I’ve usually employed this space to announce last acts. Full disclosure – I performed at least six times after my “exit” from comedy. It’s a hard habit to kick. But if I had to label this era, it was The Age of Endings. Along with ‘standup comedian’, I’ve killed off some of my other identities – Bombay resident, agency copywriter, smoker.
Smoker was the easiest to say goodbye to. Once you decide to stop categorising yourself as a smoker, it’s almost second nature to be sanctimonious and say ‘no’ when someone offers you a drag. Besides, the long walk from my new (now former) office to the tapri in Kamala Mill compound simplified the transition. It was a choice between two vices – sloth and addiction. Sloth wins a lot these days.
Comedy compelled me to move back to Bombay last year. Comedy is synonymous with Bombay. Living well, however, is not. Coming home to my crumbling fire hazard of a studio apartment requires motivation. If you’re not striving towards The Dream (see Flite Chappal ad featuring Varun Grover for said Dream), this environment makes you question yourself every day (Where you are, who you are, how you are, why you are-). So I am packing up and going home. For a little while. Until I choose the tier-two town I must work remotely out of. As of today, Jagadhri seems right.
Agency copywriting – what is that like in 2024? Refer Pineapple Hat Meme by cartoonist Alex Krokus. I am the one that places the pineapple on brands. Twenty months down the line, I’ll report if the air in Kalesar (38.3 kilometres from Jagadhri) makes me nostalgic for the time I recreated Moye Moye and Shik Shak Shok for motor oil, beer and jeans.
I spin yarns 