Pajama Party

Stand-up comedy enthusiasts in Mumbai now don't need to go far for their dose of rib tickling acts

Going to a festival can be a lot of work, says actor and comedian Vir Das, because it usually involves booking tickets, packing bags and travelling to a distant venue. That's why his entertainment company, Weirdass Comedy, has decided to cut down on some of the effort for fun-seekers by bringing together 69 'seriously amusing' artists to perform at venues sprinkled across Mumbai.

"If you want comic relief, it is coming to you no matter which part of the city you live in. And you don't even have to get dressed," he says. The first-of-its-kind Pajama festival in India, inspired by Das's tours to comedy festivals in Montreal and Edinburgh, aims to recreate the feel of a lazy weekend spent in bed watching stand-up videos. Except in this case, the performers will have flown in from different parts of India and the world to perform live.

The line-up includes solo acts, sketch shows, improv, funny rock band gigs and even a comedy routine aimed at children. Weirdass is programming the event with producers Only Much Louder, known for organising music shows like NH7 Weekender. Among the performers are locals Sorabh Pant, Aditi Mittal, Rohan Joshi, Papa CJ and international acts such as father of the Malay comic scene Harith Iskander, Aussie comic David Quirk and UK's Comedy Club 4 Kids (CC4K).

Already the fastest-selling show and easily the highlight of the festival is Jammy Time, a stand-up act - without the rude bits - for children over the age of six by CC4K. London-based Matt Highton, who joined the collective after his grand idea to have gigs for geese fell through, says since the show does not talk down to the audience it is palatable for parents too. "Parents often come away enjoying it more than the kids, and if nothing else they can revel in an hour of someone else entertaining their kids for them. It's supposedly targeted at kids but really it's for everyone."

Highton, part of the three-member team that will perform here, has over the course of performances been a dinosaur, had dance-offs and even been mutinied off a make-believe ship. "You never know what's going to happen. If you don't believe me, there's a video of a small boy chasing me trying to lick my elbow. I don't know why, but it's now a moment in my life." Children are an astute audience, he adds, because "they pick up on all the intrinsic little quirks of stand-up like any adult."

The festival will unfold at three types of venues. The smaller venues or 'briefs' will host newer artists and workshops, while the roomier 'boxers' will have well-developed acts. Five flagship performances - including a celebrity roast, a mock version of a toast where a prominent personality will face a volley of insults, praise and accusations - will be held at NCPA's Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, the grand 'Pajama' venue.

The other big shows include hour-long specials Good Sports, a sports comedy and Nation in Mourning, a spoof on news channels. Additionally, workshops and discussions have been planned to exchange perspectives on the concept, academics and business of comedy. While such educational sessions have been conducted by comedy groups in the past, they were scattered and inconsistent. "We need younger artists to break through. How this will help is when a name like Vir Das is involved and it is a festival, people will show up and those who don't know about smaller workshops will start looking them up," says comedy writer-artist Tanmay Bhat.

Das's four months of rigourous planning seem to have paid off as he reports bookings have been strong even while big music festivals like Sunburn and Supersonic are going on. "It is year one and a small start for us, but I hope ours will go on to be the first major event of the year every year."

When: January 10-12, 2014.
Where: Venues across Mumbai including Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA.
For details, log on to pajamafest.in
Price: Between Rs 700 and Rs 2,000