Is there any better way to address mid-week blues than some laughter therapy? On Wednesday, March 22, Hard Rock Cafe switched up their usual roster of live music for some stand-up comedy, as funnyman Abijit Ganguly enthralled the audience with fresh jokes over delicious drinks and dinner at the 57A, Park Street.
(L-R) Keshav Mundhra and Ankiit Bharadwaj
The night began with Kolkata’s Keshav Mundhra and Ankiit Bharadwaj warming up the audience before Abijit took the stage. “Hard Rock Cafe gave us the perfect stage to unleash our talent, with a wonderful crowd to appreciate it. Performing alongside a stalwart like Abijit Ganguly was the icing on the cake,” said Keshav.
Over the next 90 engaging minutes, Abijit took audiences through a variety of topics, involving them in every single gag — evolution of marriage, greying hair, dimensions of intimacy, etc — and showing why he is one of the most popular comics in the country. From the personal to the professional and political, the comic covered the whole circle.
The audience was particularly enthused with Abijit involving them in many of his bits and making jokes based on the conversations
Laughing along
The evening was a hoot for both comedy enthusiasts and newcomers. Rickjoy Chatterjee and his wife Ipsita Dasgupta were there enjoying their first live comedy show. Sitting beside them was Suchi Chowdhury, a PhD student with RMIT University, Melbourne, who is researching stand-up comedy.
“I have been watching comedy on YouTube for five years, but always wanted to see it live. Abijit proved why the live experience can’t be replicated by making the show very interactive, and infusing our responses with relatable material,” said Rickjoy.
“I have always been a fan of Abijit Ganguly, especially for how he works the crowd. His name may be missing the conventional ‘h’, but his comedy has all kinds of humour,” Suchi added.
Rickjoy Chatterjee and wife Ipsita Dasgupta and (right) Suchi Chowdhury
Despite having grown up in Delhi, Abijit brought forth his liking for Kolkataisms multiple times in his gags, picking on everything from the city’s intellectualism to its laziness. “It’s good to be performing in Kolkata, because my last show was in Kanpur!” he joked.
