The Right Room

Deep Chhabria is a stand up comedian from Mumbai. In this episode he joins me to have a conversation on his 10 years of doing stand up. We talk about the importance of creating, about 'making it' in comedy, about being uncomfortable and about dealing with Insecurities. 

Abhimanyu Panwar is a professional sailor. He has competed in several national sailing events and went to become a founder of a niche sports Start Up called Sportifying India. In this episode he sits with me and talks about how he got started, about how parents setting you free to create your own drive in life can go such a long way and we also talk about not paying too much attention in calculating risks.  If you want to go Sailing or want to try a niche sport, check out https://www.instagram.com/sportifying.india/?hl=en

In this episode I talk about a few concerns of mine towards religion in terms of whether it is in alignment with reality or not. 

It's a new year and what better way to kick start the right room than by having Comedian Praveen Kumar on the podcast. In this episode we talk about movies, about hero worship in India, about funny audience members and about how he engaged his audience even during the lock down. 

In this episode, I sit down and tell you what this year has taught us and what I've learned about watching out for people and about knocking on every door until the best door opens. 

Ravi Rao and Arnav Rao are stand up comedians from Bangalore and host of the podcast 'Between 2 Raos'.  In this episode we sit down and have a chat about religion, confrontation, about punching down in comedy and about how this pandemic might actually save comedy. 

Ashwin Srinivas is a comedian from Bangalore. In this episode we talk about being single during this pandemic, about how texting has changed relationships, about old friends and about the comedic dilemma of knowing where to be funny and where not to be so. 

Sabari Karthik is an International athlete who has represented India at various Karate Tournaments across the world. At the peak of his performance as an athlete after winning a bunch of accolades, he felt that his intuition wouldn't let him continue on that path as an athlete. His questioning led him to the space of physical education and sports training where he founded an organization called PHASE [https://www.phasesports.com/]. Do check out this episode as we talk about training camps, competing in international tournaments, what keeps athletes motivated through the rigor of training and about how the value of sports is not being imparted the right way in schools and what Sabari is doing to repair that. 

What better way to celebrate a century of The Right Room than having a chat with my best friend of ten years Ujwal Raj. Ujwal is a filmmaker, educationalist and musician. If you get to the 30 minute mark, there's some comedy for you but apart from that, In this episode we talk about being aware of the rat race, about decisions at crossroads, about being open to new experiences, about not having a job and about how education still has such a long way to go. If you're still reading,Thank you for your support throughout this journey. I'll continue to hunt down great guests and have conversations that we all can benefit from. 

Sonali Thakker is a stand up comedian from Mumbai who has performed comedy across the world. In this episode we talk about performing comedy in bars vs performing in cafes, about being a fan of comedy, about writing jokes for an international audience and about working with a manager while being your own boss. 

In this episode, I sit down with KP Krishnamoorthy who is a musician and founder of an Iconic Metal Band, Myndsnare. In this episode, we talk about exploring lyrical themes, about bass players in metal, about how Myndsnare was formed, about going to Music School after several years of playing music, about handling music differences and about making music that has a deeper meaning.

Rabhinder Kanan is a stand-up comedian from Chennai. In this episode, we have a comedy nerd conversations on writing stand up, about starting stand up as in insider in the scene, about how observational comedians are underrated, about Seinfeld and about being the only English Comic in a line up of Tamil Comedians. 

Dominic Franks is a writer and author of Nautanki Diaries which chronicles his 22 day Bicycle Trip from Bangalore to Delhi on a common man's cycle. In this episode he tells me stories from his trip, about how and why we take fewer risks as adults, about his sports teacher who inspired him and what the human body is capable of. If you want to buy his book here's the link - https://amzn.to/35iKRmB

In this episode, I sit down with my Dad, K Vasudevan and talk about his Book which he wrote and published during this lock down and about getting busy in a new project. 

Ramya Ramapriya is a stand up comedian who starred in the comedy series, Comicstaan on Amazon Prime Video. In this video we talk about her life before comedy, about writing an hour from scratch,  about writing longer bits vs writing short jokes, about learning how to register audience response and in the end we talk about what we've learned from doing stand up. Have a fun listen. 

In this episode I sit down with hilarious stand up comedian Gauthan Govindan and joke about the show Indian Matchmaking. Remember all of these are just jokes. 

Raunaq Rajani is a comedian from Mumbai who has starred in Comicstaan 2019 and is the creator of a hilarious comedy relationship show, Relationshit. In this episode, I sit with him and talk about his beginnings into comedy, about making comics laugh, about how he came up with the idea to his show, about why relationships don't work for a lot of people and about what he has learnt about being authentic. 

This is part 2 of the Conversation that I had with Punit Pania. In this video we talk about staying back in India, about how Punit wrote his blog in obscurity, about drawing inspiration from artists that resonate with us, about the inside journey of an artist, the need for art to improve the quality of life and about coming to terms with reality. 

Punit Pania is a stand up comedian based out of Mumbai. He also a writer and makes regular appearances in the TV show The Week that Wasn't. In this episode we talk about having a philosophy behind your work, about fame and about taking a stand. Listen to part 2 in the next episode. 

In this episode I sit down with Rajasekhar Mamidana a Brilliant comedian from Hyderabad who wrote a comedy show on Mental Health called, 'Clap Your Hands'. In this episode we talk about why the number of mental health breakdowns have peaked, about the undermined value of community, about the need for discipline and about how flexibility and happiness are related. 

Aakash Mehta is a stand up comedian based out of Mumbai. If you are familiar with the podcast, every year we both sit and have a heart to heart conversation on comedy and how life was in the year that went by. In this episode we talk about empathy, privilege, going on stage with a bad mood and about belief in the process. 

Sundeep Rao is one India's Finest comedians. After completing 10 years of performing comedy across the world, he released his first special, 'Thank you I'm Sorry' on YouTube. In this episode we talk about his special, about what completing 10 years in comedy feels like, about keeping up with the times vs staying authentic, about social justice warriors and about the Corona induced Lock down.  

Jaspreet Singh is a stand up comedian who became successful after a bunch of his videos went viral in 2017. Post this he started selling out shows across the country and has performed across the world. In this episode, I sit down with Jaspreet Singh and have a conversation about his early life, about how he relies on his ability to stay calm, about the fear of staying relevant, about finding one's voice and about writing material organically. 

Praveen Kumar is a successful comedian who has a new Comedy Special, Mr Family Man which is slated to premiere on Amazon Prime Video this year. This will be the first ever Tamil Stand Up Special. In this episode, he returns to the Podcast and we have a conversation about staying relevant after touring, about regional comedy, about making progress in increments and about how creating the next show can be a great zone. 

In this episode of The RRP Book Club, I discuss the summarized learnings from another of my most favourite books - Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari which is a book that chronicles the History of Humankind. 

In this episode of The RRP Book Club, I discuss the summarized learnings from one of my most favorite books - Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell which is a book that chronicles the story of success. 

In this solo podcast episode, I talk about the lessons from Eddie Izzard's Book, Believe Me, about Building Stamina and how to deal with free time without going insane. 

In this episode I sit down with Bangalore based comedian Shamik Chakrabarti and talk about going out on dates which doesn't involve alcohol, about starting comedy by doing impressions, about his joke writing process, about staying calm while creating and about funny people who will never do comedy. 

In this episode I sit down with Rahul Sarkar who is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Fighter and have a conversation on the mindset of an athlete, on how BJJ teaches you humility, about learning not to tap out easily and about his journey of pursuing difficult challenges. Also on this podcast, I sit down with a dedicated set of people at DMS academy, South India's only Pro Wrestling Academy and talk to them on the sport that they are passionate about. Thanks to Chandrasekhar, Susie Mathews and David Mathews for their time. 

In this episode I sit down with Bangalore based comedian, Gautham Govindan and talk about self-deprecatory humour, about how relationships might be bad for comedy and about hosting shows. 

Somnath Padhy is a stand up comedian based out of Bangalore. Seriously off stage is a new Segment in The Right Room Podcast where I talk seriously to a comedian about a  topic of joke that he/she is working on. In this episode we cover a wide spectrum of topics ranging from second chances, religion and politicians with criminal records. 

In this episode I sit down with my old friend Sandeep Pai who is a renowned Music Producer and DJ and talk about how he got started, his creative process, the myth of pursuing perfection, the importance of networking and about pushing past creative and personal barriers. Here's the Detailed Show Notes -01:48:00 - The start of it all. 05:50:00 - Being unique in the art field.10:00:00 - Achieving Perfection, a myth 13:34:00 - Sandeep's creative process 19:00:00 - Work-life balance in the creative field. 25:28:00 - Getting out and networking is work. 30:00:00 - Fighting creative block 35:01:00 - Dealing with self-doubt39:00:00 - After a bad gig

In this episode I sit down with writer and researcher, Sharik Laliwaya and have a conversation on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and about why it is a threat to the democracy and secularism of India. 

In this episode I sit down with celebrated body builder Ajay Mishael and have an intense conversation on what inspired him to get fit, about being shamed and using that as inspiration, about steroid abuse, about the truth behind being a fitness influencer and about working hard to be somebody that you truly admire. 

In this episode, I sit down with Sandesh Johnny & Bhavneet Singh, two comedians from Hyderabad who embarked on an all India stand up tour by road. Together they've performed at almost every imaginable venue in the country and tell the rough, dirty and engaging story of how they did it. 

Stand Up Comedian Satish Perumal is my favorite comedian when it comes to doing crowd work. In this episode, I sit with him and talk about the Joker, about reading people and about funny stories of audiences that he's roasted at his shows. 

Sudarsan Ramamurthy a.k.a Soda is a stand up comedian, author and storyteller. In my recent trip to Chennai, he came over to where I was staying and talked to me in detail about dating, ghosting, break ups and about the importance of putting yourself first. 

In this episode I sit down with Mumbai based comedian Bhavish Ailani and talk about playing to the back of the room, about recording a new video, about religion and about addictive behavior. 

In this episode I sit down with Hyderabad based stand-up comedian Rohit Swain and talk about bachelor pads, growing up in the 90s and about how hard it is to nail stand-up as an art.

In this episode I sit down with stand up comedian, podcaster and writer, Navin Noronha and talk about his start into comedy, about his solo show 'The Good Child', about talking about his homosexuality on stage, about the positive response to his work and how he sees his comedy as a voice for activism and positive change. You can follow him on Instagram - @houseofnoronha. You can also check out his Stand Up Videos on YouTube and listen to his podcasts - keeping it Queer and Varta Lab on your favorite Podcast Streaming Platform. 

Following a Ban on Music at clubs in my city, I started to think if our government is more rural biased as opposed to urban biased. This got me thinking about the possibility that I could be wrong about everything that I expected from the economy from the point of view a 'privileged urban Indian'. So I decided to talk to my friend, Thejas Sundar who is a brilliant Professor of Economics and ask him a few of the questions that were bothering me. We talk about recessions, offices being over-staffed, employees being over-qualified, about the importance of creating and about how we hate to admit to the word 'mediocre'.

In this episode I sit down with comedy buddy Kritarth Srinivasan and talk about what frustrates us. We cover being broke, online dating and talk about people who should not be parents. 

In this solo podcast episode I talk about the increasing surge of fake news, about how people use fear to control other people and about trying to be accountable. 

Kunal Rao is a stand up comedian and writer from Mumbai. In this episode I sit with him and have a conversation about positive self talk, about how the word 'cool' runs the world, about horrible corporate shows and about the value of putting yourself in a good mood. 

In this episode I sit down with Simran and Siddharth who started floh, a singles community after interviewing about 40,000 single people. In this episode we talk about the difficulty of finding meaningful relationships despite the increasing avenues of connecting with people online, the change in the role of women and men in relationships, about not feeling bad about being single, about the importance of healing after a break up and the key to attracting the right people. 

In this episode I sit with Arnav Rao and talk about how people get carried away with trends that are unlikely to last and about the importance of being unique. 

In this solo podcast episode I talk about offensive comedy and about the importance of stepping out. 

In this episode I talk about the ever increasing amount of free time that we are going to have as more and more of our tasks get automated and about learning to be intentional in how we live our lives. This episode is inspired by Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari. 

Punya Arora is a talented stand up comedian who has been touring the country with her show, 'Meri Ma Ki'. In this episode she sits with me and we talk about being your own boss, about being good to yourself, about giving yourself off days and about what Punya has learned from doing her solo show. 

Overthinking is something that I struggle with and in this episode I talk about a few lessons that I've learned about from various sources that are helping me. The books I cover in this episode include Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson, 12 Rules for life by Jordan Peterson and More than Happiness by Antonia Macaro. 

Sanjay Manaktala is a Stand Up Comedian, Author, Podcaster and Filmmaker. In this episode he sits with me to talk about Social Media and the direction we are taking with it that impacts our happiness, productivity and relationships.