With 300 plus films across 11 Indian languages already in his kitty, Ashish Vidyarthi has also gained success as a motivational speaker and travel and food blogger. He has recently added another feather to his cap by becoming a stand-up comedian, having already performed to a houseful audience in multiple cities including Mumbai and Calcutta.
The multi-hyphenate actor’s Calcutta show was held at TopCat CCU in Topsia. Unique and unforgettable, the show stood out for its capacity to make the audience laugh heartily. Full of feel-good vibes, Vidyarthi’s stories and anecdotes spread genuine happiness, so that the audience did not merely laugh; they also clapped for sheer joy. His set comprised snippets of personal experiences from childhood and adulthood told in a conversational style that endeared him to everyone in the room. Beautifully interspersed with nuggets of philosophy, his script was at the same time invested with a freshness and spontaneity that made listening to them truly delightful.
One of the distinctive features of Vidyarthi’s comedy was his self-deprecating humour. His ability to laugh at himself and indulge his audience in doing the same can perhaps be defined as one of his greatest strengths as a comic. Even when his jibes at himself got too personal, he made sure that the audience did not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. The experience was one of innocent fun and friendly back-slapping banter, where one felt the urge to participate in the laughter wholeheartedly without feeling mean or guilty about laughing at someone else’s flaws and follies. His gentle, heart-warmingly funny interpretations of the ironies of life, of ageing and of just being, definitely resonated with his audience and provided a refreshing change from the exaggerated, over-the-top, raucous comedy that generally relies on oblique slurs, innuendoes or profanities to pull its punches.
The show also steered clear of roasting public figures. In what was perhaps his pièce de résistance of the evening, Vidyarthi instead chose to mimic a few eminent peers and seniors of the film fraternity, albeit in a genial way, while recounting his memories of a party to celebrate his National Award win. This segment was also a performance that had all the vigour, tension and anticipation of a well-told short story, with its hilarious twist reserved for the end.
The stories of his own life, which exposed the human capacity for unkindness, prejudice or exclusion, and held up a mirror to common social hypocrisies, were narrated with the perfect balance of jest and earnestness, enabling his audience to become more considerate listeners and perhaps, more compassionate individuals.
What Vidyarthi in his avatar as a stand-up comic provided was good, clean fun, and suitable for the whole family and an audience of all ages, and they all went home with their hearts filled with laughter and happiness. This was, in fact, a special brand of comedy blended with tiny life lessons that could spawn a whole new genre of family entertainment.
Vidyarthi is all set to return to Calcutta with ‘Sit Down Ashish’ on June 16 at The Black Cat, 7pm. For tickets, log on https://in.bookmyshow.com/ events/sit-down-ashish-feat- ashish-vidyarthi/ET00399337 or call +916290959457 for reservations.
