I arrive at the Mumbai airport, sick, from exhaustion of month-long non-stop shows, and of traveling from SF to Mumbai all alone. On the flight from SF I get the one broken-sound-system seat on-board; I am in no mood to reminisce the silent era. The next flight to Mumbai has a completely broken sound system on-board. Thanks Cathay Pathetic! Mumbai airport has had a facelift - pleasant surprise! On our way home, the Mumbai traffic gets me over my flight of fury in no time - no surprise! Two days to Show 1, I restrain the urge to splurge on food.
Friday October 9, the rickshaw pulls into Somaiya campus, which has also had a facelift. My professor takes me to the "faculty lounge", an area that I'd be apprehensive of standing in and dreamt of sitting in if I was in college. Next stop, the Red Auditorium. As I am led in by the faculty head and my professor, rows upon rows of students quieten down and stand up to welcome us. My sis, walking with me, finds it all quite amusing - she is not alone! We take front row seats. I am presented with a bouquet of flowers. The proceedings begin with a "Prarthana", followed by a slideshow about Samson Koletkar the ex-SIMSRite, and an intro by my professor; in the middle of which I grab my notebook and start jotting things down, my sis grinning at my comedian-ness.
On stage, I am handed the mic and I look at the crowd looking at me, "What do we do now?" going through both our heads. "Scream, whistle, clap, jump, do whatever it takes, let's make some noise" is my call and the students, some readily, some hesitantly, oblige. I feel better. I start off by pulling my professors leg, and I hear the first not-sure-if-we-should-laugh-at-our-teacher laugh. A few more observations and I jump into my material, exhilaration running through my veins. I see the eagerness in the eyes of the audience...to experience their first live standup comedy performance, to see someone stand up there and talk in his own voice, to listen to views and opinions of India and America and Jews and Bollywood and Family and Relationships and all that you talk about in private. I am constantly gazing the crowd, trying to understand if they understand me, do I take some time to explain a little, are they with me, am I losing them, am I making sense, am I relevant, what should I do next, what should I skip. The regular bursts of laughter, sometimes at unexpected junctures, keep egging me on. With the worry of "connecting" long gone, I start conversing more. As an alumnus who worked in Mumbai and is living in US, I have a lot to converse. I talk about my college days, my Mumbai days and my initial days in the US. Story telling is my forte and who wouldn't want to hear the story of a shy Indian Jewish boy, born and raised in middle-class Mumbai, working in computers in US, turned standup comedian!
60 minutes on the clock, a big closer and a thank you speech from the host marks the end of my first show in my hometown, or so I thought. The students gather in a separate classroom for a little Q&A. One student takes over the mantle, mimicking some professors, reminiscent of my own college days. Handshakes and thank yous and pictures and friendly jibes and a lot of new facebook friends completed my first show in Mumbai. Post show, ritualistically, I rerun the whole show in my head, what I could have done, what I should have done, what I did do , what I didn't do, what clicked, what didn't, how I felt and what I learned. Immensely satisfied, I celebrate with my first food splurge!
Two weeks fly by, it's time for Show 2 with a fellow San Francisco comedienne amalgamating an intresting theme - An American Jew in India & An Indian Jew in America! Alicia Dattner made a trip to India last year and a complete act out of it. She called me, spoke of her plan to visit India again and the idea of doing a joint show struck us. Sunday October 25th at the Jewish Community Center, the stage is set, the crowd is in, seats are full, some folks are piled up on desks, others on couches and office chairs. I wait impatiently for my turn as Alicia performs her act. 45 minutes later the impatience gives way to adrenalin, the rush of being on stage in front of my people - fellow Mumbai Jews (with some American & Canadian Jewish volunteers present too)! My opener, "This is the only crowd where my most frequently used opener - Hi, my name is Samson Koletkar and I am an Indian Jew, which makes me a rare species, so if anybody wants a picture with me...5 bucks - won't work", works like a charm and I'm on my way. No gazing the crowd, no need to explain anything, no worry about being understood...being relevant...making sense, nothing to skip. Every joke, every story, hits its mark. Why won't it? Who can better understand the predicament of an Indian Jew!
At the end of 45 minutes, there is only 1 regret, I had only 45 minutes to perform. Not that anyone would have minded a longer performance, but it's always good to leave folks wanting more - and in this case, both, the audience and the performers, were left wanting more. Handshakes and thank yous and pictures and friendly jibes and smiling faces beaming with pride all around marked my second show in Mumbai. Delirious, I celebrate with my umpteenth food splurge!
Whether I ruffled some feathers with unconventionalism or I triggered some minds with it, one thing's for sure: Performing standup comedy in India - been there, done that and will definitely do it again!
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