Who said businessmen are rarely funny? Certainly not Atul Khatri who’s known as one of the foremost Indian comics around.
You see, he got a late start in the comedy industry because he was busy running his own IT company and wanted to try doing stand-up because he was bored and wanted to tick it off his bucket list.
It was in 2011 when he was bored of the monotony of being a CEO that he decided to do something else with his free time, he initially wanted to be a bartender or a disc jockey but found that he had immense talent in making people laugh.
“You could also call it a midlife crisis. I used to post 3-4 Facebook posts every day since 2009 (I still do them). My friends found them very funny and original and some of them suggested I try my hand at stand-up comedy. That was also the time that the stand-up comedy scene in India was just starting. It was a New Year resolution of 2012.
So I registered for the first open mic of 2012. It was on Feb 2, 2012 – wrote a set – didn’t tell anyone – just told my wife, took her along so that I don’t commit suicide on the way back (if I bombed) and went on stage and did stand up for the first time ever in my life,” Atul said of his comedy beginnings.
He has gone around the world performing more than 400 times and was the only Indian to perform in the 2014 Hong Kong International Comedy and even won the grand prize in the 2016 CEO’s Got Talent by Freemantle Media. He was also featured in Netflix’s Comedians of the World where he talked about being married for 25 years, his thoughts on the Koh-i-Noor Diamond being kept in London instead of India, and why immigration officers don’t smile.
Now, he’s bringing his brand of comedy, which he describes as personal owing to his advanced years and life experiences, to Manila for one night thisMarch 23 at the City Club, Makati. “This event is a milestone amongst the many shows we have produced. We have put together a stellar lineup and a superstar headliner who hails from India and is on Netflix and the brand new ambassador of the Singapore Changi Airport.” Dilip Budhrani, CEO of Happy Happenings By Prime I Events
Hosting the show is Singaporean comedian Deepak Chandran while the opening will be superbly handled by Hong Kong’s Ben Quinlan who got started in stand-up comedy after being broke and desperate enough to make three people laugh for free beer. A regular of the TakeOut Comedy Club in Hong Kong, Ben might have a full-time job of being in the financial service industry but for free beer, he continuously inflicts upon his audiences his experience as a half-Chinese and half-Australian and observations about life in Hong Kong. He also recently had his first TEDx Talk in 2018 where he talked about his corporate life and comedy life. He also won the 11th International Hong Kong Comedy Competition in 2017.
Also joining the opening act is Naveed Mahbub who is a Bangladeshi comedian and columnist. Fun facts about Mahbub is he served as an engineer at Ford Motor Company, Kyocera Wireless and Qualcomm in the United States and the CEO IBM and Nokia Siemens Networks Bangladesh. Mahbub started his stand-up comedy acts in the United States in the 2000s and returned to Bangladesh in 2009 and by 2010 he founded the country’s first comedy club Naveed’s Comedy Club. He also acted in a small role in the film “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan”, featuring Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider. With Mahbub having two sides of being a corporate person and being humorous at the same time, we can expect a diverse type of comedy from him.
So gear up for a night of wit, hilarity and just an overall good time this March 23 at the City Club, Makati but before the show starts at 8:30 PM, enjoy a great variety of Indian and non-Indian cuisines by Annapoorna Indian Restaurant and Union Jack Tavern. A full bar is also available. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
Limited VIP seats are available at P2,000 and Standard Tickets are at P1,500. For tickets and other inquiries contact: 0920-971-7055 or 0917-570-3057. This show is produced by Prime I Events and co-presented by COLLABERA. Special thanks to: Davao Cavaliers Security Services, Shroff Travel Care Philippines, Skin Rejuv and the official Hotel of Atul Khatri Live in Manila – The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences.
