Just for a few laughs!

The comedy scene today is changing fast. At one time, most of us in India would have to wait for snippets of comic scenes by Robin Williams and Jerry Seinfeld to be released online.

Today, there are several young comedians who are not only changing the comedy scene in the country, but also gaining immense popularity for their jokes.

Vamsidhar Bhogaraju from namma ooru is one of the stand-up comics who is known to set his audience cracking in fits of laughter within minutes of being on stage by turning personal experiences into relatable jokes and one liners.

Talking about his journey into the world of comedy, Vamsidhar speaks up about how he started out.

“I was the class clown in school and don’t think I’ve really ‘grown up’ too much since then. A friend signed me up for a stand-up comedy competition called Punchline, and I managed to make it to the final round. It’s been a pretty fascinating journey since then,” he says about the competition held back in 2013, that was won by Kanan Gill! Since then, the comedian has performed alongside Suresh Menon, Sundeep Rao, Biswa Kalyan Rath and Kanan Gill, to name a few.

“My parents have lost all hope. They were initially a little apprehensive about my choice, but on a serious note, have now lost all hope,” says the 34 year old cheekily. “But the best thing about stand-up comedy, is that it’s such a leveller. It keeps you grounded,” adds Vamsidhar on a serious note.

The comedian, who also runs a production house, believes that it is impossible to please all. “As comedians we seek validation through laughs and applause breaks. After a show, an audience member wrote to me saying she hadn’t laughed in over a year, since her grandfather demise and thanked me for helping her get through that phase,” Vamsi dhar says recalling a memorable moment.

“A lot of people today give up too soon. They should just keep at it. The scene is booming and it’s a great time to be a stand up comedian. The comedians and the audience are both growing to understand the art form better,” Vamsidhar adds in conclusion, about the comedy scene in the city.

The artiste is hosting Kritarth Srinivasan on July 3 at B flat Indiranagar.