All posts tagged: standup

‘Comedy is more challenging in age of memes and reels,’ feels Akshay Kumar, praises stand-up comics

‘Comedy is more challenging in age of memes and reels,’ feels Akshay Kumar, praises stand-up comics

Published by Parlour News

Actor Akshay Kumar may be known for his impeccable comic timing, but the Bollywood star says comedy has become more difficult in the digital age, where memes and Instagram Reels are entertaining people on a daily basis. The actor also appreciated stand-up comedians for how they make people laugh. Akshay Kumar attends the promotion of his action-comedy film Welcome to the Jungle in Mumbai on June 23. (Photo by Sujit JAISWAL / AFP) ‘Comedy has become more challenging’ Akshay, who is gearing up for the release of his comedy, Welcome to the Jungle, opened up about how tough comedy is in today’s times. “It has become much more challenging. Today, there are reels, memes and comedy content everywhere. But comedy is like a huge river; it never dries up. There are so many forms of comedy, there’s physical comedy, situational comedy, slapstick comedy, dark humour,” the actor told PTI in an interview. The actor also opened up about how different avenues of comedy have opened up in the last few years in India, including stand-up. …

Arya Babbar explains his controversial ‘Chhota Bhai’ stand-up joke involving Prateik | Bollywood News

Arya Babbar explains his controversial ‘Chhota Bhai’ stand-up joke involving Prateik | Bollywood News

Published by Webster

3 min readMumbaiJun 23, 2026 09:35 PM IST Arya Babbar, who took to stand-up comedy in 2024, recently shared a video of his stand-up special, which was about his battle with depression. He referred to his genitalia as “chhota bhai” before adding a clarification, “And by chhota bhai, I don’t mean Prateik Babbar.” He promptly corrected himself and said, “Prateik Smita Patil.” In the caption of the video, Aarya wrote, “No names were changed in the making of this joke.” Now, Aarya has clarified his “chhota bhai” remark during the stand-up special, saying it was the live audience which “found humour” in it. Arya Babbar’s clarification “In the moment, I just said that chhota bhai does not mean Prateik Babbar. As soon as I said it, I realised that he has changed his name, and he is quite sensitive about this thing that he doesn’t want to be called Prateik Babbar. So, I just corrected myself,” said Aarya Babbar. On his follow-up remark of “Kya ho raha hai Smita maa (What’s happening, Smita maa),” Aarya told Hindustan …

Samay Raina to get a new Netflix stand-up special as controversial show India’s Got Latent season 2 premieres on June 20

Samay Raina to get a new Netflix stand-up special as controversial show India’s Got Latent season 2 premieres on June 20

Published by Parlour News

After days of cryptic posts, fan theories and endless speculation online, Netflix and Samay Raina finally revealed what they have been working on. The streaming giant officially announced a two-project collaboration with the comedian, bringing back India’s Got Latent for a second season and also developing a brand-new stand-up special. The announcement marks a major moment in Samay’s career, as he expands his presence beyond YouTube while still staying connected to the audience that helped build his massive following. Samay Raina expands Netflix deal with Latent season 2 and new special. A new Netflix stand-up special is also on the way Netflix has also confirmed that Samay is working on an all-new stand-up comedy special that will be released exclusively on the platform. While details about the title and release date have not been announced yet, the special is expected to feature Samay’s signature style of observational comedy, personal stories and sharp humour. India’s Got Latent season 2 will stream on Netflix and YouTube together In a first-of-its-kind move, India’s Got Latent season 2 will …

Stand-up comedy show controversy: Off the clock, but always on — and accountable | Mumbai News

Stand-up comedy show controversy: Off the clock, but always on — and accountable | Mumbai News

Published by Parlour News

5 min readMumbaiJun 14, 2026 05:55 AM IST Recently, 22-year-old Himanshu Jangra was at a comedy show, as part of an audience participating in crowd-work. There, he implied that spending Rs 370 on biryani on a date entitled him to “something” from the woman. The room laughed. Comedian Pranit More laughed and later uploaded the clip on social media. The internet did not laugh. Jangra’s employer, Vivek Vishwakarma, founder of Gurgaon-based design and marketing agency Starvik Design, terminated his contract, stating that the effect of his statements had hampered their work and it was a business decision. Jangra’s case is the latest in a stream of incidents when companies are taking note of an employee’s conduct after office hours. “Incidents like this are a good reminder that everything you say or do is potentially in the media’s eyes now. There’s no real ‘private’ space when it comes to public platforms,” says Divye Agarwal, co-founder, Binge Labs, a social media strategy company. Agarwal asserts that your workplace is an integral part of your identity today. “Your …

Surat lawyer moves Bar Council over stand-up comedian’s ‘derogatory’ remarks on advocates | Ahmedabad News

Surat lawyer moves Bar Council over stand-up comedian’s ‘derogatory’ remarks on advocates | Ahmedabad News

Published by Parlour News

2 min readSuratMay 23, 2026 05:33 AM IST A SURAT lawyer on Friday submitted an application to the Bar Council of India, the Bar Council of Gujarat and the Surat District Bar Association against stand-up comedian Badal Sharma over the latter’s “derogatory” remarks on lawyers during one of his shows. In his application, Surat-based Kamlesh Raval sought to raise an objection to “hurtful, defamatory and derogatory comments against lawyers/legal profession”. Badal Sharma was unavailable for comment on the matter. Raval alleged that Badal Sharma, during his live performance in a show, subjected lawyers to “insulting generalisations”. Raval’s application adds that “comedy and artistic expression undoubtedly enjoy freedom in a democratic nation; however, such freedom also carries responsibility. Public remarks that demean an entire profession can create social prejudice, erode public trust, and cause emotional harm to members of the legal fraternity.” It seeks strict action against the stand-up comedian, and that he (Sharma) should apologise and ensure that he does not repeat such statements in future. Raval told The Indian Express on Friday, “While surfing …

‘Comedy has gone towards vulgarity now’: Shekhar Suman slams modern stand-up comedians | Television News

‘Comedy has gone towards vulgarity now’: Shekhar Suman slams modern stand-up comedians | Television News

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiMay 17, 2026 03:50 PM IST Shekhar Suman, who has judged popular comedy shows such as The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Comedy Circus, recently criticised modern-day stand-up comedy, saying many young comedians on YouTube rely on “abusive” and “obscene” language to make audiences laugh. He also reflected on how Sunil Pal, who won The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, was eventually “forgotten,” while late comedian Raju Srivastava, who finished as the second runner-up, continues to be remembered by fans. During a chat with Bollywood Bubble, Shekhar shared how the approach of comedians has changed over the year. “It is forced now; it was simple earlier. The comedians were also good, and had fresh thinking. Comedy has gone towards vulgarity now. It’s obscene. There are double meaning, double standards now. This change came because people stopped thinking. Till the time you don’t think, read or don’t create anything new, then you will only end up stealing jokes from here and there, presenting in a different way,” he reflected. The actor continued, “If you …

Sunil Pal says he was ‘not mentally prepared’ for Samay Raina’s roast on Kapil Sharma show: ‘Standup karne bulaya tha’

Sunil Pal says he was ‘not mentally prepared’ for Samay Raina’s roast on Kapil Sharma show: ‘Standup karne bulaya tha’

Published by Parlour News

On the occasion of World Laughter Day, comedian Kapil Sharma brought together veteran comic Sunil Pal and comedian Samay Raina on The Great Indian Kapil Show. However, their interaction on the show quickly grabbed attention online after Samay repeatedly roasted Sunil during their segment. While some viewers enjoyed the banter, many felt Sunil was being “humiliated” on national television, while others criticised his jokes as “cringe”. Now, in a recent interview with Zee Switch, Sunil admitted that he was not mentally prepared for what unfolded on the show. Sunil Pal and Samay Raina on The Great Indian Kapil Show Sunil Pal says Kapil Sharma called him for standup When asked about the instructions he received before appearing on The Great Indian Kapil Show and whether he had been informed about reuniting with Samay and Ranveer Allahbadia, Sunil said, “Mujhe kaha gaya tha ki Samay Raina aur Ranveer Allahbadia voh show main honge aur aap bhi honge lekin aapko perform karna hai (I was told that Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia would be on the show, …

TDP supporters disrupt stand-up comedian Sarat Uday’s Bengaluru show over 2-year-old joke; CCTV footage leaked

TDP supporters disrupt stand-up comedian Sarat Uday’s Bengaluru show over 2-year-old joke; CCTV footage leaked

Published by Parlour News

Days after the arrest of two stand-up comedians arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police for their jokes on actor and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, supporters of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) disrupted stand-up comedian Sarat Uday Boddeda’s show in Bengaluru on Saturday and demanded an apology over a 2-year-old joke on Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Minister Nara Lokesh. (Also Read: Who is stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala? Detained by AP police for jokes on Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan and family) Sarat Uday’s Bengaluru show was disrupted over 2-year-old jokes on the TDP. TDP supporters disrupt stand-up comedy show Hyderabad-based stand-up comic Sarat was performing a solo show at Ministry of Comedy in Kormangala, Bengaluru, on Saturday, April 25. CCTV footage of what happened is now being widely circulated online. In the video, a man in the front row is seen walking onto the stage and interrupting the show. Soon, a few other men join him. At one point in the video, they reveal there are 10 of them. The timestamp on …

Samay Raina’s comeback special after India’s Got Latent row becomes world’s most-watched stand-up special on YouTube

Samay Raina’s comeback special after India’s Got Latent row becomes world’s most-watched stand-up special on YouTube

Published by Parlour News

Comedian Samay Raina has staged a striking comeback on YouTube with his latest stand-up special, Still Alive, following the India’s Got Latent controversy. And the set has clearly struck a chord with audiences worldwide, going on to become the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special globally, based on total views garnered by a single upload. In the special, Samay Raina spoke about facing childhood bullying, his Kashmiri Pandit identity, mental health struggles, and his relationship with his audience. The comedy special has crossed 53.4 million views on YouTube, setting a new global record as the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special in the world, by total views on a single upload. Samay Raina’s Still Alive makes a record On Wednesday, Samay took to Instagram Stories to repost a post mentioning that the comedian has “officially turned his biggest controversy into a record-breaking comeback.” His stand-up special, Still Alive, has crossed 53.4 million views, emerging as the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special in the world on a single upload. The caption of the post shared by Samay read, …

Who is stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala? Detained by AP police for jokes on Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan and family

Who is stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala? Detained by AP police for jokes on Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan and family

Published by Parlour News

Jokes by stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala during a recent set have landed him in legal trouble after backlash on social media. Despite posting an apology video, Kakinada police picked up the comedian in Prayagraj and detained him after a worker from Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP) filed an FIR. In his set, Anudeep had also cracked jokes on Niharika Konidela, Ram Charan, and other Tollywood celebrities. Anudeep Katikala received flak for cracking jokes on Pawan Kalyan and his family members. Anudeep Katikala detained by AP police The Wire reported that Anudeep was detained by the AP police around 7 PM on April 14. An FIR was registered against him at the Kakinada I Town police station at 1.15 PM on April 11. A written complaint was filed by 51-year-old Bade Venkata Krishna, who stated in the complaint that he served as a JSP worker since 2014 and was the Joint Secretary of the East Godavari District JSP since 2022. The complaint alleges that Anudeep targeted Pawan and his family members, damaging their reputation with …