Ahead of Children’s Day, After Hrs gets celebrities to give a piece of advice to their younger selves
DNA (November 13, 2016)

Childhood brings back memories of pure and innocent moments and carefree days — spending hours playing games, fighting with siblings, indulging in sweets and getting wet in the rain. As we grow up, we tend to lose our spontaneity and curiosity, and get bogged down by the stresses of everyday life. Various personalities tell us what they would tell the child hidden within them.

‘Let my creativity thrive’: Rithvik Dhanjani, actor
To let my creativity thrive. We always say give a child a hammer and see what he or she does with it. We are extremely creative as children, and then discipline and worldly knowledge changes our thought process as we grow up. In the process our creativity goes down, which is unfortunate.

‘Change nothing about yourself’: Candice Pinto, model
The child in me is active most of the time — I’m hyperactive and fun and that’s me all the time. The one thing I’d tell the child in me is to be the way you are. Change nothing about yourself.

‘Never ever leave me’: Krushna Abhishek, actor
Never ever leave me and go. If the child goes, the innocence goes with it. All the masti will go. I still have that innocence and masti — I’ve not grown up, I never want to.

‘Be a kid at heart’: Jay Bhanushali, actor
Never think of being all grown-up and becoming mature. I like people who are still kids at heart because they are pure and can tackle all the problems without any stress.

‘Don’t lose a child’s instinct’: Aashka Goradia, actress
The one thing I want to tell the child in me is don’t lose your instinct. No matter what problem comes in front of you, your instinct is priceless. Nothing better than having a child’s intuition.

‘It’s always good to be curious’: Dino Morea, model turned actor
Always remember to remain like a child. When you have a child-like quality, there’s a certain curiousity, a zest for life. That way there’s constant learning. I always tell myself to be curious because if you think you know everything, then your learning process stops.

‘Just relax’: Sorabh Pant, comedian
Since I already have a child, I think he genuinely reminds me on a daily basis that everything is not as important as you make it out to be... like ambition. I’ve never really been the most ambitious person, in any case. I think if we take a step back and recognise the fact that babies and children are generally the happiest of the lot, it’s primarily because they really don’t give a s***. The main thing is to relax and enjoy simple easy things, like my son spends about 45 minutes being fascinated by how a car door works. And I’m sitting there doing calculations of how I have to pay service tax in 10 days or whatever and getting really worked up about it and he’s literally entertaining himself with a car door. Basically the point I’m trying to say, is I’m not going to pay my service tax anymore instead I’m going to play with a car door. The main thing I learn from kids is that happiness can be found in the easiest and simplest of things and you really don’t need to be stressed out all the time and take 10 minutes to sort of, do something which you like. It could be the simplest thing like dancing in the middle of a Virar local if you get space, playing with a ball, there’s so many things to do. That’s basically what the child in me tries to tell me, just relax.

‘Wonder in your eyes’: Shazahn Padamsee, actress
Always look at the world with wonder. And never listen to cynical people who tell me that such things are meant for kids, not adults.

'Let’s be spontaneous’: Gauri Shinde, director
I will tell the child in me, I will love you, take care of you like no one else can. Let’s always be this spontaneous and mad and never stop falling in love. I will take you out dancing more often.

‘Don’t ever be an adult’: Falguni Peacock, fashion designer
Don’t ever be an adult. Children have such innocence. They’re carefree and have no fear. I would like to deal with my life — be it any work-related issues fearlessly like a child. I should be ready to take on any challenge...

‘Make your own reality’: Payal Singhal, fashion designer
The one thing I want to tell the child in me is, ‘Don’t worry, everything will be fine and you are in charge of your own destiny. You make your own reality. So, dream big, work hard and love lots’.

‘Make more mistakes’: Payal Khandwala, fashion designer
Make more mistakes. I made quite a few anyway. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. I always wanted to do the right thing as a child. I was afraid to fall, I was a bit of an old soul. it makes you wiser as you grow up, ... because you never learn from other people’s mistakes.

‘Never stop learning’: Gautam Mehrishi, chef
Never stop learning, keep looking for teachers and always believe that the world is your classroom and everyone else your classmates!

‘Never be afraid to ask questions’: Arzan Khambatta, sculptor
Never grow up, never stop being curious, and never be afraid to ask the stupidest questions, if it helps you clear doubts.

‘Keep the faith’: Nachiket Barve, fashion designer
To keep the faith, I think it’s very important. Also to make more time for family and friends. At some level, not to worry so much.

‘Fill your life with knowledge and laughter’: Zeba Kohli, chocolatier
The one thing I want to tell the child in me is that the world is amazing and what we make of it, so make it fun and enjoy every minute of it. Fill your life with knowledge, laughter, love and prayer.

Far from posing a risk to Sorabh Pant’s creativity, a baby has opened up new horizons through self- discovery and insight in the artist’s comedy
Divya Guha (MID-DAY; May 29, 2016)

Thirty-four-year-old stand-up artist Sorabh Pant was recently surprised by his reaction to Star Wars’ patricide, “When Vader tells Luke, ‘I’m your father’, and Luke rejects him — I feel horrible!” Pant found himself wailing at Luke as he watched this old favourite: ‘Why are you rejecting your dad? Come on, Luke. Your dad loves you. He may be a bit evil, etc, but, he’s your dAd!’

Sorabh’s new stand-up act is the outcome of the soul-bending adventure of child-rearing after 14 months as a stay-at-home first-time father to a boy. And having offspring has changed him, “I’ve become more emotional. I’ve started empathising with everyone! I never thought I’d love anything as much as I love this little human.”

He finds himself on the road a lot more, too: “I am accepting any show anywhere just so I can get eight hours’ sleep! Titled My Baby Thinks I’m Funny is about how as a society we’re all getting stupider though there is more information than ever before. I also talk about hope.” It shall feature humour resulting from the comic going slightly baby-soft in the head, “it’s the insanity that came with raising him,” he said.

But one does doubt Pant’s marbles when he says, ‘I give him free shows,’ relying on the discerning skills of his toddler for feedback on his work. “My wife is convinced I wanted to have a kid only for the jokes. She may be right!” He shall revisit his childhood and 90s’ adolescence and “weird” things like sonographies and talking to a swollen belly. He says while people with babies will enjoy his show, those who do not want children will also be validated. And you don’t have to be a parent to like his jokes. Pant mainly reaches and retains his following from the web — which is a younger audience, while his following from live stage shows is slightly older and responds to jokes about kids, marriage, divorce, family planning, etc.

“I’ve tested the jokes in front of 17-year-olds and they loved it. The jokes are funny and I’ve made all of them relevant and appetising. There are stories in this show about my love marriage, planning a kid and grandparents.” There is abundant ‘silliness’ for younger people, and physical ‘stupidity’ that babies respond to but so do, surprisingly, the adults,” he believes. “I’ve realised since my son was born that no matter what your age the essence of comedy is surprise. It’s something I always knew but, it’s helping me shape a slightly different and simpler approach to doing comedy.” There is “a little bit more clarity” based on the realisation that there is something now competing to be his number one priority — usurping his work, one imagines, or perhaps his wife but we don’t ask which exactly.

WHEN: June 4, 8 pm
WHERE: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, NCPA Marg
ENTRY: Rs 300 — Rs 1,000

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 17, 2015)

Filmmaker Jaideep Verma who has previously made documentaries on the indie band Indian Ocean (Leaving Home) and filmmaker Sudhir Mishra (Baawra Mann) has now completed a documenatary on the current stand-up comedy scene in India. Mirror has learnt that the film will feature top comedians, including Vir Das, Cyrus Broacha, Johny Lever, Raju Srivastav, Varun Grover, Sanjay Rajoura, Aditi Mittal, Sorabh Pant, Tanmay Bhat, Gursimran Khamba, Ashish Shakya, Rohan Joshi, Rajeev Nigam, Rajneesh Kapoor, and legendary humorist Pu. La. Deshpande. It will premiere online in February.

Titled I Am Offended, the film has been put together by Being Indian, and focuses on the rising level of intolerance among people as well as on freedom of expression and the extent to which it can be used. The narrative develops through conversations between the comedians with a segment dedicated to some of their best performances.

Confirming this Jaideep told Mirror, "Humour has a particularly important role to play in this rather grim world we seem to have created for ourselves. Hopefully this film demonstrates that aptly."

Sameer Pitalwalla of Culture Machine, which got the comedians together for the project said, "It is an ode to the scene as much as to our promise of delighting India's Internet audiences with cutting-edge programming."