Sunil T: Spreading Joy is My Purpose
By Kalyani Giri
Last Updated:August 01, 2008
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HOUSTON: Whenever Sunil Thakkar stepped out onto the streets of Mumbai he got instant recognition. People enthusiastically pointed him out as the laughter guy, while others hailed him heartily with his own signature phrase Halo Re Halo! that he popularized on Star One Television’s hottest new comedy series The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (GILC).
The Mumbai-born Houston-based Thakkar recently spent two months in his homeland as the only non-resident Indian comedian to compete against 44 others from India and Pakistan on GILC’s Season 4. He featured successfully on six episodes that aired internationally on cable television, and nabbed a significantly high profile spot on the top ten.
Owing to an overlap in schedules that encroached on his work as founder and CEO of Music Masala that airs on 1480 AM, arguably the most au courant radio station in this city, Thakkar bowed prematurely out of the race and returned to Houston to fulfill his commitments. The radio show, which Thakkar started 15 years ago, also hosts the fabled Masala Cruises to exotic locales; back in town for just a day before he embarked on a working cruise to Alaska, the prolific Sunil T, as he is popularly known, spoke to Indo American News. Houston’s own funny guy has come back with a more philosophical outlook, and is grateful to god for a life he deems blessed. The following are excerpts from the interview:
What was the response of the others on the show to you as an NRI?
I thought it would be awkward for me as an NRI with all the others from India and Pakistan. But it was extremely warm, like being amidst family. They all embraced me, even though they thought I was a little weird at times. They made fun of me as all comedians do. I immediately felt a connection. Usually artists have these egos and issues – I didn’t see any of that. The organizers put us up at an apartment in Ashok Nagar. My three roommates who were eventually eliminated were very helpful, giving me a line or a joke, or telling me what would or wouldn’t work in the show.
Your spiel on the show was in Hindi, aside for a word here and there in English. Why?
They did their best to curb my English – they wanted me to speak predominantly in Hindi to relate to the masses.
You were in India for two months. What was it like being back in the city of your birth for such a prolonged period?
India welcomes you with open arms, there’s no hidden agenda, no animosities. Behind the apartment where I was living, there was a mosque and I could hear prayers every morning. Living in the US we tend to get isolated within our subculture. India is like one homogeneous pot where life overlaps harmoniously. The people are more capable of giving so much love because inside they are just more content. They’re more positive. That changed my thinking – I learnt that while god gives the same capacity for happiness to everyone, the happiness quotient is the same, but the product is different. In every life you have the same challenges, but people seem happier, more content, so generous, in India. They (producers of GILC) put us up in a nice apartment. But the first night I was uncomfortable because my bed was too hard. Then I looked out of the window and saw people sleeping soundly in the streets without even a thin sheet. It was a humbling experience.
What is the fundamental truth about comedy? Did you write your own material?
I think to know comedy is to understand tragedy. I wrote all my own material. Comedy cannot come from anyone else – it has to come from within you. You have to feel it. The team did guide me as to what will work. There is a big difference between Indian comedy and US comedy. US comedy is very narrative, a lot of talk and a little punch at the end. Indian comedy is far more entertaining. You watch Seinfeld and you watch Johnny Lever and can’t compare them. Comedy in India is an art form, it’s very scientific – and that’s what I learnt in the past two months. I learnt how to make short and simple observations.
What formed the bedrock of your humor?
The crux of it was the differences between India and America. USA is all about large spaces. India is compact. Everything is close together. Mine was more of an NRI’s perspective. I also poked fun at Congress and the United Partnership of Congress that is now ruling India. In a piece called opposites I said, the opposite of con is pro; the opposite of pro is Congress! A lot was edited because they’re still not comfortable with freedom of speech. They also chopped names. I had a field day just observing the little things. For example, the streets are littered because the signs caution one to Keep Dustbin Clean.
What was the reaction of people you met on the streets as your face became recognizable?
What really worked was my signature Halo Re Halo. I was greeted with Halo Re Halo wherever I went. Or they’d call me the laughter guy.
How do you feel about the international recognition?
I’ve been in the USA for 22 years. Over the past 15 years I’ve had a slow growth with Masala radio instead of a one-hit wonder. So I’m not an impressionable young kid who’s going to get all airy and arrogant. Houston has given me so much over the years in terms of radio. My purpose is to entertain. I had to voluntarily step down as my shoot is for July 29 - 31. It clashed with the Masala Cruise to Alaska and people expect me to be there. I made a commitment to the 800 people that are on the 7-night cruise. My business is my bread and butter and that comes first. There’ll be other opportunities.
What lies ahead in your near future?
I’ve been invited to the Championship Series at end of August. They are sending a team over to tape a segment here. Just that they called me there was good enough. I didn’t even expect to even get to be on television. Out of 45 people only the top 20 make it on television. I made it to top ten.
What was it like to step down and return to the US?
It was terribly emotional. The whole unit gave me a party when I left. Everyone cried. We had become very close over the two months so it was very sad. My director Pankaj Saraswat and the creator of GILC Deba ji, as everyone calls him, were phenomenal and very supportive. They called and let me hear the last taped show before it went on the air.
What stands out as memorable about the trip?
I am a devotee of Lord Ganesh ji. I have this Ganesh ji in my office that I pray to everyday. I really missed Him. As we driving through Juhu one day, there was a red conch shell with an image of Ganesh ji tied to a lamp-post. I got the cab driver to stop and brought Him back with me. Another memorable experience was going on stage the very first time. That crowd rocked! The director who ignored me at the beginning thinking I’d be eliminated early, gave me a big hug and said “wow, that was amazing!”
What has been most fun about being back in India?
Definitely topping my list is eating pani puris at the hawker stand! It was also the first time I lived so long in Bombay in over 22 years. When I left India I was a kid dependent on my mother. Now when I returned it was great being back in the country of my birth, making Indians laugh. I’m really not that talented or gifted. God has been kind to me. I thought I’d rather exit when I decided to leave than get eliminated. I feel more confident about myself now that I’ve taken on Challenge. One must do many things and never be still. It was a fascinating journey.
What is the prize that the winner of the GILC takes home?
The winner gets 20 lakh rupees and a car and a lot of exposure. Aside from that there is no laughter school in the world. The organizers want a show so they train you and groom you. It’s quite priceless.
What was the reaction of the Houston community? Do you have a message for local fans and supporters?
People sent me jokes and emails of congratulations. It was like I was part of the Houston family and everyone was supporting me. I value my town more now ever than ever. India is my motherland, but Houston is my home. I doubt I’d ever leave Houston. This is where I want to live and spread the joy. That is my purpose. |
