Anirban Dasgupta

🎭 About Anirban Dasgupta

Anirban is a stand-up comedian, hailing from the city of Kolkata. His comedy comes from his own life journey as a former engineer to corporate salesman to the world of gags! From corporate life to marriage and social media to current affairs and more, he makes everything hilarious.

• Co-founded the comedy group ‘Comedified’ in 2012, which performs stand-up, improv, and sketches comedy.
• Winner of the ‘Weirdass Pajama Festival‘ open mic competition, India’s Largest Comedy Festival, curated and produced by Vir Das.
• Regular performer at India’s premier comedy clubs like the ‘Canvas Laugh Club‘ and ‘The Comedy Store‘.

“The other two were me and Vaibhav Sethia,” Dasgupta laughs as he admits he ran out of material a minute early.

🌄 Early Years of Comedy in Kolkata

Stand-up comedy arrived surprisingly late in the city of thinkers, and Anirban Dasgupta played a pivotal role in cultivating the comedy scene. Despite starting his own humor blog, he could only begin doing live stand-up in 2013, after returning to Kolkata for a sales job. Together with Sethia and Sourav Ghosh, he organized open mics around the city, relentlessly building a comedy scene from scratch.

• The first few venues were Mocha, The Tea Trove, and Someplace Else.
• More rooms started opening up as comedy sketches gained popularity on YouTube.

“We did shows literally anywhere we could. Be it Salt Lake or Park Street, if a room owner showed interest, we’d show up with a mic and speaker.”

🚀 Moving to Mumbai and Beyond

For two years, he held on to his day job while still performing stand-up but eventually decided to take the plunge, and quit his job to move to Mumbai and pursue comedy full-time. His ability to squeeze in punchlines quickly sets him apart, and his comedic signature shares qualities with Canadian comedian Norm MacDonald.

• Developed the 2020 black comedy series ‘Afsos‘ with his school friend, Dibya Chatterjee.
• Managed writing jobs in Mumbai’s media, advertising, and film industries.
• Released his inaugural comedy special ‘Take It Easy‘ with Amazon Prime Video.

“The content kept evolving for the better. I would add some impromptu jokes or new lines and if they clicked, I carried it on to the next show.”

🎙️ Take It Easy: An Instant Classic

Anirban’s comedy special ‘Take It Easy’ was a breakthrough, cleverly revolving around the central issue of offense-taking. Unlike traditional routines, Anirban’s material evolved organically as he performed, adding new jokes and lines that resonated with the audience.

• Anirban’s ability to squeeze in punchlines quickly sets him apart.
• The special touched on topics like Kolkata-bashing and his disinterest in having children.

“There is no similarity at all between the one I did in October and the one that was shot last month and was finally released online.”

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Personal Life: Beyond the Mic

Anirban Dasgupta is more than just a stand-up comedian; he’s a family man and a sports enthusiast. His personal life adds depth to his performances.

• Wife: Swathy Sajjalgud Dasgupta
• Daughter: Adhrita
• Favorite Football Club: Liverpool FC
• Hobbies: Enjoys playing chess and won the Comedians on Board tournament organized by Samay Raina during the lockdown.

“My mother doesn’t watch stand-up but she knows I joke about her. My wife is cool too… I would get greeted with ‘Anirban ka bachcha kab ayega?’ on the streets.”

🏢 Back to His Beloved Kolkata

Kolkata seems to be a recurring motif across Anirban’s work, a place he keeps coming back to, literally and figuratively.

“Even now in any of my shows, I always have a story from my time here. The funny thing is that most comics talk about having a bad childhood, while I actually had a great childhood in the city.”

🎉 Anirban Dasgupta: The Comedy Phenomenon

Anirban Dasgupta’s rise in the Indian stand-up comedy scene is nothing short of remarkable. From building a comedy scene in Kolkata to leaving an indelible mark in Mumbai and beyond, he has proven himself as one of India’s most ingenious jesters.

So, if you find yourself at one of his shows, don’t forget to offer him something sweet, and he might just share a few extra jokes with you!