Written by: Subboh Jaffery
Posted on: January 16, 2019 | 
| 中文
(L-R) Faisal Imtiaz, Kinza Mujeeb, Faheem Azam, Sharik Kazi, Faraz Ahmed, Ammar Zaidi, Sana Khan Niazi and Annie Shamim
From being a nation that saw legends like Omer Sharif and the late Moin Akhter, we have slowly lost our taste and appreciation for comedy. However, in the last few years, comedy in Pakistan is witnessing a rebirth. Fresh, young and talented comedians have emerged across the country, and every weekend there is a comedy show taking place somewhere in Karachi. Enthusiastic performers take to the stage, generally in groups of 6-8, and entertain a relatively small but energetic audience.
Among those working on reintroducing comedy and helping it grow, is a group called the ‘Comedy Scene.’ Born in January 2016, ‘Comedy Scene’ has since worked tirelessly to give young artists a platform to display and perform their art, as well as helping them improve. From the technical aspects to the execution, ‘Comedy Scene’ has been contributing actively, having featured up to 40 comedians thus far.
Their most recent venture is a monthly series by the name of ‘Hot Mic Night.’ I had the pleasure of attending the 7th edition, which took place on 11th January, 2019, at Karachi’s The Second Floor (T2F). A young audience of around 70-80 people attended, with Faheem Azam as host. The line-up for the show consisted of 7 performers, some of whom I had seen before.
This was my first time ever watching Faheem Azam perform, and I’m so glad I finally did. He joked about all sorts of things, often venturing into political or social satire, which left the entire room echoing with laughter. He’s one of the funniest comedians I’ve seen live, and was by far my favourite at the show. Every time Faheem would take over to introduce the next performer, I would get excited. From his jokes to how he delivered them, he’s a brilliantly funny individual.
Sharik Kazi was the first comedian to perform his set, but unfortunately I couldn’t catch his performance. When I walked in, he had just delivered his last joke, and the entire crowd was laughing, so I guess he did quite well. I did hear that he’d joked about Karachi’s traffic and what it’s like to date a psychiatrist. As I settled down, Faraz Ahmed, the second performer of the evening, found his way to the stage. I have seen Faraz perform before, and he’s not bad. His set featured some audience interaction, which got a decent reception from the onlookers.
Ammar Zaidi was the next one on stage. Zaidi has a decent sense of humour, and a worrisome love life. His set comprised of his jokes (read: complaints) about how hopelessly single he is. He narrated some pretty funny anecdotes from his all-boys school, before he expressed his displeasure at being a BBA student - a part that was horrifyingly relatable for me. His style of delivery got him quite a few cheers and laughs from the crowd, and I also enjoyed his set.
After his set, Sana Khan Niazi was next. I’ve seen Sana perform multiple times, so maybe she wasn’t as funny this time around, but still put up a solid performance. She loves talking about her family, and how Pathan they are, so she started with just that. She had the crowd laughing before she expressed her annoyance with rich people and their absurd lifestyle. As I’ve said about her before, terrific set, Sana!
After Sana, another familiar face took up the mic. Kinza Mujeeb started her set with trouble at home i.e. with her mother and family. In a humorous performance, she joked about how tough it is to live with an elder sister, giving us interesting tips on how to get your siblings in trouble, and gain your parent’s sympathies.
Annie Shamim was the next act, and one of my favourites from the evening. She criticized the objectification of women in a hysterical manner, which also came across as social commentary. A story from the time she travelled to Islamabad via train, sent waves of laughter throughout the room. As she left us breathless, and with aching jaws, the final performer of the night took to the stage.
Faisal Imtiaz from Faisalabad took up the baton and ran to the finish line. His set was the best received among all, but unfortunately I can’t say much about it. It was mostly performed in Punjabi, and apparently I was the only non-Punjabi speaker in the audience. But I do know that he joked about life in Faisalabad, and the audience found him really funny.
All in all, even though it wasn’t the best comedy show I’ve been to, it was a pretty good show. More than anything else, it’s another small step forward in the right direction. The organizers and comedians put a lot of effort into arranging these nights, and the least we can do is give them a shot and attend with an open mind.
All pictures courtesy of The Second Floor (T2F).
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