Life beyond advertising: Kartik Iyer

(Life beyond advertising is a weekly feature, where we feature advertising’s interesting people; people who do crazy, creative things after working hours. We try and understand their passion and drive for what they do, what makes them tick and what it takes to wear multiple hats.

If you fit the above description to the tee and would like to be featured, write to us at mukta.lad@web18.in_.)_

[caption id=“attachment_84677” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Iyer is CEO of Happy Creative Services (Pic courtesy: Kartik Iyer)[/caption]

Most people have heard and seen the creative side of Kartik Iyer, the Bangalore-based CEO of Happy Creative Services. But this week for Life Beyond Advertising, we spoke to the Higher Iyer side of the adman, that is known for stand-up comedy and a ’twisted perspective on all things under the sun’. On his Facebook page, Iyer claims that his comedy is from the heart, but definitely not for the faint-hearted.

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Read on about how his journey with stand-up comedy began, the sort of creativity and work that goes into each show and above all, what gives him the biggest high about his passion.
How and when did the stand-up comic in you surface? Could you elaborate on the journey since?

I have been a keen follower of stand-up comedy from a very young age, thanks to video tapes being circulated among friends when we lived in Africa. I have followed the work of Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and George Carlin, but I had no plans or ideas of getting into it myself. It was only when I saw Russell Peters I got the confidence in the humour of having an Indian view on the world. But the real reason to try my hand at stand-up was my desire to get back on stage. Having done theatre as an actor for more than 10 years I was dying to get back on stage.

Unfortunately an advertising career doesn’t really allow one to make it to rehearsals on time. So stand-up comedy was the only way I could get on stage and perform without really affecting anyone else’s schedule. The final push of course came from a good friend, Carlton Braganza, who owns a spot called Opus in Bangalore. He’s seen me ranting drunk on many occasions and one day he just decided I should do it on stage. He announced the show and that was it. I had no option but to go up and do it.

What was the feeling when you went up on stage for the first time? Any interesting anecdotes from it you could share with us?

Honestly it still very much feels like the first time, every time. I have done all of 25 shows between Bangalore, Chennai and a few cities in the south. Well the very first time, I was just drunk, I was high before I got on stage (to cut the nerves) and I drank some more on stage. So the whole thing was a blur actually. I performed for two hours and just ranted to a house full show of 250 people. Everyone laughed, including myself. Neither the audience nor me remembered anything after the show. All I can say is I have wonderful friends and they all made me believe that day that I could do this again.

What is your favourite part of stand-up comedy, the part that makes it most exciting and worthwhile?

I love observational comedy. I love the fact that you can speak about simple things that most people refuse to talk about, due to social conditioning. The humour, according to me, is just a means to an end. The fact that people come together at a human level when they sit together as a crowd and vibe with the performer, to me, is the awesome part.

To feel the energy of an audience and then improvise with your own content depending on the audience you are performing to on that day, is the most exciting part. I with improvise nearly 20% of my material on the day of the show. The scary part is, it’s not rehearsed and there is no control when it comes out. But I must confess my best jokes have happened when improvising.

What is the most tedious part of the process?

‘Tedious’ would be a harsh word. Anyone who does anything for the love of it can’t find any part tedious. But preparation I guess would be the most gruelling. When you try and come up with material that’s unique, fresh and makes you stand apart? That’s really the key. The material. Every comic has to find his/her own voice. Much like any creative person. Until you find that voice, that entire stretch can be quite gruelling.

What is the kind of hard work and creativity that goes into making each show different from any other?

I am a really poor example of a good comic. All great stand up comics prepare well in advance and rehearse really well before a performance. All I try is to make sure my material is relevant to theme as a performer. Authenticity of who you are on stage and what you are saying is very important. The hard work goes into memorising the content. Well, at least those are my challenges. It varies from person to person.

Who are your biggest influences?

George Carlin, Louis CK, Richard Pryor, Russell Peters and all the things that irritate me in life.

Watch some of Iyer’s all-time favourite videos:

Would you ever quit your job and take up stand-up comedy full-time?

Well it’s never been one over the other. But I must confess I hope to have a show I can tour around the world at some stage as a comedian. At least that’s the dream. There are some people I know who have quit their jobs and taken stand up as a full-time career. My full respect to them! At this stage, I have some unfinished business in my career, I’d like to check some boxes before I quit advertising. I still very much love getting up and coming to work. So comedy for now is still a very attractive girlfriend.

One piece of advice you would want to give to people who aspire to take this up as well?

Find your own unique voice. That’s the only thing that sets you apart. Sure, the ability to perform better definitely helps. But anyone can learn to perform. There have been comedians whose inability to necessarily perform have become their signature, only because their content was good. Bob Dylan is no nightingale, but definitely a poet of our times.

Is there a secret to how you manage to pack in advertising, stand-up comedy, family time?

No secret! Just go for it. And who says I manage? I go through physical convulsions on the day of my performance, every single time. I normally take the day off and consume only liquids to keep my body light and my mind sharp. It’s almost like having a break down before the show. And that happens because I am never prepared. Gotta do what you gotta do. No secret. Do it or die trying.

[caption id=“attachment_84735” align=“alignleft” width=“500”] A quirky poster for Iyer’s show back from December 2013[/caption]

Liked ‘Life beyondadvertising’? Read about the people featured previously, here.