sunday, 6pm
Where: The Comedy Theatre, Hauz Khas Village
Tickets: ₹799
Nearest Metro station: Hauz Khas Metro Station (Yellow Line / Magenta Line)
Practice | Manik Mahna
Manik Mahna is taking his stand-up comedy out for a little practice. After multiple houseful shows and a queue of audience still snaking outside, Mahna is back on stage with one of his most popular sets. Expect anything but dull takes on everyday life, because Mahna is as politically aware as he is laugh-out-loud funny. The comic may be shy about the whole ‘live performance’ business, but think of him as the underdog quietly championed by comedy A-listers. His calling card? A dry, almost offensively blunt but undeniably hilarious style of comedy that’s exactly why he’s so widely loved.
When: September 13, Sunday
Where: The Laugh Store, DLF CyberHub, Gurugram
Tickets: ₹799
Nearest Metro station: Cyber City Metro Station (Rapid Metro)
Kal Ki Chinta Nahi Karta | Ravi Gupta
Ravi Gupta wants you to stop worrying about tomorrow, like he himself does. If not entirely, then for the one and a half hours he’ll be on stage. His latest stand-up special, Kal Ki Chinta Nahi Karta, mines everyday life, office experiences, family and middle-class anxieties for laughter.
Ravi Gupta’s comedy finds the funny in the everyday, from middle-class anxieties and family quirks to the small absurdities of Indian life. And honestly, it does get a bit adult and naughty in the middle, often. So expect desi observational humour, an easygoing Hindi delivery and punchlines that might sneak up on you.
While his first show is in Noida, another is in Gurugram. You can catch either.
When: (first show) September 27, Sunday, multiple slots
Where: The Laugh Casa, Rcube Monad Mall, Noida, and The Laugh Store, DLF CyberHub, Gurugram