The typical path for Indian stand-up comedians runs through an engineering college. Hence, the running joke: Get a BE first, and then do what you really want. For 59-year-old Noida resident Manish Tyagi, it included an extra step: Twenty-three years in the Indian Navy. The NIT Jaipur Mechanical Engineering graduate and retired (1989-2012) Commander quit the armed forces in 2012 to chase the stage dream. If you had told him his decision was laughable, he’d have thanked you.

This weekend, he brings his unique brand of Hinglish comedy, interspersed with anecdotes from his time in service to a Khar stage. “I was always the jovial officer. I’d read jokes from magazines like Reader’s Digest, and add my own twists before narrating stories to staff onboard our ships,” he recalls. Safe to say, the disciplined officer in him is still alive. “Every venue that I perform in, I report 30 minutes before everyone else on the line-up. They’re always surprised to see me,” he laughs.