Laughter the best medicine: at Sunil Grover Comedy Night

By: Lalitha Chellappan

“Comedy is surprises, so if you’re intending to make somebody laugh and they don’t laugh, that’s funny” said the Canadian comedian Norm MacDonald; however while watching Sunil Grover there was no dearth of both fun and laughter at the Blacktown Leisure Centre on 4th March. The popular comedian from India had a houseful audience in splits with his hilarious acts and antics. Walking in sporting a green sari splashing water on people to the song tip tip barsa pani play ing in the background as they stood up to get a dekko was just the beginning.

He appreciated the audience for having moved to Australia from India and having made a life for themselves while they made Australia home. He also lauded their efforts for making the time and effort to attend the event despite inflation on the rise. It’s rather rare to see visiting artists acknowledge and engage the audience to the extent to which Sunil Grover akka Guthi akka Dr Mashoor Gulati akka Rinku Devi did. What a humble and unassuming entertainer despite the celebrity status that he carries with such ease.

He enthralled with his humour as the show went on and kept the audience engaged through the show, be it jump - ing off the stage to have a conversation with a couple walking in late or selecting people randomly pulling their leg or calling a group of women on stage to play a game. He didn’t even spare his own staff who were subject to his constant wit and instant comedy.

The part of show when he had female audience on stage playing a game seemed a bit stretched in the author’s view but he displayed so much regard and respect for each of them as some wanted selfies with him while he wished one of them a Happy Birthday, just as he called out to the extended families of others as he was requested by the lucky fans on stage, it all seemed worthwhile. He even managed a few dance steps with the participants in the game, much to everyone’s delight.

His mimicry of popular personalities such as Dharmendra, SRK, Big B and Kapil Dev to name a few was par excellence and was a key highlight of the show. His humour shone through as he ended the act with Kaun Banega Accha Pati in KBC style inviting a couple from the audience and gracefully interacting with the two couples that instead landed on stage in his unique comic style.

Additional entertainment by dancers from Road2Bollywood to kickstart the event and later kids dancing on stage to bhangra beats were a treat to watch. As audience, whether they had a chance to directly interact with Sunil Grover or respond to his remarks thrown at them or to simply sit back and have a good laugh, there was something