Hasan Minhaj on breaking convention in comedy world

Los Angeles-based Indian American Hasan Minhaj of "Homecoming King" and "The Daily Show" fame, realised in good time that breaking convention and changing the comedy scene "fundamentally" was the key to make his presence felt.

"The Daily Show" correspondent and creator of the hit Netflix special "Homecoming King", spoke out about it in GQ India February 2018.

Beyond a comedian, Minhaj, 32, is keen to be a storyteller and a performer for whom the laughs are secondary. The ambition began to brew in 2014, not long after he joined "The Daily Show".

"Jon Stewart calls all the correspondents into his office," Minhaj recalls.

"He said: 'Look, I won't be renewing my contract. I'll be leaving the show.' He said: 'I've manipulated these chess pieces every different way I can.'"

"What do you mean?" Minhaj asked him.

Stewart replied: "I've done everything I can from behind a desk: host, play over-the-shoulder graphics, play a clip and then come out of it befuddled or angry, have fake correspondents sit across the desk from me."

It was this that made Minhaj think about what was he doing to push his art forward.

When Stewart left the show, Minhaj was already shaping up "Homecoming King". That's when a colleague told him, "The most interesting things you say to me are the things you say offstage."

It made him realise he was leaving behind some of his best thoughts and poignant experiences, only because convention had boiled down stand-up to 10 or 15 minutes of patter.

"Usually most shows are: 'Joke-Joke- Joke-Joke- Joke, thank you and good night.' I had to fundamentally change it."

--IANS

rb/bg