‘Comedians have one of the world’s scariest jobs’

This writer has always been amazed at the ability of some people to make others laugh without any effort A quick retort a facial expression or a mimicry can cue howls of much needed laughter through a serious room Jamie Lever should know She grew up watching one of Indiarsquos first and greatest standup comics mdash and those are the right words to use mdash in Johnny LeverldquoThis is every comedianrsquos dream to go on a stadium tourrdquo the 36yearold says adding that her work over the last 10 years has been building up to this point ldquoI suppose the onewoman show has been years of gathering content learning growing and failing After all I will be performing all alone for twohours straightrdquo she points outJamiersquos experience with the big stage is not new Having grown up around the name of Johnny Lever she also started accompanying him on tours early in her career ldquoThe stage has been home for me I have done close to 300 shows many of them with my father In hindsight that was good trainingrdquo she notesJamie Lever with her father Johnny Lever at a performanceIt has helped her adapt to the changing nature of the comedy circuit From performing on television on shows such as Comedy Circus working red carpet gigs the OTT series Pop Kaun and now films Jamie has been multitasking But a live audience is different she saysCan it get tough ldquoOh yes I am a nervous wreck when I get on stage every timerdquo she exclaims much to our surprise For someone who is quite the sensation on social media her remark seems made up She explains ldquoThe moment you have the first trickle of laughter you know the audience is hooked Then you have to ride the wave But the moments before you crack that first joke can be terrifyingrdquoComedians have no resource other than themselves ldquoIt is one of the scariest jobs in the world You have to be on your toes Someone once told me that comedians have three brains mdash one for the joke they cracked one for the joke they are narrating and another for the one that followsrdquo she saysIt is important to crack that code especially if you carry the surname lsquoLeverrsquo as your calling card This was more challenging when she started out Jamie admits ldquoI remember my first performance was a 10minute gig on his Johnny Leverrsquos show Now nobody can imagine him being serious But he pulled me to the side before the show and said ldquoThis is my audience They are here to see me Now I have given you a chance so you better get this rightrsquo So no pressurerdquo the comedian laughsSuch an audience also comes with a lot of love and a curiosity ldquoThey are always curious about how we are at home How does my mom speak Or how is dad at homerdquo she chuckles Does the name become a burden No she retorts ldquoI donrsquot think the audience is looking for him in me I am Johnny Leverrsquos daughter and inevitably his mannerisms will come through Ab DNA mein hai kya hi karun But it has taken me time to carve a path And I add a touch of merawala tadka to my performances I donrsquot take that responsibility lightlyrdquo Jamie points outThe name is the least of Johnny Leverrsquos legacy His instinct for humour runs through the family ldquoMy brother Jessey is just as funnyrdquo Jamie shares ldquoWe have this inborn thing of wanting to make people laugh and not just on stage Humour is instinctive You can teach someone lines and delivery but timing is an instinct I think I have it from my dadrdquoThis instinct will be sharpened into a performance that will channelise multiple art forms mdash mimicry impersonations situational sketches and standup comedy mdash at the two performances over this weekend ldquoThat is the school I come from I use everything from my face my voice my dance skills to catch my audiencersquos attention There will be close to 11 characters I will play as part of the sketch So there will be a lot of content built up over the last decade from obscure to the personalrdquo she shares No pressure as they sayOn February 17 730 pm February 18 830 pmAt Nehru Centre Dr Annie Besant Road Worli Kashinath Ghanekar Natyagruha Hiranandani Meadows Ghodbunder Road Thane WestLog on to inbookmyshowcomCost Rs 500 onwards