‘My Audience Has Grown With Me'

Standup comedian Russell Peters on the highs and challenges of the profession and why there can be a saturation of the market

- NAINI THAKER

Russell Peters has been one of the pioneers in the space of standup comedy. For a lot of Indian standup comics, he’s an inspiration. Peters began at the age of 19 and took up whatever odd jobs he could—big and small shows—to sustain himself as a standup comedian. There were times when he was completely broke, but he says, “It was my job. And I wasn’t ready to give up.”

Inspired by comedian George Carlin, Peters has been vocal about his views and has no qualms about being politically incorrect. “I know what my intention is… if what I say is being misconstrued, that’s more your issue than mine,” he says. The only topic he steers clear from is religion. When Peters was in Mumbai for his Deported World Tour earlier this year, he spoke with Forbes India about his journey and standup comedy hitting a saturation point. Edited excerpts:

Q How did you get into standup comedy?

After I graduated from high school in 1988, I thought I would study to become a chef. After I was offered a job at the Hilton Hotel, I realised this is not what I want to do. So I took up a bunch of odd jobs because I wasn’t skilled enough. I was always the funny guy in my crew. Once, my cousin told me, ‘You’re funny, you should try standup comedy’.