‘If people find jokes at comedy shows offensive, they shouldn’t even come'

If your social media feed is filled with comedy clips you are bound to chance upon Singaporean comedian Kumarason Chinnadurai popularly known as Kumar with his funny jokes that open you to a whole world of being in Singapore While being hilarious is natural it is his ability to tell risque jokes unabashedly that makes the Singaporean who has roots in Chennai absolutely unique while still retaining the essence of his set The best part is that everything fans are going to see is going to be new because he hasnrsquot been to India for a long timeIn India and more particularly Mumbai this November the comedian will be performing at NCPA on November 21 as a part of his lsquoKumarsutra Indiarsquo tourIncidentally Kumar whose career in comedy and live entertainment started in 1992 will be visiting India for the first time in over 20 years the fact that it is a performance makes it even better but not without being bolder than he was almost 30 years ago ldquoMy father strictly and religiously disconnected me with India Coming to India is like going back to motherland which it is good to go back to because you get to touch base without your own motherrdquo It is also why Kumar adds ldquoPeople can expect a lot of raunchy and relatable stuff and just come with an open mindrdquoHowever telling controversial jokes comes with their own sets of challenges because while many may like it there are quite a few who may find it hurtful or offensive So what does he say to such people In typical fashion Kumar shares ldquoIf people find jokes at comedy shows offensive they shouldnrsquot even come because we all laugh together and laugh at each other If you cannot handle that then stay at home and watch Netflix and Amazon PrimeUsing an interesting mix of risque jokes crossdressing along with song and dance on stage Kumar has been entertaining audiences the world over With such a delightful mix of expecting something new every time the formula for which has been simple for the comedian Kumar explains ldquoYou have to laugh at yourself first and then you can laugh at others You donrsquot laugh at the expense of others because it is really not nicerdquoIn the same amount of time it is not only the Singaporean who has evolved as a comedian but also the people of Singapore who have learned to enjoy comedy now more than before The comedian adds ldquoComedy is evolving a lot in Singapore People want to go for comedy shows more because everyone wants to laugh because of depression and everyone has mental health issues getting out of Covid and even work pressure People want a good laughrdquoBeyond comedy Kumar has also been crossdressing for a very long time and even came out to the world as gay a little over a decade ago While crossdressing isnrsquot new and neither is coming out for at least some people around the world India has had a tumultuous relationship with the LGBTQIA but even that has slowly improved over the last decade if not more It is no different around the world Being a part of the entertainment industry crossdressing has also seen an evolution which Kumar believes has been seen around the world He explains ldquoI donrsquot know if crossdressing is more acceptable now but I think crossdressing is more tolerated now Every other family has a gay person or person from the LGBTQIA community The tolerance level now is higher so people really like it People like to watch a man in a dress especially if you are really beautiful So I think it is more accepted now and that is why it is not an issue anymorerdquoDressed in all kinds of shimmering gold or pink hues among other colours it is hard to believe that the Indianorigin comedian doesnrsquot choose his costumes but it seems like Kumar is naturally fashionable which means that anything picked up looks good Kumar shares ldquoI donrsquot have a personal costume because I wear whatever is available Initially when my big shows used to happen I used to do it but for my standup comedy shows I just pick anything from my wardrobe ndash whatever is available ndash short dress or long dressrdquo While crossdressing is still acceptable it is often difficult for many entertainers to tell their fans for the fear of losing the latter or simply facing backlash With that in mind Kumar believes coming out depends on what career you are in The comedian adds ldquoI feel that if you are in the corporate world people donrsquot want to come out because they are scared of discrimination and remarks given to them For me since I am in standup I believe people need to know because I am tired of people asking me ndash are you married or do you have children I have dogs which is good enough for merdquoIt is simply because Kumar started his career in 1992 At the time the comedian says it would have been difficult to come out ldquoEven my family didnrsquot know My father thought I was a prostitute and it was tough coming out Now I think it is easier to come out because it is wellaccepted and everybody is welltravelled and everything is on social media The world now knows that people are creative and you can benefit from themrdquo the comedian concludes While preparing to not only make people laugh in India he is also eager to visit his roots in Chennai after his Mumbai or Delhi show and most of all enjoy vegetarian food here which the comedian believes is deliciousWhen November 21Where Tata Theatre NCPAPrice Rs 1500 onwardsTickets bookmyshowcom