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Business News/ News / Business Of Life/  Samir Khullar | Sweet nothings
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Samir Khullar | Sweet nothings

Stand-up comic Samir Khullar switches from acerbic commentary to poking fun at the audience

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Sugar Sammy

OTHERS :

Samir Khullar was born in Canada, his family having moved there in the 1960s. He grew up in Montreal and credits Eddie Murphy’s 1983 television special Eddie Murphy Delirious as the only motivation he ever needed to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. He was 8 at the time. Success and fame came to the comic, now in his late 30s, when he began to use his insider-outsider NRI status to spotlight typical Indian quirks and eccentricities in his live gigs.

Often compared to fellow Indo-Canadian comic Russell Peters, Khullar, whose stage name is Sugar Sammy, got his first break when he was asked to open for Dave Chappelle on his Canadian tour in 2006. Khullar has since taken his multilingual shows, in English, French, Hindi and Punjabi, to more than 30 countries.

While Khullar says no topic is off-limits for any of his shows, he says much of the fodder for his Indian tour this weekend comes from the differences between the traditional and orthodox views of India his parents had him “sold on" and the “real India of today". Khullar promises to engage audience members in improvised situations but will mostly stick to a set list of his newest material. Jokes on living with his parents, his relationships, travels and sport interests are arranged just like songs in a playlist, without any kind of the gimmicky characterization “you see on Comedy Circus (a TV show)", says Khullar.

Mumbai-based laugh rioter Tanmay Bhat, who will open for Sugar Sammy in the Delhi and Mumbai shows, says international artistes like Khullar not only modify their writing on tour to include local material off the streets but expose crowds to local talent and the comedy scene.

Khullar made waves in India in August when the television channel Comedy Central aired a series of specials by comedians of Indian origin to celebrate Independence Day. According to Ferzad Palia, general manager and senior vice-president at Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd, the Sugar Sammy Live in Concert: Direct from Montreal show attracted an unexpected response through social networking websites, with first-time watchers begging for the channel to bring the comic to India. Sugar Sammy will kick off Comedy Central Presents, a new series of on-ground live entertainment shows.

Sugar Sammy Live in India, 15 March, UB City Amphitheatre, Bangalore; 16 March, Ficci Auditorium, New Delhi; and 17 March, St Andrews Auditorium, Mumbai. The shows start at 7.30pm. For updates, visit www.facebook.com/comedycentralindia

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Published: 14 Mar 2013, 09:29 PM IST
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