“I wanted to represent the woman’s point of view in comedy.” said this young woman to a fan who had come to see her perform at Comic Relief, held at Symbiosis. The event was organised by Pune Mid Town Round Table (PMRT65) and Pune Mid Town Ladies Circle (PMLC53) to raise funds for education in rural areas.
She is one of India’s few women stand-up comedians who can get a house on fire with her inimitable spontaneous wit. She is Aditi Mittal and here she is at her characteristic best:
How were you as a child?
Generally, in India when guests come to our home, our parents tell us to entertain them with dance, poetry, etc. However, nobody needed to request me. I was like wow, so many people and I can’t wait to break into a performance. By the way, I spent my childhood in Pune.
You have pursued your higher studies in New Jersey. Did this shape you in some way?
Of course! It made me shed a lot of inhibitions. Perhaps, that is why I am not scared to touch any topic and in fact use ‘not so refined’ language in my performances.
Do you ever get discouraging response? How do you tackle it?
I get ‘not so great’ response once in a while. Yes, you feel bad but then with a new day comes new enthusiasm to perform better. Let’s face it, no one can have a 100% success rate!
What has been the worst feedback you ever got?
After a show, an old man came up to me and asked, “Do your parents know you do all this?” I was taken aback. He further went on to say that I should not be using such language and crack adult jokes in public. Although his intentions were probably not bad and he actually meant well, these remarks reeked of sexism in my opinion.
How do males perceive you?
Damn! Being a female comedian is tough on that front. Guys don’t hit on you that easily. And, that’s unfortunate 🙂
Any hidden talent?
I can sing.
How have you reacted to fame?
Honestly, it is a little embarrassing. I remember once, I went to a photocopy shop in Mumbai and there was this lady who came up to me and asked, are you, Aditi Mittal? I confirmed and then she said that my daughter loves you. Come to my house for a meal. I thought she was being formally nice to me. So, I said sure. And then she stumped me with asking, “Ok. Veg or non-veg” that too with a straight face. Nonetheless, that is also the beauty of fame. People consider you a close one.
Nonetheless, that is the beauty of fame. People consider you part of their lives…
