A comedian who was once shy

Little did Nitin Gupta know that his college nickname Rivaldo, because of his talent as a football player, would become the face of his on-stage persona. Nitin, a.k.a Rivaldo, adapted to comedy when there was hardly any scene to look forward to. He is now popular in the college circuit. Rivaldo taught Physics to IIT aspirants before he hung up his easel and took on the microphone in 2009.

“I’m a very shy person and find it difficult to talk to people. I say what I want to say through comedy,” says Nitin when asked why he chose comedy.

Nitin’s material often touches on the socio-economic issues. When asked if that is a conscious effort, he says, “It is a greed for my craft. I realised I could make people laugh with my jokes. My next challenge was to talk about something non-funny in a manner that people get the message but laugh at the same time. Moreover, college is an age when you question everything; you are not set in your beliefs. It is the best time to talk to them about the issues.” His video on the Delhi rape case had became an Internet sensation and since then he has touched on various flaws of our society. “When I did the set on the rape culture, it was skewed. There is an equally ugly, flip side to the case where often women accuse innocent guys of rape and there is no way the guy can prove anything. I want to address the issue from both sides and point out the fact that men and women are both prone to lying,” he says.

With our philosopher babas being locked up for rape cases, it is a boon to have people like Rivaldo who still make sense and not mix religion with it. Hyderabad can catch Nitin live in action on 14th during the Masala Mayhem Comedy fest at Hyderabadass Comedy Club.