How OTT Platforms are Changing the Face of Stand-up Comedy in India?

Stand-up comedy shows have always been a huge favourite of Indian audiences. The love for comedy shows date back to the time when there was a whole influx of comedy shows on Indian television like The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Comedy Circus. Those were merrier times as those were the shows that united the entire nation on dinner table.

Just when we thought stand-up comedy shows in India were dying, here came a fresh breeze with stand up comedy shows and web-only comedy shows. While there are a whole bunch of such amazing stand-up comedy shows on YouTube, comedy started taking off in India. Most of these comedy shows feature some of the best stand-up comedians from India, the subjects they joke about are mostly centered around the common man issues and everyday life struggles and observations.

Then came the time of arrival of OTT platforms like Watcho, Prime Video, and Netflix that completely revolutionised the concept of sand-up comedy shows in India. From a mere 10-minute long clip to an entire 1-hour episode on these digital platforms, there are endless possibilities to offer for the comedians as well as the audiences as they get to see rib-tickling content online whenever they want, wherever they want.

These days nearly every leading OTT platform like Watcho and Netflix have their own stand-up comedy shows that make people tickle hard. What’s best about these comedy shows is that they are downright humorous, extremely relatable, and talk about a common man’s life and struggle. While most of us keep leading our regular lives, it’s these talented stand-up comedians that end up finding something funny or rib-tickling to share with the people about the lives.

The advantage is for both the OTT platforms and the stand-up comedians as they think it’s the best time to be in the realm of comedy. Watcho likes to experiment with its content frequently and love to serve something unique and never seen or heard before concepts on the platter for its audiences to consume. 

What connects with the audiences is that these stand-up comedians perform sketchy for their audiences and that makes it all the more endearing. The content they talk about is generally fresh, talk-worthy, and derives fun out of the otherwise mundane situations. Watching these stand-up comedy shows while travelling to work, in lunch or tea break, or while lazing on the couch on the weekends seem like a perfect idea for the audiences today. 

With all OTT platforms giving each other tug of the war for getting maximum subscribers, it works best in their favour if they offer a wholesome platter of stand-up comedy shows that tick with the audiences and make them laugh hard.