Comedy won’t be the same again

MANILA, Philippines — It’s a guaranteed night of laughs as Happy Happenings by Prime i Events brings together an all-star cast that’s out to leave everyone in stitches in what has to be the most ambitious stand-up comedy act ever to shake up the metropolis at the City Club, Makati, on March 23.

The show is headlined by one of India’s celebrated comics, Atul Khatri, with 2017 Hong Kong International Comedy Competition winner Ben Quinlan in the opener and returning funny-bone tickler Deepak Chandran as host.  Happy Happenings CEO Dilip Budhrani said it’s the biggest project ever in his checkered history as a comedy producer and he expects a sellout in the 400-seat venue.

“This event is a milestone among the many shows we’ve produced,” said Budhrani.  “We’ve put together a stellar lineup and a superstar headliner who hails from India and is on Netflix and the brand new ambassador of the Singapore Changi Airport.”

Budhrani’s wife Saira, president of Happy Happenings, said 2019 will be a busy year for stand-up comedy with exciting concept shows and amazing talents lined up to perform in Metro Manila.  Last month, Happy Happenings brought in American award-winning comedian Nicholas Anthony for a Valentine’s Show called Foolish Heart and brought the house down at the Union Jack Tavern in Makati.  Now, it’s Khatri’s turn to rock the City Club.

“We’ve been bringing in great comics for many years and we’re gaining a bigger audience as we work on growing the market for people who appreciate intelligent stand-up comics,” said Saira.  “These artists have so much laughter to share with their real-life stories and picking the fun side of the very serious and stressful lives we have.”

Aside from comedy, the Budhranis are also making available a wide variety of Indian food for sale at the venue by Annapooma Indian Restaurant, Union Jack Tavern plus a delectable spread by Nitasha Gupta and a full bar.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and showtime begins at 8:30 p.m.  Limited VIP seats are going fast at P2,000.  Standard tickets are at P1,500.  The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences is the official hotel of the Khatri show.

Khatri has performed all over the world since his first stage appearance in 2012 and making stand-up comedy his full-time occupation in 2016.  What he cracks in a show is usually out of the box and the unpredictability of his act makes for a spontaneous connection with the audience.  “I do a lot of crowd interaction,” he said.  “It’s all fun, inclusive and the audience is comfortable with it.  I’ve performed in Europe, USA, Hong Kong, Dubai and of course, India.  Audiences or rather laughing patterns vary a lot.  The Dutch don’t laugh very loudly whereas the Americans are just the opposite.  I try my best to make the audience get value for their money.  If through my act, I can entertain them and make them come back, I think my job’s done.”

Khatri said when he’s not making people laugh, he’ just a regular guy.  “When I’m not funny, I spend my time pressing my wife’s feet, washing clothes and taking my mother-in-law shopping,” he chuckled.  “I get my jokes from everywhere, from personal life to newspapers to observations and in our country, our politicians help us comics tremendously in giving us new material every day.”

Chandran once performed at a Valentine’s Day show in Manila and is excited to be back.  “The Philippines is a delight to perform for (as) Filipinos are light-hearted, so casual and last but not least, want to have a good time,” he said.  “I do jokes which make people think a bit.  I always try to leave a mark not in terms of the laughs but in terms of creating a real human connect.  The best jokes are which you can think about when you’re in trouble and still have a laugh.  My material is mostly structured around what I see in society and how it influences my life.  It could be anything from religion, politics, office culture, relationships.”

The Budhranis said the Atul Khatri Live in Manila show is a can’t-miss proposition because everybody needs a good laugh these days to cope with the stress of traffic, gasoline prices, discourteous drivers, fake news, grandstanding politicians and nosey neighbors.