On a chilly December night, it is well past midnight. People from Kolkata should be happily asleep, cosily wrapped in their blankets, right? They showing up in such great numbers to watch stand-up comedy is something you wouldn’t anticipate.
For the past three years, a cafe in New Town has entertained customers with jokes till the small hours of the morning. Abhinav Tewary, a comedian from Kolkata, first discovered Throttle Shrottle in New Town in 2019 when looking for new venues for live comedy in the area.
“Back in September 2019, I learned about this 24-hour biker cafe. I informed the proprietors of the stand-up comedy genre and our efforts to establish a scene in Kolkata. We began performing there because Throttle Shrottle was quite kind and supportive of the idea.
The gigs were initially scheduled for around 9pm, but the demand from the audience forced the comedians to make a choice that had never been made before in Kolkata’s gig economy. The real crowd only shows up after 11 p.m., the owners informed us. We were all just starting out as comics and the idea of performing stand-up at one in the morning seemed really thrilling.
Tewary has been performing stand-up for six years and has done so all across the nation. But he is adamant that Throttle Shrottle is the only room like it. Although we often begin around one in the morning, on occasion we have begun at two in the morning and finished at four!
Given that majority of the crowd is there to relax rather than eat, Tewary confesses he is surprised by how attentive they are. Because most of them either slept in late or just want to hang out with their pals on a Saturday night, the crowd is participating in adda. Many bikers and motorists stop by while driving through the area in their vehicles. People are thus open to hearing. But this frequently ends up being a double-edged sword. Since it’s a motorcyclists’ cafe, the bikes’ throttle frequently drowns out the jokes.
putting an old myth to rest
Due of the scheduling, the audience is always changing as consumers leave and new ones enter. This is a challenge for most comics, but the Throttle Shrottle performers have used it to their advantage. “Occasionally, when we arrive at the location at 12 am, the room is crowded. In that situation, from 12 am to 1 am, we broadcast an hour-long show. If everyone loses interest or isn’t feeling well at the end, we try to make up for it by holding another mic at 1.30 am with a new crowd! But occasionally, we tank once more! Tewary guffawed.
Those who have gone to open mics know how sparse the crowds usually are. “In most places, a turnout of even 10 persons is regarded as excellent. But at Throttle Shrottle, I’ve witnessed open mics with 40 attendees, which is sometimes a feat even for single performances. This, in Tewary’s opinion, dispels the myth that Kolkata is a sleepy city. “Our generation is energetic and young. People are now willing to perform and watch comedy at any time thanks to the rise of stand-up. Because of this, the space is excellent for hustler comics who want to perform on stage.
However, the tough critique that comes with an attentive audience is also promised. Throttle Shrottle is renowned as a hostile environment where poor performances are met with blatant jeers from the audience. “Once, a group of rowdy boys had shown up for the performance. There was just one female comic in the roster, Amrita Chanda, who also happened to be the only English comic. We were all rudely interrupted during our performances in Bengali and Hindi, and we anticipated Amrita would be treated even worse. But she caught their attention, and all of her quips were received well. Even their appreciation of her writing According to Tewary, these stakes are what make it the finest environment for aspiring comic book creators to learn.
A democracy can be found in heckling.
With numerous renowned performers like Shreeja Chaturvedi, Shaad Shafi, and Manik Mahna on the stage, the room’s allure has drawn comics from outside the city as well. “This crowd doesn’t recognise any of the major names, which is one of the room’s beauties. They couldn’t care less about your Instagram viral clips, YouTube subscribers, or Comicstaan appearances. The audience in this particular venue doesn’t distinguish between a well-known comic and a random open mic performer. In heckling, success is rewarded with unending acclaim, while failure is met with jeers and the requirement that you sit down. People actually say, “Bhaiya, acha nahi lag raha,” to your face, he chuckled.
an avid audience
Even during the pandemic, when it was always the first to welcome comics back after the lockdowns reopened, this dedication kept the room alive. The majority of rooms were closed for months at a time, but Throttle Shrottle always welcomed us, even if there were only two of us on the list. I’ve even performed for 30 minutes by myself when I went somewhere,” Tewary recounted.
Over the course of three years, a devoted audience has grown at the venue as a result of people responding favourably to their efforts. To stay up to date on their work, several of them have personally followed comics on Instagram. “The manager just phoned me while I was in Mumbai. People were asking about our concerts, so he asked that we begin stand-up as soon as possible. I have never witnessed rooms enticing performers to keep open mics continuing in my years of comedy.
The timing is crucial.
Tewary emphasises the importance of timing. “We meet people from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. as our most formal and attractive selves. But after that, you just want to relax because you have no one to impress. The fact that everyone at Throttle Shrottle is willing to listen to anything, in my opinion, makes all the difference. The advantages of the facility have spread outside its walls as well. “I have observed the growth of comics from this point on, including the creation of several strong minutes of material. Throttle Shrottle requires some getting used to. Tanking may discourage comics initially, but once you get the feel of the place, you can’t resist returning.