Hari Kondabolu is among a growing breed of assertive, political, south Asian comics taking the world by storm.
In the Netflix special Warn Your Relatives, comedian Hari Kondabolu shadowboxes on stage, figuratively. The bespectacled second generation Indian origin entertainer does not display any tic. Unlike Dave Chappelle, he does not rub his fingers over his mouth, eyes lost in a distant dream, before he launches into a polemic that inevitably draws first blood. Unlike his contemporary John Mulaney, the shadow of a snigger does not flash across his face before his devilish tongue spritzes into action. Unlike Chris Rock, he does not rave and rant like a preacher gone rogue.
Kondabolu’s work is more a game of hide and seek with the audience. With a straight face, he launches into jokes about his heritage—population in India and controlling parents (“It is important that I know how many people are here, because my father will ask me after the show how many people showed up. Being from India, a crowd of 800 would not impress them.”). But, the tone changes at the speed of light, as he shuttles between 9/11 jokes, race, politics, and god masturbating to gay men, peppered with Jonathan Swift and Kurt Vonnegut references. Kondabolu remains elusive, always keeping the audience at an arm’s length, as he shifts lightning fast between conflicting identities. One second, he is the nerd; the next, the cool guy. One second, he is the victim; the next, the villain. Is it so important that he not be pigeonholed? “I want to control how I am viewed, how I am defined. You are gonna make fun of me, but it will be based on what I tell you,” he says.
This story is from the June 03, 2018 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 03, 2018 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
When BJP Asks 'Modi Vs Who', The Answer Is 'Modi Vs Common Man'
A veteran of many poll battles, Mallikarjun Kharge is facing his toughest challenge since he became Congress president in October 2022.
Jumbos, gift-wrapped
In 218 BCE, Hannibal, the great Carthaginian general, made his audacious assault on Rome from the north, crossing the Alps with his army of 30,000 men, 15,000 cavalry and most famously, 37 elephants.
The crew has landed
At the time of writing this, an all-women-led film—Crew—has clocked in₹104 crore at the worldwide box office.
The social insecurity
Parents don’t need research. They know when their children get addicted to social media.
I am not a serious person; I only do my work seriously
In an industry obsessed with fillers and filters, calling someone a chameleon could invite ire or scorn.
Tales of an ace
THE WEEK Sportsroom with Rohan Bopanna offered more than a peek into the journey of a modern Indian great
HOLY COW!
How a cattle specimen with Indian roots became the Brazilian cattle industry's billion-dollar jewel
JOINING FORCES
Unprecedented in scale and size, recent Indian military war exercises walk the talk on the theaterisation, jointness and integration effort
Sink prejudice instead
The reactions on social media following the collision of the cargo ship Dali with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge were unnecessarily derogatory.
Reality show and resurgence
You have gotta love the election season. Setting aside contentious issues like electoral bonds, rumours of electronic voting machine rigging, bribery, intimidation and wilful disinformation, the fact is that India’s Lok Sabha elections are still the biggest reality show on earth.
