www.newindianexpress.com READ TUESDAY SHARE newindianexpress.com FOLLOW Mail us: [email protected] 3 FEATURES 10� 10� 2017 Exaggeration & a bit DIGEST of absurdity...his new recipe for laughter

● Roshne Balasubramanian

o get a good platform, stage time and audienc- es who appreciate his/her work is the dream of every standup comic. Karthi Durai, a city T based standup comic-cum-social media strate- gist, who was recently part of the second edition of Kaapi Chronicles, a performance evening, concurs. “It doesn’t matter how many people you perform for, it’s the stage time that matters the most!” claims the 23-year-old who hails from the ‘sub-continent’ Avadi. “By the time I finish my work, open mic events in the city, head back home and knock the door, it’s 2 am al- ready and my father mistakes me for the milkman,” Cycles parked at a metro station in the city chuckles the engineering graduate. In a tete-a-tete Convocation at Hindustan Univ with Karthi, we find out about his love for observa- Hindustan University conducted its 8th tional comedy, taking digs at dog aficionados and his convocation ceremony recently where more dream to make a career out of standup comedy. than 1,000 students received their degree Just like a majority of engineering graduates, certificates. The chief guest, S Christopher, You ride their two Karthi was jobless for about eight months. “Then secretary, Department of Defence (R&D) and I joined ‘Small Wall’, a digital marketing firm, run by Chennai Memes,” he shares. A YouTube video of chairman, DRDO, was presented with the standup comic Kenny Sebastian, which he stumbled honorary doctorate. The guests of honour upon about a year ago, paved way for Karthi to try his were Mecca Rafeeque Ahammed, chairman, hands in the art. “I am a very humorous person by na- Farida Group of Companies, Alex Jacob, wheels free of cost ture. When I saw that video of Kenny, I was amazed structural engineer, United Consultant, and and amused. The premise of the comedy was very re- Karthikeyan, Formula One Racer. latable and humorous and that’s when I decided to try it,” he recalls. � Now, cycle every day to your office from the metro station at Since then Karthi has been a regular at open mics and has done over eight shows, including two in Alli- Vadapalani, Shenoy Nagar and Nehru Park SMS ance Francais of Madras. “The initial shows bombed and no body cracked at my � Kochi-based Athi’s Bicycle Club recently launched its services formats jokes. It made me wonder in Chennai, and is planning to expand to all metro stations what I was doing wrong and that’s when I began figuring out the base of the art. In- To know about the club: cidentally, ‘Tanglish Com- ● Anushree Madhavan look after maintenance of the cycle. “The me- abc to 9645511155 edy’ organised a work- chanics are right next to the station. In fact, it is shop for newbie standup one of the major factor for me to set up the rack To join the club: comics and it helped me hile CMRL connects people in any station,” he says adding that they are name*address*e- develop a premise for my from one end of the city looking at Alandur, Koyambedu and St Thomas routines,” he explains. to another, an issue every- Mount stations next for installing the racks, mail id*profession to He loves taking digs at one faces is the commute for which he has ordered more cycles. “We are 9645511155 anything and everything and W from the station to their looking at making the total number of cycles in it all comes from observation TCS wins Air quiz workplace. To solve this, Chennai to 60.” To take a bicycle: says Karthi who also likes to Athirup MS of Kochi-based Athi’s Bicycle Club, As per the norms for bicycle sharing, it has rack code< space write. “I wanted to become a The 17th Air India Tourism Quiz was held a free SMS-based club, has now installed 10 to be a unisex cycle. “The seats are adjustable. director. You know that boy I observe, see recently at Hotel Radisson Blu Resort, cycles each at Nehru Park, Shenoy Nagar and Only five cycles are kept outside whereas the >bicycle-ID to who is a part of every cul- Temple Bay, Mamallapuram. Jayakanthan R Vadapalani metro stations as a pilot project in other five are in a storeroom in the station. It 9645511155 tural activity in school and and then add and Vikhram Ravi from TCS won the first the city. comes out in circulation,” he shares. (e.g. npk 3600) college? I was that boy! I used my absurdity prize of two free air tickets to Washington “I started this project in 2011 by providing a Athirup seems unfazed by defaulters. “The to write and direct plays in to the premise. cycling rack for commuters in Kochi and Thiru- cause is bigger and the expenses are minimal. school and college,” he nar- DC. MV Joshi, regional sirector (coordinator) vananthapuram and got tremendous response. I Among 100 users, there will be a few defaulters To return a bicycle: rates. ‘But one can become a There’s so Southern Region Air India, A Rambabu, then expanded the project to Kochi Metro too,” and we cannot avoid it. When a user delays in rack code< space director even at the age of 40 much that general manager (commercial) Southern he shares. For the last two years he has conduct- giving back the cycle we call and talk to them. >bicycle-ID to da’, said Karthi’s father and happens around Region, R Srinivasan, regional sales manager, ed a lot of projects in various metro stations on We also change the number on the locks fre- he took up to a conventional and Air India officials/other sponsors were trial basis. quently to avoid misuse.” 9746361166 job. “His concern was genu- us from which present. Impressed with his work for the Kochi Met- Compared to other cities, (e.g. snr 3600) ine and he wanted me to have we can take cue ro stations, the director of Kochi Metro intro- metro users in Chennai a steady job. So, I did what’s — Durai, duced Athirup to the CMRL team. “According are fewer, and yes, he best. But, standup comedy is Stand-up comic to my proposal to CMRL, they will not have to was concerned about my passion and I do it to my pay me anything. Instead I will be paying rental it too, initially. “But I Rack fullest potential,” he says. to CMRL through the project,” he explains. The also realised that metro Talking about his love for racks, which are portable, have advertorial was introduced for car codes 3600- observational comedy, he shares, “Any standup space through which they get their revenue. users, to reduce the comic who has been an engineer will start with a “That’s our only source of revenue. In the other number of cars on 3629 set about engineering. For example, if Mike Ty- two cities, companies like HDFC, LIC and othes the roads. And son was in Chennai, and he wouldn’t go to box- MNCs have used our space,” he adds. Chennai has a Bicycle-IDs ing class; he will only go to a special class!” Introduced on Vijaya Dasami (September 30), good public quips Karthi. the project has 10-15 daily users. You don’t have transport Nehru Park But his recent observation is about his to pay a paisa to use the cycle. “We have a very system like npk equation with dogs. “If I see a dog any- simple mechanism. The user will have to send local trains where in the vicinity, I will not walk. I will the station code via SMS to us and we will give and buses,” take an Ola Share and go around the city! them a confirmation call. Then we send them he points out. This realisation has become my new idea the cycle code. Each cycle has a number lock, “The CMRL and I am working on developing different and the particular number will be sent in the had plans of routines from it, with a mix of my absur- SMS,” he says. introducing dity and a pinch of exaggeration,” says First executive programme The registration is done through the first cycles, but Karthi whose favourite city based standup The School of Policy and Governance SMS after which the user is told all the rules. commuters Shenoy Nagar comic is Jagan Krishnan. “He solves com- conducted its first series of executive “We have three main conditions. Firstly, they were vary snr edy like math and knows how to work it out. programme in partnership with the should return it within 24 hours. Secondly, they of paying a I love his style!” he adds. should lock it after return and lastly, they must registration Ask him about the open mic scene in Chen- University of New South Wales recently in restrict themselves to using the cycles only 100 and rental fee. nai and he says that having a dedicated club the city. Political experts, communications hours a month,” he explains and emphasises That was one rea- for all the standup comic artists is the need of strategists and digital communications that they are mainly for short commutes of son we got approved. the hour. “Almost a year back, the open mic scene experts participated. Matthew Ipcar, former 3-5 km only. Our main aim is to used to be very irregular. Now we have many plat- design director, Obama-Biden Presidential Athirup does not have or need a full-fledged make people switch to Vadapalani forms coming up.” team, Preethi Herman, head, Change.org team. In every city he needs three local groups cycles as a common mode vpi He dreams of making a career out of standup com- Foundation, Richard Mills, former head, of people - software, customer care and ground of transport. With this edy someday, but clarifies that it’s not a definite long Corporate Communications, World Bank, team, which he has set up before introducing introduction, I am sure term goal. “But, it depends on how the scene turns out and Manu Sundaram, committee member, the concept. “In Chennai, we have two people that will happen.” to be. For now I want to explore new things and get bet- School of Policy and Governance, were at the customer care desk at Saidapet,” he says. Founder of the ter every day. If my jokes/comedy today is better than present. The ground team involves mechanics who For details, visit: www.abcpbs.in or call 9744011777 club Athirup M S yesterday, that’ll be my biggest take away,” he adds. Eat, bathe in smart mommy’s organic products

● Thushara Ann Mathew not do it and give others as well. I just kids, this drink is healthy for preg- posted it on Facebook — I am a part nant women and also old people. H100 of this group called ‘smart mommies’. You can make a thick porridge out fter quitting her job in the fi- And when I put my product out there, of this and have it for breakfast. It Nithya Poshak: nance sector and while thinking a couple of people bought it and I got makes you full and at the same time 200 gm about what to do next, Vaishnavi really good feedback. So that pushed it’s healthy too,” she adds. A Krishnamoorthi came up with me to go further and that is how it all Today, there are so many organic the idea of making use of her simple started,” smiles Vaishnavi. shops in and around the city and also H80 home-made products and turning it Both her products — the health mix most people prefer to eat organic and Nithya into a small business. Organic prod- (Nithya Poshak) and the body bath lead a healthy lifestyle. So how or- Soundaryam: ucts that she would generally make (Nithya Soundaryam) are completely ganic are her products? “My product at home for her daughter and organic. The materials are also pro- is authentic, because the main ingre- 100 gm other members of her family cured from organic farms and shops. dient that I use is the ragi. And this were soon shared on social me- Since the health drink is also made is procured from my village, which is dia. “I started around a month for children, she adds a lot of dry fruits close to Vellore. And the rest I source Fusion fest at Phoenix back. I used to grind the herbal so that it tastes good. “Kids can get from a friend’s farm in Pattur, a village The fourth edition of the October fusion bath powder and health mix for fussy about food at times. So this will be close to Chennai — they grow the green festival was hosted at Phoenix MarketCity my daughter and I thought why tasty and healthy for them. Apart from grams and other millets, etc.” The produce grown in these farms with Indo-western fusion music are completely pesticide-free as they performances by Miguel Czachowski, There are almost 17 ingredients we use.The correct use only a mix made with chilli, garlic Ghatam Gridhar Udupa, Ranjan, Arun,Josy compositions are added and are ground in a proper and onion to keep pests away. John, Amith Nadig and Allwyn Jeya Paul. Murugan Rajan, centre director, Phoenix mill, where only organic products are ground For details call 8123275375 MarketCity, was present. —Vaishnavi Krishnamoorthy, Founder