Laugh track: How Kenny Sebastian finds comedy’s sweet spot every time
It takes hard work to make three generations laugh, stay away from controversy and improvise. Kenny Sebastian shows us how he does it
“It’s like I’m screaming inside,” says Kenny Sebastian says about performing live. The 33-year-old comedian will be doing a lot of screaming over the coming months. His new comedy tour, Professor of Tomfoolery, travels to nine cities starting July. It’s his eighth comedy special, over a career that spans 15 years and over 800 shows. “I started comedy in a time where we were just excited to put our ideas out there, not bothering what was going to happen,” he recalls. “Now, it’s scary that jokes you say on stage are attached to legal implications. Being offended is understandable, but trying to arrest someone for jokes is oppressive.”
Those who’ve followed Sebastian’s work know that his brand of humour is simple, but never lazy. His sets poke fun at the quirks of Indian families and the love-hate relationships they share. He started his career with music covers and parodies of movies on YouTube. His #KennySingForMe series, in which he’d ask people to send him random words and he’d turn them into songs, made him an early hit. He’s starred in TV shows such as Die Trying (2018), about two musicians trying to make it big in Bengaluru; and the Netflix musical-comedy The Most Interesting Person in the Room (2020). He also hosts Simple Ken, a podcast about “things he wishes people spoke about more”: Self-doubt, toxic positivity, and people-pleasing tendencies. Alongside, he’s writing a music-based comedy show. In short, he’s on a roll.
Even at this point in his career, being funny is hard work. An 80-minute live set can take months of prep and weeks of figuring out who’s going to laugh and why. Short-play reels force jokes to be one-dimensional. Audiences have grown up, but only just. See what it takes to draw laughs and go home happy.
Target practice
It might seem like a smart move to work with humour that appeals to all audiences, but it’s actually the more difficult choice. “I’ve accepted that there’s nothing easy about writing jokes in India,” says Sebastian. “You have one group that’s upset with the subject matter, one group that’s upset with the implications, and a third that’s upset at the quality. Some people want a comedian to write jokes that will improve society; others think that’s not a comedian’s job. At the same time, you can’t be funny unless you’re specific, and if you’re specific, someone’s going to get upset – because they think it’s about them.”
And one thing audiences have done reliably over the years is to raise the bar for performers. Ten years ago, Sebastian says, punch lines about a nagging mom or absent dad were so new, they’d be met with awkward squirms. Now, dark humour isn’t just expected, it’s welcomed. “Most of my audience has grown with me,” he says. “It’s not just them who’s changed, it’s me, too.”
Growing up in Bangalore, Sebastian recalls watching Seinfeld (1989 – 1998) on TV when he came back from school. “I used to find Jerry Seinfeld’s observational humour relevant despite him being a 40-year-old Jewish man in New York,” he says, laughing. Jim Carrey’s absurd antics intrigued him too, as did Akshay Kumar’s comic timing and the way Govinda’s ability to let loose only boosted his superstar status.
He stays away from politically charged jokes and double-entrendre. “I also don’t make jokes that make people feel bad about themselves, in areas they can’t help, such as disabilities or their physical appearance,” he says. But making fun of people’s behaviour? That’s game. “Because that’s in their control.”
Clapping back
Despite years of performing live, his greatest fear, Sebastian admits, is interruption. Indian audiences are chattier than the global average for live comedy. They’ll make a loud comment when the comedian is just about to land a punchline. They’ll fall inexplicably silent when they haven’t quite figured out if an act is done.
To make the shows seem effortless, then, means every word, pause, and expression must be carefully rehearsed over and over. An 80-90-minute show such as Professor of Tomfoolery takes eight to nine months of preparation. The set is tried out on different audiences, the writing tweaked as many as 20 times until Sebastian gets the best response.
It’s also why Sebastian prefers performing before large crowds of 100 more than an intimate gathering of 15 people, whose expressions are upfront and visible. “If you can keep 10 people engaged for an hour, entertaining a hundred people becomes easy,” he says.
Live shows are a different beast from making viral videos. Online audiences are a finger-swipe away from a new joke, a cat video, a hate speech, a tutorial. Live audiences have signed up (and paid for) an evening of specific entertainment. It’s the best test for a comedian. Sebastian loves it.
He’s looking forward to performing Professor of Tomfoolery and seeing how different parts of India and the world respond. “This tour feels more personal,” he says. He’ll be talking about his wife, Tracy Alison, and topics such as arguments, fears, generational trauma and therapy. “I also have bits about Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X. I’ll be roasting every generation!”
10 QUESTIONS WITH KENNY SEBASTIAN: WRONG ANSWERS ONLY
What’s the funniest joke someone has told you?
I was in Class 4, and Tinkle Comics had a square comic panel about a mouse who picked up the phone and said, “Who’s squeaking?” I lost my mind for one week. I was like, “You’re a mouse! Why would you say that?” I eventually figured out that it was a pun on ‘Who’s speaking?’ I thought it was about a mouse who’s upset about the sounds he was hearing.
If you had to spend your life with just a pet for company, which animal would you choose?
A pig. They’re very misunderstood. They eat everything, which seems very non-judgemental.
Do you think there’s life beyond death?
I think this is death. We don’t remember what we were doing before we were born, right? What if this is the afterlife?
What’s a name you’d pick for your first child?
Mukesh. Boy or girl. Old-school names need to make a comeback. Everyone names their kids Ayaan and Kaiyaan and Ahana. It’s time for Prakash, Rakesh and Jagdish to return. They’re solid names.
What makes you happy to be alive.
Bad roads, bad air, GST on everything, loud restaurants, and honking. Oh, and the heat.
If you could grow wings, whose house would you window-crash?
Probably Sonu Nigam. I know he sings at home, so why not?
What’s your favourite thing you own?
A stove lighter. Everybody looks for it, and it’s always with me for some reason.
If you could come back from the dead and haunt people, how would you do it?
As someone’s inner voice of reason. When they’re in the bathroom.
If you had to travel by only mode of transport, what would you pick?
A nice, packed van – the kind we used to go to school in – which someone’s just puked in.
Which bad habit do you struggle to be rid of?
Being a good person. It’s horrific, man! I just can’t stop being nice and giving all the time.
From HT Brunch, June 22, 2024
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