"there was a blueprint of sorts and some success stories."
India’s stand-up comedy scene is thriving, but comedians know that crossing certain lines can come with serious consequences.
Prashasti Singh’s Divine Feminine draws crowds for its fearless commentary on gender and patriarchy.
Switching between Hindi and English, she challenges the country’s deep-rooted norms. Audiences often respond enthusiastically to her wit.
Singh’s material was unthinkable two decades ago. Now, she is part of a growing wave of comics reshaping Indian entertainment.
India’s stand-up scene took off in the late 2000s, when affluent young performers in Mumbai began organising open mic nights. At the time, social media was gaining momentum. Viral clips from these events fuelled demand.
Before comedy, Singh attended business school and worked in brand management at Procter and Gamble. She isn’t the only one with a corporate past.
Anshu Mor, a former India director for Microsoft’s Xbox, left his job in 2016 to become a full-time comic.
The turning point, he said, came after watching the Bollywood film Tamasha.
He explained: “By then, there was a blueprint of sorts and some success stories.
“That was when corporate India began to hire stand-up acts as part of their team summits and other events.”
He now earns more from comedy than he did at Microsoft.
But as the industry has matured, so have tensions.
Comedians are increasingly targeted for offending religious or political sensibilities.
In March 2025, Kunal Kamra released a satirical YouTube video mocking the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.
Hours later, workers from a local party vandalised the performance venue. They identified it by spotting a logo in the video. Kamra was reported to the police for “public mischief” and defamation.
Controversial jokes can land comedians in trouble with authorities, even when the humour is not political.
In February, Ranveer Allahbadia drew fierce backlash for an off-colour joke about incest.
The response was swift and widespread. Police, lawmakers and his own audience condemned the remarks. Though Allahbadia posted a public apology, the fallout continued.
Mor believes the risks are now crystal clear:
“There is no ambiguity now. Till a few years ago, you could say, ‘Let me test the waters and see how this joke will land’.
“But now, everybody – comedians and the entire ecosystem – know that if things go wrong, anything can happen.”
These incidents have prompted greater government scrutiny.
After Allahbadia’s case, a parliamentary panel urged the Ministry of Electronics and IT to regulate online speech.
Soon after, the Supreme Court called on the government to monitor “obscene” content on YouTube and other platforms.
This leaves digital platforms in a difficult position, balancing creative freedom with growing calls for censorship.
Live shows still offer some creative breathing room. But performers are becoming more selective about what they upload online.
For many comics, digital clips and ticket sales remain key income sources.
Yet the real goal for most is to break into Bollywood or mainstream entertainment. A scandal can derail those ambitions.
Even audiences are not immune. After Kamra’s performance, police summoned some attendees for questioning.
In India, laughing at a controversial joke can carry risks, not just telling one.
The stakes have never been higher. As India’s stand-up scene matures, so do the challenges facing those who dare to push the boundaries.
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