Bold and unfiltered, stand up comedian Radhika Vaz admits that she tends to make jokes about things that don’t amuse her, but is not above a fart joke!
Q Give us a peek into your upcoming show here in Goa
I have performed in Goa once before for the Literature Festival in 2015 to launch my book and I think the audience here is more my type, in the sense that they are more liberal and open minded. I am also looking forward to trying out some new material. While my act usually talk about the ridiculous double standards placed on women in society, I will also be talking about Karan Johar and Baba Ramdev among other things.
Q With women breaking norms in all fields, why do you feel there are still not many Indian women doing comedy today? Have women told you that they would like to get into the field?
Because comedy is not “feminine” or cute and women are expected to be both all damn the time. And yes, women have expressed an interest in comedy - they do it all the time - sadly I know someone whose in laws told her she couldn’t pursue comedy! It was “unbecoming” of a bahu! That’s the world we live in.
Q As someone who is unafraid to speak on topics that could raise eyebrows in India, how do people react to your shows?
I’ve had some lovely experience. At my last show here in Goa, an older woman, a grandmother, came up to me, took both my hands and told me ‘I wish I had got a chance to hear you when I was younger’. Statements like these are why we do comedy and
the bad comments don’t matter after this.
Q Studying in a boarding school and then in a college run by nuns must have very interesting. Any hilarious incidents that come to mind?
Yes many and you would need to read my book “Unladylike, A Memoir” to get the gossip on all of that! Let’s just say I wasn’t the teachers pet.
Q Do people who are close to you worry that anything and everything they say could end up on your act?
They should be if they already aren’t.
Q Did being an Indian in America make things different for your comedy performances at all?
Not really - I lived in New York which is an immigrant city and so the audience is fairly sophisticated. Also my material is more personal and less about my “indianness” so maybe that helped.
Q Being a comedian, do you find it annoying at times that people always expect you to be funny and tell a joke when you are offstage?
Yes. It is annoying but truthfully only very annoying people expect it. The real comedy fans are so cool!
Q Having Goan roots yourself, what are some of your observations about the state that you’ve had over the years?
That it’s the only civilised part of the whole country! I like the casualness and the international vibe that pervades the state. People don’t judge a women’s way of dressing here and there are no stares. In other cities, women are so nervous to be out alone and unless you have your own private car or a driver you can’t really relax.
Q What are some of the current issues around you that amuse you?
Well - I tend to make jokes about things that do not amuse me! My anger fuels my comedy. I like taking on difficult topics so that we can laugh about them and then really think about them. So while these topics do not amuse me they are part of my act - homophobia, sexual harassment of women on the street and in the workplace, the gender gap and how our everyday thought processes influence it. That said I am not above a fart joke!
