10 Best Indian Stand Up Comedians in 2021
The advent of social media and online pop culture has brought about a radical change in the Indian comedy circles as well. The past decade saw the rise of stand up comedians from India with several comedy laugh clubs opening across the country and stand up acts going viral on social media. From YouTube trends to twitter, Indian stand up comedians have been dominating the online conversations, pop culture and content for quite some time now. We bring you a list of the most prominent and popular stand up comedians from India you can follow on YouTube and social media for a hearty dose of laughter.
1. Anubhav Singh Bassi
A qualified lawyer, Anubhav Singh Bassi was once a UPSC aspirant and also tried his luck in a food business before ending up as a stand up comedian. His acts ‘Hostel‘, ‘Waxing‘ and ‘Cheating‘ have become a sensation on YouTube with Millions of views.
2. Abhishek Upmanyu
A chemical engineer by qualification, Abhishek Upmanyu worked as a research analyst before joining ‘On Air with AIB’ as a writer and then went on make waves with his hilarious stand up acts like Friends, Crime, & The Cosmos, Delhi, Mumbai & Rich People and Breakup, Respecting Elders, & Discrimination.
3. Abish Mathew
Abish Mathew started his career as an RJ in Red FM, Delhi before switching to stand up comedy. His show Son Of Abish is quite popular on YouTube where he has hosted a number of guests including several YouTube stars and Bollywood stars.
4. Aditi Mittal
One of the fore most female stand up comedians in India, Aditi Mittal has appeared in several comedy shows across the globe. She was invited by BBC in the prestigious 100 Women Conference in London in 2013. She also appeared in the American documentary Stand-Up Planet. Her jokes vary from various culture issues and women problems in India. Some of her most popular acts online are The Story of Madhumakkhi and Bra Shopping.
5. Appurv Gupta
An engineer by qualification, Appurv Gupta has been a regular performing in several college fests and corporate events. His comedy is a humorous take of a middle class Indian family and culture where he appears as Gupta Ji. Some of his best acts include GuptaJi Ki Aeroplane Wali Journey and Apple, Micromax & Patli Pin wala charger.
6. Atul Khatri
An engineer and MBA by qualification, Atul Khatri worked as a CEO in his family run computer business before taking up stand up comedy as an alternative career option. He has performed in several comedy clubs and was also a part of the comedy group East India Company. He also appeared on several OTT shows and a number of TV commercials for popular brands, Some of his most popular stand up comedy acts include Atul Khatri on the Justin Bieber Concertand When your child turns 18.
7. Biswa Kalyan Rath
Hailing from the Eastern state of Odisha, Biswa Kalyan Rath is one of the most popular stand up comedians of India. He caught everyone’s eye with his Pretentious Movie Reviews with fellow comedian Kanan Gill. He soon became a popular face in Indian stand up comedy circles with appearances in comedy clubs across the country and several OTT shares. Some of his must-watch acts include Biswa Kalyan Rath – Extroverts and Chaos and Uber and Me.
8. Kanan Gill
Kanan Gill came into prominence with Pretentious Movie Reviews where he appeared with Biswa Kalyan Rath. He has since then appeared in the top comedy clubs of the country and OTT platforms like Amazon video and Netflix. His must-watch acts include Prem Aggan Review and Siblings.
9. Kenny Sebastin
Kenny Sebastin has appeared in several international shows as well as on several OTT platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. His stand up acts you should watch are Middle class restaurant problems & Indian Parents, OCD and Electricity at Home.
10. Kunal Kamra
A man who is always in news and controversies these days, Kunal Kamra worked as a production assistant in an ad agency for several years before starting his gig as a comedian. He has since then appeared in several ad films and OTT shows. His comedy often targets the politicians and government with some of his famous acts being Patriotism & the Government and Revisiting Demonetisation. His show Shut Up Ya Kunal! is also quite popular on YouTube where he has invited a number of eminent guests including Arvind Kejriwal, Javed Akhtar, Ravish Kumar and Asaduddin Owaisi.