Underground Comedy Club and Bengaluru’s shifting evening culture

Many are choosing to spend an evening laughing even as the city’s comedy club culture continues to grow

Bengaluru many soon lose it’s moniker as the ‘pub capital of India,’ as both residents and visitors to the city make a beeline for stand-up shows. The ongoing month-long Underground Comedy Festival hosted by the Underground Comedy Club (UCC) is proof enough that humour has takers.

The comedy scene in Bengaluru, though still in a nascent stage, has already garnered a lot of attention. Forerunners such as That Comedy Club and Sherlock Club, despite their premature closing, set the stage for laughter as an acceptable way to spend an evening, and the city is now one of the highest ticket selling markets for any comedian.

Discussing the difference of performing in a club and a bar, Harman Preet Singh who is one of the co-founders of UCC, said it came down to one factor — alcohol. The distraction in bars and pubs are high and there is no dedicated space for the artistes to perform their material effectively. “A club provides a dedicated space for the comic and their audiences. There is no distraction. People enter, enjoy the show and keep coming back. It is a great space for introverts who do not feel out of place as everyone there is only for the show,” says Harman.

“I believe the price of a drink can fetch you a better time for an hour at a show,” says Shreya Shankar, a regular at UCC. 

In early 2023, Kartikeya Fatwani, one of the founders of UCC, pitched the idea of a comedy club in the city to Harman Preet Singh. “Initially, when he showed me the first location, I opted out of it. But when he called me again in September last year saying he found an underground space, I checked it out and fell in love with it instantly. I got my architect on board and UCC happened,” Harman said.

UCC opened to the public with its first show on November 4, 2023. Ashish Solanki, a popular standup comedian and founder of the show, The Pretty Good Roast, says, “Performing at UCC feels like you are sharing secrets with a bunch of friends huddled around a fireplace. That atmosphere changes as the comic reveals himself and how the audience receives him.”

Gursimran Khamba, co-founder of All India Bakchod (AIB) and a popular standup comedian based out of Mumbai, seconds this. “UCC has a New York-club vibe and the audiences, too, have grown in their understanding of different types of comedy. You can instantly tell whether your set is working out or not since the audience is quite close to you”.