For many years, stand-up comedy in India was not very popular until the arrival of All India Bakchod (AIB), which was a big deal. I still recall how AIB’s content became the talk of the town among friends at a time when Indian stand-up was just breaking into the online space. Also at the forefront of that which which was a game changer, was Gursimran Khamba, who is a comic and writer and also one of the founders of AIB.
Early Life and Education
Gursimran Khamba was born on the 28th of May in 1987 in Delhi, India. Before breaking into comedy, he was into writing, journalism, and social issues. He studied journalism at Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi.
In many ways, his early years were tough. As a young man, Khamba spent what was for him a long time in recovery from tuberculosis and was mostly at home. At the same time he was a daily viewer of comedy videos online. What had been a source of great joy grew into something more for him, which in turn inspired him to try out stand-up comedy.
Later, he went to Mumbai and enrolled for a Master’s degree in Media and Cultural Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Also of note is that comedy was a growing influence in his life during his academic years.
Journey into Stand-Up Comedy
Khamba began with blogging, in which he discussed social and political issues. He attracted a reader base, which in turn helped him to develop a unique style that would later be present in his comedy.
His career in stand-up started at open mics, which in turn gave him a stage to put out his social, political, and everyday life issues in a humorous light.
What set Khamba apart was his topic choice, which people found out of the ordinary. Also, his humor was very sharp, sarcastic, and unforgiving, which in turn built him a very dedicated following.
Gursimran Khamba and AIB
Khamba rose to fame when he joined the founding team of All India Bakchod, which also included Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya. AIB, which at the time was a small group of friends, grew to become one of India’s most well-known comedy channels on YouTube.
The group’s main hit were their sketches, podcasts, political satire, and stand-up performances. In the case of AIB Knockout, which saw them roast celebrities like Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, that is where they achieved great success on the internet, which also brought forth great controversy.
For a large number of young Indians, AIB was a different kind of comedy which was very much in your face, internet-based and unafraid to cross traditional boundaries.
Personal Life and Legacy
Khamba managed to keep his private life out of the media. Although fans do ask about his relationships and marriage, what is public is little; what he did present to the public was always of a professional nature.
Today, Gursimran Khamba is a main player in the story of modern Indian stand-up comedy. What he went through from writing at home and working on his recovery to performing to large audiences is a tale of how, in the midst of life’s unexpected turns, some of the best careers may be conceived.
For my part, what I found most interesting in Khamba’s story was not the jokes which made him famous or the controversies he was a part of, but how he turned a tough phase of his life into a springboard for his creativity. That shift, which marked the turn of his career, is what I think of the most.
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