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With the second season of Comicstaan being won by a University of Delhi (DU) alumnus, the game of comedy has changed forever for aspirants. Here is a candid conversation with the winner of Comicstaan Season Two, Mr. Aakash Gupta.

  • Khyati: How did you begin with standup comedy?

Aakash: I used to do theatre before comedy. I did theatre in my college, Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Then I moved into professional theatre after college. Besides that, I started learning improv (improvisational) comedy. I was still not aware of stand-up until then. After a year and a half, I got to know about open mics in Delhi. Soon enough, I registered myself for a couple of open mics. So I have to write my own material for those, which I was not used to, because improv is more of a team thing. There is no writing in it. So it was a new thing for me. I tried it, I liked it, and started doing it.

  • Khyati: What was your parents’ reaction when you told them this is what you want to do?

Aakash: I never really told them about it as such. I was doing open mics while also doing multiple other things. I was interning at a radio station, doing plays, shooting documentaries. They just knew I was doing something. I took a lot of time before professionally getting into comedy. I graduated in 2013 and I even worked for a year after college. It was only after two to three years that I started professional comedy. Otherwise it was a part-time thing for me.

  • Khyati: When did you really gain the confidence to become a professional stand-up comedian?

Aakash: There was no one moment as such. Things flowed smoothly for me. After open mics, I started getting spots. I also met other comics and hosted their shows. Then eventually, I did my own shows with a bunch of comics. So, it was just one step at a time.

  • Khyati: What would you call your career highlight?

Aakash: When I first uploaded my video on YouTube about one and a half years back, that was the first time when I felt like “I’ll be fine, I can do this.” After that, I started getting shows. People started buying my tickets. That was the time I had to leave everything else, which I regret. I miss doing theatre. Acting has been my first love, and the second is stand-up.

  • Khyati: Was there a moment when you felt like giving up?

Aakash: That happens with us comics, everyday. The fear that we have is of not doing good or bombing. You see, standup is a brutal art form. We are judged right on the spot. It is not a movie, which people watch for an hour before giving their verdict. Here, you tell a joke. Either it lands, or it bombs. You can see the faces of the people in front of you and know how you did. If you post a video on YouTube, you can disable the comments or not read them. It’s your choice. But yahan pe apke saamne log baithe hain. Agar woh nahi has rahe, wahi apka result hai! (But the people are sitting right in front of you here. If they are not laughing, that’s your result right there!) In terms of money, I always found some way to earn enough to sustain. I haven’t faced that much of a problem. There was a point when I didn’t have so much but it was fine.

  • Khyati: What has been your worst bombing experience?

Aakash: There has been a lot but the worst one was at Striker Pub at DLF Promenade. I was hosting a show for a big comic. It was house-full and I was just one year into comedy – very new. Us se pehle mere saath aisa kuch hua nahi tha. Mai gaya stage pe aur mai mast perform kar raha hun and nobody is listening! (Nothing like this had happened before to me. I go up on the stage and I am just actively performing and nobody is listening!) People are cheering with their beer glasses among themselves. So I addressed them ki inki apni comedy chal rahi hai and wahan se jawab aaya ki haan tujhse achhi chal rahi hai! (So I addressed them saying, “Look, how they are enjoying their own comedy show,” and they responded by saying, “Yes, and it’s better than yours!”) And I didn’t know how to save myself at that time. This happens with us every day. Abhi bhi hota hai. Abhi bhi log ulta bolte hain. (This still happens with us. People still heckle us.) But now we know the way to deal with that. At that time, I just blanked out on stage. Mujhe samajh nahi aaya ki mai kya bolun! (I didn’t know what to say!)

  • Khyati: What is the plan for all the prize money?

Aakash: It is invested. Very smartly!

  • Khyati: Who is your favourite contestant and judge from Comicstaan?

Aakash: I like everyone for something they have that others don’t.

  • Khyati: Oh, come on!

Aakash: It is a very honest answer! But, I was always fond of watching what Sumit Sourav would do. I have known him for two years before Comicstaan. So I know ki woh paagal insaan hai. Ki woh kharab kar sakta hai ya woh bilkul hi amazing kar sakta hai. (He is crazy. Either, he can do very badly, or he can give an amazing performance.) There’s always this knack about what he’ll really do up on the stage!

  • Khyati: What are your future plans?

Aakash: I am touring with my show called Excuse Me Brother. I will complete the first round of (the) tour in September. And then, I am planning to release a video on YouTube.

  • Khyati: What would be your advice to the budding comics?

Aakash: If you want to do comedy, just start doing comedy! Don’t wait for it! Go on the stage as much as possible. You can’t become a comic in your room. You have to go out. You have to bomb. If you don’t bomb, you won’t learn.

 

Feature Image Credits: Aakash Gupta (@theskygupta ) via Instagram

Guest Interviewer;

Khyati Sanger

[email protected]

Md. Anas, Kevin Sam, Subin Jacob and Mohak Arora are four of the many college going students who are trying it out in the stand up circuit. They have opened shows for several famous comedians like Biswa Kalyan Rath, Anirban Dasgupta, Shankar chughani, Rahul Dua, Nishant Suri and Aakash Gupta. Md. Anas is even producing his own show which comes out very soon! Hoping to make it big one day, it is almost a wonder how they are able to juggle between surviving college and building up their stand-up career.


Do you fear about not making it big as a comic? And do you have contingency plans if you don’t/are you seeking that security?

Md. Anas: The constant fear of not making it big enough is always there as the industry is still nascent and hasn’t really set footing. Being students is one thing elder comedians are jealous about as they think we have it good by not having to earn and rather have all the time to just do stand up. It is not entirely true since we have our own set of problems. Unlike them, if we fail to make a career out of this, we are done for good, since we tend to leave everything else for this. Worst case scenarios we are not getting any sort of jobs to earn out of. It is wise to seek that security in terms of how you plan on making it stable and big as long as it doesn’t sprout out of an insecurity of not being good enough to pursue stand-up as a career. It’s also a matter of what an individual comic wants, some tend to work hard towards a job or higher studies and perform as a hobby.

Audiences mostly go out to catch the bigger comedians who play the city which makes sense because you know what you are gonna get as a product. But as a consequence the local comedians find it really hard to fill even their free open mics! Even we do our own open mics, line up shows, solo shows which are kind of a big deal (at least for us, as artists). There is only so many people we can reach out to, to come to our shows. I started doing this when I was a fresher and am about to graduate and can still not take it up professionally because of the constant fear of not having a viewer base backing me up. But since life is all about leaps of faith, I am doing my one hour solo called Bolo Pencil on 6th March at Alliance Francaise Auditorium and hope that time will prove us wrong and we’ll have more people willing to come out of their homes to give amateurs a chance.


Is there any advantage of being a college going comic?

Kevin Sam: I don’t feel that there is any major advantage of being a college going comic. If anything it just adds to the negatives as some of our friends in the industry who are working, don’t take us very seriously. They think it’s like a hobby for us which makes our growth a bit slower than the others.

Also, we might not get many corporate shows because of lack of experience in life itself. But then this is how we grow. When we reach there, we will be more seasoned than our colleagues.
However, yes, definitely, we don’t have to worry about office timings to attend open mics or shows as college timings are convenient that way.


How do you juggle between studies and stand up? What’s the biggest point of struggle?


Subin Jacob:
Stand up is my main priority. College is secondary, honestly. I really want to be a stand up comedian and that is really my only goal. Studying is my back up and a way to convince my parents that I am not just wasting my time. This also saves me from my parent’s constant comparison of me with my friends who are in college even though they still do taunt me about my decisions. Luckily I chose a stream I am into and am comfortable with, which is English Honours.

I am planning to not end up working in a cubicle but if in case the stand up plan doesn’t work out, I would be depending on my degree to pay my bills.

It is difficult to manage studies and stand up as I generally come home late after open mics and shows and I only have a little time to focus on my studies. As chill as the life sounds, it gets difficult during exam season because I’m forced to take a break from stand up comedy. I relate to newbie gym goers better during this period of time; when they have to quit on their favorite meals just to get a muscular body. But then we’re here to eat and survive and a muscular body won’t matter when you’re 95. But then like every gym goer, I too have my cheat days, when I secretly go to open mics during my exams. Sue me.

The most difficult part of the struggle is to convince parents and oldies that hitting open mics isn’t useless and that IT IS a good career choice with as much scope as an English Honours degree. Luckily I am funny enough to nail a career out of this, I guess. But yes, my parents obviously do believe that I should be focusing more on my studies and not on what they believe is a hobby, or a phase, if you will. There are days when I actually feel like my parents might have a point but then getting on stage is actually way better than knowing what Shakespeare did in his chill time. And also guess who’s saving on therapist consultant fees by just blurting out their BTs in life on stage?

How huge a factor is money and gender for college going comics?

Md. Anas: Since we are students, money does not play a very huge part in deciding the number of gigs we go with, unless we are not from the city.
When I became a part of the circuit there were only a few college comics but the number has shot up in only 3 years since stand up got more popular online. Now a lot of college comics have emerged which is good for the scene as number of people equals more engagement as artists. At the same time it has given the audience too many options to choose from and sometimes college event organisers get comics for free too by promising exposure as stage time or opening for a big comedian.

It’s an issue if the comics are trying to take stand-up up professionally as the sternness for the business aspect of stand up seems casual coming from a college going comic. It comes across more as a hobby than a serious prospect so even big show producers end up treating it as buffer time for the comic.

Comedy producers barring a few generally go with big crowd puller names when they have to do shows so that there is a good revenue generated as local comics are a gamble not everyone wants to bet on.

Producing your own show is one such solution as if you are not getting enough stage time, you better create some. Therefore, I decided to produce my own show. It gives you the power to influence, control and the experience of managing an event on your own which is a gigantic task.
I saved some money from small writing jobs, college competition prizes, shows and events to invest in my own solo show’s production. I made a profit model, a revenue recovery model, marketing model for a single show and calculated worst and best case scenarios, pros, cons and efficiency.

Also to be a producer you need to know the market, trust the right kind of people and believe in your skills. There will be bad days, there will be losses but something stand-up has taught us is to keep bouncing back and do more and more!
As far as the gender is concerned, there’s no denying that the female representation is less than their male counterparts in comedy. However what’s truly encouraging is that most of the female comics from Delhi are either fresh graduates or college going students.

What’s your opinion about the “marks don’t matter” campaign?

Mohak Arora: Marks don’t matter is a campaign that was much needed given the ever-increasing suicide rates of students in India. We need to still spread the message more and help it reach the middle class parents who are still trying to force their kids into IITs. While, it has helped a lot of people out (see comments section of Vir Das’s first video on this), the campaign did not explore that a person needs more skills and work experience to make up for the lack of marks. I would have liked it if the comics emphasized a bit more on that.

What’s your opinion about the college audience? Comedian like Chris Rock believe that they can’t take a joke on sensitive issues. What are your views about that?

Kevin Sam: I don’t know what colleges Chris Rock has performed at obviously, but in India college audiences are much more supportive than that at a public show. They almost laugh at anything you say which is also somewhat a bad thing since if you killed at a college competition, that doesn’t mean it will be the same at a public show.

But at the same time there are some colleges that are totally against stand up. I remember going to a college competition where poetry, music and comedy were combined together into one competition. First of all, these three can never be judged together. And on top of that, the students had a preconceived notion that comics just abuse on stage. Now they might have had an experience where a new open micer got on stage and said some stuff that shouldn’t have been said, even in private. There are many people who do that. But then the colleges need to themselves weed out these people from the line up by doing some background and content checks. A seasoned comic would never give you such an experience.

And because of this preconceived notion, we had to faced a lot of unnecessary heckling and derogatory remarks from the students. A girl when asked by her own friend to not heckle said “Aree I’m just heckling na, he should know how to handle a heckler”.
Now how can we possibly perfom in front of people who don’t want us to perform.
But then again, there are just a few colleges that have such people in them. Other colleges are much more supportive than this.

Featured Image Credits- Photowale Bhaiya

Khyati Sanger
[email protected]

Before you begin your own blog, remind yourself of the following things and prepare yourself accordingly.

  1. Clear Vision

You need to have a clear vision about what your blog attempts to deliver to your audience. Is there a gap that you are trying to fill in the society through your blog? Is it a personal or public space? Narrow down your focus to make it sharper and more accurate.

  1. Consistency

It is very important to be consistent with your posts. Stay active and keep posting. However, that must not make you compromise the quality of your content. Strike a balance. There is no real way of doing it. It is a decision you make for your own space.

  1. You will not grow popular instantly

If you think you will gain a following very soon or go viral, hold your horses! It doesn’t happen like that. Viral things go out of attention as quickly as they get into it. It will take time to build a loyal fan base and that should not make you question the worth of your blog. It is the general nature of the internet.

  1. You will meet people who disagree

Your blog promotes an idea. Every idea faces two reactions. One of them is supportive, and other is opposing or maybe even that of indifference. Therefore, even your blog will attract a crowd that does not agree or resonate with your ideas. Remember that it is fine and it does not put your blog into question because this difficulty is not unique to your blog. Every blog has it.

  1. Practice is the key

You will not understand it in one go. You won’t event understand it after reading long posts on its strategies. But, if your practice posting and keep at it, then you’ll get better at it and understand it. You will learn only by working on your blog. First-hand knowledge and practicality are what blogs are all about. They cannot be theorized.

 

Best of luck. More power to you!

 

 

Image Credits: Unsplash

Khyati Sanger

[email protected]

What is taught in an 8:30 class that cannot be taught in a class that takes place at 1PM? Nothing, really. But you got to do what you got to do.

 

  1. Find a travel partner

If there is someone whom you travel with, to the college, you’ll find yourself finding enough motivation to wake up early morning to go to the college with them. Coordinating with them and making sure you both have woken up to reach college on time can really help. Having company and knowing they are as doomed as you, gives an uncanny satisfaction!

 

  1. Unique Alarm Apps

Some alarm apps like ‘Alarmy’ are for sleepy heads like us! They are loud alarms that won’t get dismissed unless you complete a few challenges that the apps bring you. These challenges will definitely get you out of bed and wake you up before you can complete them. Some of these are solving puzzles, solving math problems, and even taking a selfie.

 

  1. Looking forward to something in the day

Looking forward to tasty breakfasts, events, catching up plans or even a new shampoo can give you the small motivation you need to get the day rolling. Notice when you’re excited or anxious about something, you are conscious of it and do wake up on time for it, like your exams or birthdays.

 

  1. Asking for help

Your parents woke you up for school when you were kids, but you might as well learn you’re still a disappointment and need their help. Ask your parents to wake you up for your class. At least they’ll be happy you’re attending it!

 

  1. Acceptance

Accept you are a failure and the sun isn’t warm enough. Sleep in, miss the class, regret and come back to this article.

 

Khyati Sanger
[email protected]

Following too many pages on positivity? DU Beat analyses why it’s time for you to unfollow them.

Here, I quote my good friend, Lilly Singh, “THIS GON BE SOME REAL TALK, HOMIE!”

It is very often that you see Tumblr Quotes and motivational pieces that tell you how everything is positive and you should be grateful for everything. It teaches you to be in that mindset all the time. However life is never only positive. It may sometimes be tough and negative. However, when you begin feeling that everything needs to be positive, you take your hardships negatively. Don’t force yourself to be happy. After a point, we begin to refuse to admit that anything is wrong in reality. It is important to remember that positivity does not rest in refusing to see a problem as a problem. It is in looking at the problem, admitting it, and then being positive enough to find a solution to it so that you can work towards it. Refusing to admit that there is a problem will leave you superficial. It will never give you the opportunity to make your life better by solving the problem. Toxicity increases when the motivational quotes force you to keep up with that superficiality.

Furthermore, every quote of positivity that you see may not be relevant to your situation but you apply it to yourself anyway. If you are in a toxic relationship and see a quote about consistency, it must not be deemed relevant to you, no matter how positive it is. Every situation is unique and requires personalized specific analysis to come to a conclusion. The person behind the screen who posted that quote doesn’t know your situation and may not even intend the quote to have such an impact on you. Every situation does not lead to a positive outcome when tackled with the ‘positive’ advice.

Lastly, the fact that you are following so many pages that intend to bring positivity to you, makes you believe that you are negative and cannot be positive yourself. That, my friend, is not just bad for your self-identity but also is completely false. Everyone’s notion of positivity is not the same. Do not restrict your idea of positivity to what the page believes it is. Different things give positivity to different people and you can create your own positivity. Don’t use cramps when you can independently walk on your own!

If you find yourself being unable to be naturally positive for a long while, maybe try to talk to your friends about it or go for therapy. But first, explore yourself, let go of these pages and try to create your own happiness.

 

Feature Image Credits: success.com

 

Khyati Sanger

[email protected]

Prajakta Koli, the owner of YouTube Channel MostlySane, spoke with the same fervour to DU Beat like she does in her videos.

Khyati: There is a certain blurring of lines between a fan and a friend to create a loyal community in the type of career you’ve chosen. They might feel entitled to some kind of personal information about your life. How do you feel about that?
Prajakta: Fair question. It depends on where you draw that line and your communication with your followers. If from the very beginning, you go like, “we are friends, family, best friends” and then later you go like, “but this is my personal life” then it’s wrong. But if you have it clear that “listen, I am here for you and you’re there for me,” then you can draw a line. I feel like you have to work on it from the very beginning and make
it clear.
A lot of young people are on the internet and they spend so much time there that they don’t have actual relationships. They have people they go to places with but at the end of the day, they would rather come home and write an email to their favourite YouTuber.They message us saying they had a really bad day, or a breakup. That tells us that the trust and loyal the factor is too hyped. I try to reply to most of them but there are so many emails and its so heartbreaking! I don’t think they reach out to me for a solution, but they only want someone to share it with. Sometimes, they are so lonely because of the amount of time they spend away from people, staring into their phone screens that this becomes their comfort zone.
K: What is your opinion about people blatantly saying that you “copy” a few other YouTubers?
P: Luckily for us, it has come down in the past two years. In the beginning, I completely believed them. I didn’t even realise that I was copying her, but I was. If you watch Superwoman’s (Lilly Singh) videos, they are so infectious! I have spent a whole summer, watching her videos, it had to rub off on me! It took me time to find what my audience liked to watch, and what sort of content I liked creating. Finally, I think I know this is my area, and I can experiment here.
K: Does one always have to club YouTube with other jobs to earn enough to be able to sustain oneself?
P: I don’t think you can do a full-time job and have YouTube on the side. It requires your undivided attention. Full time job karke jaan hi nahi bachegi (You don’t have enough strength left if you’re in a full time job), especially in metro cities.
Weekends pe hum pade rehete hain ki hila nahi ja raha bhaiya bilkul bhi. (On the weekends we just lie around, like, dude I can’t even move!)
It is like a start-up. It takes some time to get the ball rolling. I have been pursuing my YouTube career for almost four years now and I have started making substantial money only this year. I am fortunate that I come from a family where my parents gave me the support to try out YouTube. Otherwise, you fund yourself. You’re your own boss, it’s
a beautiful job. It’s difficult in the beginning. I won’t say it’s not for everybody, but it’s not easy.
K: Do you think the influencer business is credible, considering a seven-year-old is the highest earning YouTube influencer of this year?
P: That is a creator to creator decision. I began with one video a week. Moved to two videos in the second year. For the past year and a half, I have been making three videos. It happened in the reverse order for me. If you know your
quality is getting compromised, you are losing out on momentum. I believe nothing works other than content, yaar!  You could have the money to pump in videos and attract more people but if your content isn’t good, it won’t help
you. Before investing in camera, mic, and stuff like that, make your content better. Be consistent. You’ll lose out on the momentum if you go missing after posting a good video. Listen to your audience, they are very honest on YouTube. Give it some time. You don’t become famous with one viral video.
K: What is your opinion about the recent crackdown on fake subscribers that occurred on 13th and 14th December?
P: YouTube did a clean-up. Kaafi logo ko kaafi heart attack aaye. (So many people got heart attacks!) YouTube does this clean up regularly. The dead and inactive accounts are removed. It’s chill for you if you haven’t bought any
numbers. It’s great, it’s healthy for YouTube. Most of us have organic numbers. Inactive accounts are removed so there is always a slight drop that happens, but everyone knows this is going to happen. They weren’t giving you views or engagement anyway. This year, our drop was only 2000-3000 followers, which is hardly anything!
K: Do you think that the influencers must be answerable for the brand they endorse since it is a powerful recommendation for the viewers?
P: That is something we follow. Every brand deal we do, we make sure it comes very organically to the channel. I can’t make any forced integration especially since I am a comedian, I can’t afford to look like a sell-out. I can’t let people think I am talking a certain way since I am being paid to do so. We try to make sure that it fits in with the content. I have a certain kind of responsibility towards a brand. We know that since we have a loyal audience, they
will trust us blindly. It also threatens our credibility, we lose trust so it’s like a two-way street.
K: How was your experience at United Nations (UN) and why do you feel so strongly about cyberbullying? Do you think YouTubers have it worse?
P: UN was amazing. When I got the news, I was like “STOP! Don’t joke!” But it happened! We entered the
headquarters and I had thought that entering the building will be super dramatic, but the most chilling experience was at the hallway, which has the flags of all the countries of the UN. Going there and touching the Indian flag for the first time in my life was something I’ll never forget! I had not touched the flag in 25 years of my existence. Just
being on that podium and speaking and having your name flash on that screen, still gives me goosebumps. I
am so grateful!

I think we have reached a point where everyone has experienced cyber-bullying. YouTubers are more highlighted and thus, more prone to it. Nobody has it any worse. It depends on how you deal with it. Some believe in showing them their place. I personally chose not to react to hate and trolls, because then you end up giving them the
validation that they don’t deserve in the first place. Self-censoring is very important.
Let’s all use the internet wisely for a positive purpose. It’s like the yin and the yang. There is so much darkness, but it is also a platform where people get to speak and be themselves. Let’s use it more for that and be responsible consumers!

Feature Image Credits: Mid-Day

Khyati Sanger
[email protected]

On 19th October, DU Beat spoke to Nishant Suri, the winner of Comicstaan Season One about his journey in comedy. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Khyati: You have switched between lots of professions. What made you stick to comedy?

Suri: I switched from my corporate set-up because I realised it was not my thing and not something I can do for the rest of my life. The switch was pretty natural. People tell me, ”Oh, you are so brave.” But it wasn’t like that. I was really unhappy and decided that I can?t do this. So I started to figure out what talents I had. I used to capture photos at my family weddings and I liked it. There are so many emotions that I liked capturing. I realized I could earn money off of this.

I don’t remember what prompted me to go for comedy but I also went for an open mic. I prepared 10 minutes. It went well. I started doing other couple of open mics. I had no aspirations or dreams with it, I wanted to do it on the side. I quit my job, I moved back to Noida.

It took me 4-5 months to start earning off of photography. I wasn’t very serious about comedy at that time. Last year, I got tired of doing it. Standing for 12 hours, taking photos, then editing those 1800 photos. Most people didn’t appreciate it and bargained like I was selling vegetables.

Then, last September Comcistaan happened. I progressed into comedy.

I don’t know if I will definitely stick to comedy. Life is uncertain but I am pretty sure I would like to stick to comedy. Mann lo, wild thought, agar Bollywood aa gaya toh? (Just imagine, wild thought, if I get the opportunity to get into Bollywood?) I am very open to change. And I get bored, sort of quickly.

Khyati: When was the first time you got on stage?

Suri: April 2014.I went after office. I got a few members from my team to come along. I also got a few friends, which is obviously good because they are going to cheer you. Plus, I had a few decent jokes. Some of those jokes I even used in the auditions of Comicstaan.  So, it went pretty well. I didn’t know I had 5-6 minutes. I ended up doing ten.

I don’t really have a struggle story. In any art form the first year you won’t do well. There is always an initial struggle. That’s pretty much the struggle I had. I was financially well off because I was at home and I was earning off of photography. I have been lucky. Even my parents have been supportive.

 

Khyati: Who is your favorite comedian and why?

Suri: My favorite is Louis C. K. (It is) not a very politically correct answer but it can’t change just because he turned out to be a horrible person. What he does on stage, I really like it. A lot of people have this confusion about whether you can disassociate art from the artist. I don’t know, but for me, I can. I like his skill. I find him funny.

Khyati: What has been the biggest obstacle in your journey?

Suri: It is the fear of failure. Initially I give people what they wanted which makes you a little commercial. I am still like that in a way. There are comics who did what they wanted to do and struggled for the first few years but they are  really good. They have developed their own style. The fear of failure stops me from trying out new things. For instance, I haven’t tried my hand at story telling because of the fear of bombing on stage. You lose it when you perform more. I have still not lost it.

There is a tug of war between what I want to do and what the people want on stage sometimes.

 

Khyati: What are your plans for the future?

Suri: I never make long term plans for the future.  I am moving to Mumbai. I first believed in destiny. You can’t know what will happen to you. Last January I didn’t know Comictsaan would happen and change my life so much. I want to go there I want to make a good one hour special over the next 5-6 months. I want to become better.  As far as the Dua Suri show is concerned, we might stop that in a couple of months because we might like to do our solos, or we might make it into a novelty show. But it is still very uncertain.

If you could choose a winner in your place, who would it be?

Rahul Dua. He was good at different genres. Even in the finals it could have gone either way. It was my day so I ended up doing better. Rahul dua is my personal favourite. And even Prashasti is amazing. She is hilarious off stage as well, and will only get better.

 

Khyati: What do you dislike and like the most about Comcistaan?

Suri: They could have shown a bit of the back story. Not as dramatic as reality shows  but just to tell the people more about who we are. It helps build a stronger connection with the audience. I mean it was their first season, right? It was new for everyone in India.

What I like the most is that it has completely changed my life. I love that we were pushed to do different genres within a week. It gave us confidence in our ability. I wouldn’t have done that Ramesh set. It was done in 4-5 days.  Usually, I have low self-confidence. . But here I couldn’t embarrass myself and fail. It was a good motivator. They forced us to come out of our comfort zones.

Khyati: Are you open to doing college shows as well?

Suri: Yes, why not? They are always better than a corporate show. There are young people. You connect with them. And colleges pay decent money.

 

Khyati: Which of your sets in Comicstaan were the most popular, according to you? Is it your favourite? How did you come up with it?

Suri: The Ramesh one. It is my favourite and I am really proud of it. People still come up to me and ask me “Ramesh mil gaya kya?”

I had a different concept planned out about the stage being an Inbox and I being an email looking for my brother email named Ramesh. When I was planning this in my house at midnight, I shouted for Ramesh and I decided I wanted to do this through the entire set. I just wanted to be there looking for Ramesh. So I don’t give any backstory. The novelty was not enough and the audience needed more. There had to be more jokes and a backstory. So I added that. Then I added an ending. I loved when I asked someone from the audience member to look for Ramesh. He actually shouted his name and played along. I smiled. I was so happy!

Khyati: What do you have to say to the budding comedians?

Suri: Don’t be one! We don’t need more competition! We are very happy with the shows we are getting. We would not like to share them! But if you really want to, it is scary going on stage and there is no doubt about it. And it is going to be scary for the first hundred times. Then it becomes better. There is no harm in giving it a shot. Everything is scary initially. But if it is something you want to try, register for an open mic. Force yourself.

You will be terrible initially, unless you are exceptional. So, give yourself some time and do open mics, before deciding on whether you want to really continue with it or not. It is important to go on stage rather than sitting at home and writing jokes.

 

Image credits: IMDB

Interview taken by Khyati Sanger

[email protected]

Interview transcribed by:

Khyati Sanger

 

 

PCOD is a common disease that afflicts millions of women every year. Read on to find out more about it.

Poly-cystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) is a common disease that, as the name suggests, refers to the enlarging of the ovaries with multiple small cysts on the outer edge. These cysts are just premature eggs that could not be released by the ovary.  There is no ‘one size fits all’ for PCOD. It causes different effects on different bodies.  Having mentioned this, it is also noteworthy that PCOD is the most common cause of female infertility in the world today. In India, there are more than one million cases of PCOD detected every year and the condition is  increasingly on the rise. It can be easily detected with an ultrasound test.

Every human body releases a healthy combination of male and female hormones depending on the sex of the person. However, an excess of androgen or male reproductive hormone secreted by the female bodies is the major cause of PCOD. If the female members of a family suffer with ‘type 2’ diabetes or PCOD, then the female offspring has a fifty percent greater chance of suffering from it.

Generally, if the body is resistant to insulin, it will lead to a high level of insulin left unused in the body which can be another cause of PCOD. It can be a result of genetic factors or overweight or both. Skipping meals or staying physically inactive can become a cause of PCOD as it not only spoils the immune system of the body but also fluctuates the weight of the body that has an effect on the insulin. High levels of mental or physical exertion  are also  major contributors to it.

There is no fixed duration for PCOD. It can last for years or even a lifetime. However, with proper medication, it can be cured within six to seven months as well.

The first major symptom of PCOD is the stopping of or irregularity or excessive flow of blood during menstruation.. Doctors say that if a woman has 8 or less menstrual cycles in a year, she should go for an ultrasound test for PCOD. Since ovulation is affected due to PCOD, women may run the risk of miscarriage or difficulty in conceiving naturally. This however does not imply that PCOD necessarily leads to infertility in all women.

People afflicted with PCOD often go through Hirsutism which refers to an excessive growth of facial and body hair due to increased levels of androgen. These hairs are thicker and darker than the usual hair and are often found on the chin, cheek, belly or breasts. However, they might also face hair fall or thinning of the scalp hair. PCOD is also responsible for causing an increase in the size of the oil producing glands, thus making the skin oily. This leads to a major issue of acne that  is difficult to clear and may leave marks. PCOD may cause anxiety and depression in women not only due to an imbalance of the hormones but also because of the loss of self esteem due to such  symptoms.

There are various kinds of treatment for PCOD. Therefore one can use allopathic, homeopathic and even Ayurvedic treatment for the same. The treatment may involve the consumption of contraceptive pills. Regular exercise may help the sufferers of PCOD manage their weight.  Doing yoga  is will ameliorate the disease with the additional benefit of bringing down the anxiety levels.  A sleeping pattern is important because the body and mind needs enough rest during this time.

A balanced diet goes a long way. However, this means something different for people with PCOD. . To cure oneself of off it,  one would be required to have more fruits and heavy vegetables. Kiwi is one fruit that works the best. Some foods need to be avoided, for example, sweets, rice, dairy products etc. If a person with PCOD smokes, she must try to quit, as smokers tend to have higher levels of androgen.

There are several associations trying to create awareness about PCOD, often using teal as the colour of their campaign. The one at the forefront is PCOS Awareness Association (PCOSAA). There is an urgent need of awareness regarding the same so that women become alert to the rising numbers and understand that they are not alone. They should be encouraged to talk about it freely without any taboo, so that a woman can be cured before it is too late.

Feature Image  Credits : Medical News Today

Khyati Sanger

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Students of NSIT are not allowed to clear their backlogs until the fourth semester. To apply for the same, they are also required to keep up an attendance of 75% for the backlog course and pay an amount of ?10,900. The students mailed Manish Sisodia, asking him to address the issue. Despite his response, no changes have been made in favour of the students yet.

The students of Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) have recently been facing issues with the way the college authorities have implemented Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) scheme in their college, especially in the cases of backlogs. The scheme was first implemented in the college in 2016 for the batch of 2020. Though CBCS has been in function in all Delhi University (DU) colleges, NSIT has made some changes to it by issuing a notice in the same regard.

There are no supplementary examinations. A student who has failed in a course will have to register for the entire course all over again. Furthermore, the student can do so only after the fourth semester, at the end of second year of college.

“We are unable to get any internship in our first two years if we have backlogs since we can clear it only in the third year. But that is the least of our concerns right now. If the same continues we will not be eligible to give on campus placements exams next year.” a student in his third year of engineering told DU Beat on the condition of anonymity.

 

An attendance criteria of 75% is applied to all the re-registered courses. Students with backlogs in the 5th semester are forced to attend classes in the subject with the junior students in which they have backlog.The students complain that it not only wastes their time but also gets embarrassing for them.

The authorities further refused to let the students reapply for the course if their current timetable clashes with that of the backlog subject. Students are ready to attend classes after college hours or on Saturday. However, the authorities have refused for the same. Sujata Sengar, Dean UG studies says that the college does not have a proper faculty for the students.The students are being charged a “hefty” fee of ?10,900 to register for backlog course, which includes the payment for tuition, writing the exam, and semester sheets. Since they are paying the required amount they expect the college to arrange guest faculties for them, which is not being done.

 

The students say that if their timetables clash and they are unable to clear their backlog in their last two years, they will have to do so in their fifth year.

“Our Dean tells us she does not care about our future. So all she means is that we should waste our careers’ and delay them for a year because of backlog. Is failing in a subject a crime? And if we complete our degree in 5 years instead of 4 years, then we can’t apply for higher education anywhere for a year and can’t get jobs also.The college does not even have a proper student council in place to fight for us!” a student added.

Several students wrote emails to Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and the Cabinet Minister of the education department, asking him to address the issue since the college administration did not pay heed to their demands. Only one student from the third year of Instrumental and Control Engineering got a reply from the minister.

Sisodia simply forwarded the mail to the Director of Education and the Director of NSIT, asking them to take appropriate actions. However, no action has been taken in this effect until now.

 

Feature Image Credits: Official NSIT Website

Khyati Sanger

[email protected]

When we go for our first internship, chances are we would be nervous plus excited about the work and the atmosphere of our workplace. It is beneficial to arm yourself with the knowledge of what to expect out of the internship so that you are not caught off guard. Here is a list of the same.

  1. To learn some ‘inside tricks’

If you are interning in a particular field, you will inevitably learn some tricks that only the professionals in that field are aware of. A layman or a college society would not be able to teach you these ‘inside tricks’. For example, hacks on how to identify and tackle a company’s jargon as a journalist.

  1. To grow your network

You must expect to grow your network from your first internship. You now in contact with the people of the company that you are interning with. Your network has already grown. You will also create contacts with the ‘customers’ of these companies. For example, you might get in contact with a known industrialist who needs to be interviewed for the newspaper you are working with.

  1. To be heavily overloaded

Expect to be slogging at your first internship if you take it seriously. This your the first experience of being in an office and contributing to run a company. Whatever work you will be given would feel like a ‘burden’. This will happen particularly for two reasons. One, the task will be new to you as you try to figure out what exactly is expected out of you. Two, the work might be more than what a typical college student can do.  Nevertheless, go on even when you want to quit the most and you’ll be the proudest at the end of this tunnel!

  1. To get freelancing/permanent job

If you work well, the company wouldn’t hesitate to give you freelancing or even a permanent job if you are in the last year of your college. It is so because they have invested their money, time, and energy in you and have made you capable of the output that is expected out of you. It is definitely more feasible for them to continue with you rather than going through this process all over again with somebody else. Therefore, if you do the work well, chances are you might get hired!

  1. To take a certain pride

This is your time to take pride in yourself! Expect your first internship to fill you with a confidence you have not seen before. You must earn your first stipend for this internship. To be able to show off the economic value of your services will definitely make you feel good about yourself! However, even if you don’t earn from your internship, your contribution to the company in the form of your work, ideas, and initiatives will also be a badge you can wear on your sleeve. The social validation will make you smile. Not to mention the fact that your CV will love it, too!

Feature Image Credits: Lets Intern

Khyati Sanger

[email protected]