Today we’d like to introduce you to Vikram Balaji
Hi Vikram, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Chennai (India). I was a big fan of comedy growing up. I used to watch a lot of comedy skits/plays and movies in my native language (Tamil). I then got introduced to standup comedy through Russell Peters. Many people in Asia, including me, learnt about this art form after watching his viral videos on Youtube and I fell in love with standup comedy. But we never had a platform (like open mics) to try and perform comedy. During the early 2010s, we probably had less than 100 standup comedians or so in the whole of India. It wasn’t as popular as it is now. For me, it all changed in December, 2013. The company I used to work for was looking to host a standup comedy as part of their annual gala. I decided that this was my opportunity to try comedy. I didn’t know anything about writing jokes or performing and I was terrified of the stage. But something in me kept pushing me to face my fear (probably the love for comedy). I performed in front of 500 people who were mostly accountants. Thankfully, my first show was a big success. My jokes about working there connected very well with the audience. I realized that If I can make 400 accountants laugh, maybe I had a funny bone in me 
This gave me the confidence to purse standup comedy so I started going to open mics (and failed numerous times!) The local scene was very limited in terms of opportunities so I collaborated with another comic to start a comedy club and promote the local scene. We started running 3 – 4 open mics every week and put together monthly shows in various venues. I also got to perform in other countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia) when I used to travel for my day job. This made me realize that comedy is a universal language and I wanted to try standup in the US. I got lucky and got an opportunity to move to chicago through my day job. There was no looking back after that. I kept hitting open mics to try and make people laugh with my unique point of view. It was very hard (it still is!) because everything was new. I didn’t know anything about US sports, pop references and I have an accent. It took a while to break these barriers. I kept at it. To compensate for these disadvantages, I focused on my writing. I wanted it to be as sharp/tight as possible. It eventually paid off. I still have a long way to go in this journey but I have come a long way from where I started. I have performed in 25+ states in the US and headlined various comedy clubs in US, Canada and Asia. I was featured on Drybar Comedy in 2021. I also opened for my childhood hero Russell Peters in Chicago and Rosemont Theatre in front of 3,000 people which is very memorable. Some of my comedy videos have generated more than 5M views. I try to focus on the journey and enjoy it as much as possible as it has a lot of ups and downs. You need to get used to rejections and not worry about things that are not in your control. But, if you had told me 9 years back, that I would be headlining stand up shows in the US, I would have never believed you. It is a dream come true to be able to travel the world, perform, connect with people across different races, culture, backgrounds etc. and lighten up their day with my humor (at least I try to!).
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. Most of the time there is no road You need to find one and create one for yourself. Some of my struggles included not being familiar with local culture , learning to manage rejection and upskiling to support your comedy career. I didn’t know anything about US sports, pop references when I started and get rejected by 100+ clubs everyday. As a brown immigrant , I do face bias from some comedy club bookers/owners and need to prove myself over and over again vs a comic who is from here.
Comedy is also not just about writing and telling jokes. There are a lot of other skills you need to learn along the way to be a successful comedian (things like video recording/editing, social media, how to make this venture profitable, networking etc.).
To top this all the pay isn’t great when you start. A comedian’s pay has stayed the same for last 30 years (opener/feature comics) and only gets better when you start headlining, selling out shows and start performing in bigger venues. But it takes a long time to get there.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My style of comedy is being unapologetic and finding humor in painful experiences. I’m not scared to push the boundaries in comedy. I believe in finding comedy in every situation (even if it’s a traumatic event). You can follow me on @vikcomedy to get a sneak peek.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Tons of books – I keep reading to trigger thoughts/ideas for jokes. Video editing apps like Videopad and Veed (subtitles) to help with my videos. Social Media apps like Instagram, Tiktok and FB to build my social presence following and share my upcoming shows.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vikcomedy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikcomedy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vikcomedy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vikcomedy
