Samay Raina, Tanmay Bhat appreciated my comedy, says Rajiv Thakur: ‘I won’t do uncensored material’ | Bollywood News

The situation is not conducive right now for stand-up comics in Inida, after what happened to the likes of Samay Raina and Kunal Kamra. The offended brigade are on an overdrive, and unfortunately, controversies surrounding them are showing no signs of slowing down either. In this atmosphere, it is tough for comics to ply their trade. In an appearance on the Dostcast podcast, actor-comic Rajiv Thakur, known for his stellar work on the various iterations of The Kapil Sharma Show, opened up about how he has adapted to a new ‘Gen-Z’ audience, and how he has been received the younger lot like Samay and Tanmay Bhat.
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“I am having a lot of fun after adapting to a new format. When I readied my 90s Banda show, it was Samay who gave me a slot to perform,” said Rajiv, adding that he realises that they occupy opposite ends of the comedy spectrum. “We came from different worlds, had different styles and thoughts, and the audience were from different ages. Although he was very happy to see me kill the show, I did understand that my audience is different. That’s when I made a new set, and pushed myself to cater to the new audience. It’s all about reading the room, right?”
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Rajiv opened up about how he still gets confused about what works and what doesn’t, and that’s where his TV training comes in handy. “I am confused at times, but comics like Vipul Goyal, Tanmay Bhat and Samay praise me for being fast with churning out scripts for entire sets. In television, you have to constantly do something new every time we are on air. In stand-up comedy, you can repeat, and you have a chance to polish your material. That is not the case in television at all,” pointed out Rajiv, who reiterates how it is all about challenging oneself when it comes to comedy.
“If I can surprise myself, then I am pretty sure the audience would be in for a surprise too. Plus, I like how you can perform a show for hundreds of times before putting that set online. And once the audience knows the kind of comic you are, they will come to watch your show,” said Rajiv.
Known for his ‘clean’ comedy, Rajiv pointed out that he isn’t someone who is comfortable doing ‘uncensored’ material. Explaining why his shows will not have him indulge in that brand of humour, Rajiv said, “I feel that whatever I am doing will resonate with my audience. So, I don’t think I would do uncensored comedy. Also, people haven’t heard me speak in such a way during my 15-17 years in television, and they might get offended if I try such humour.”
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Understanding how it is also important to cater to an evolving audience, Rajiv said, “If they love me for what I am, why should I change. But the point is, I just have to adapt to their lingo.”