Young, wild and free

Raunaq Rajani

After a long while, Christopher Baretto realised he was the funny guy in his group. And even though the idea to pursue comedy as a career seemed daunting at first, as it would for any 20-year-old, he eventually marked his spot in the city's comedy circuit. After starting a YouTube channel, he was encouraged by his professor in college to give his material a try at live shows in Mumbai.

But it is difficult for young comedians to navigate through the cut-throat competition in the industry. "Generally, when you go for a typical stand-up show, you don't know what the comedians will talk about unless you follow comedy and know the style of that specific comedian," he explains.

This Wednesday, Baretto, along with seven other comedians, all 20-ish, will be performing comedy that highlights the struggles of living through your 20s - missing school, college life, falling in love, making it into the corporate world, all of it. The theme, comedian Raunaq Rajani feels, is unique from other shows as it caters to the younger audience but also allows the older members to relive their memories. "This show isn't opinion-based, but rather it talks of human experience. As young comedians, this is the content that essentially talks of what we do every day," he says.

Christopher Baretto

For Rajani, 23, who prefers writing comedy that is inspired by real experiences, the theme offers a refreshing take. "Unlike mass comedy content that is being generated online, here, I will be writing from my point of view as opposed to thinking about what the consumer wants," he shares.

Organiser and founder of Comedy Ladder, Jeeya Sethi, 37, says that the show is a platform for both the young comedians as well as the young audience. "The idea of the event is to give a voice to younger comedians because you do not hear of 20-year-olds being super-famous or 'killing it'. This line-up has strong voices, and each have had different experiences. The audience then also gets a chance to listen to their peers," she says.

On: August 1, 9 pm
At: The Integral Space, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 199

Also catch

Rueben Kaduskar

Shake off your Monday blues with comedy served fresh off the circuit. Rueben Kaduskar, a contestant on the popular comedy hunt, Comicstaan, is hosting a laugh riot with Punit Pania, the founder of Chalta Hai Comedy, and fellow comedians Neetu Bhardwaj and Shreeja Chaturvedi, who follows a dead-pan style of performance. We hope you hold on to your seats, laugh the night away, and prepare yourself for reality the next morning.

On: July 30, 8 pm
At: Pair A Dice Cafe, 53, Oshiwara Link Plaza, 1st Floor, Andheri West.
Call: 26300345
Log on to: eventshigh.com
Cost: Rs 200

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