‘Financial stability is important for artistes,” says stand-up comedian Appurv Gupta

You are juggling between Delhi and Mumbai, which one do you prefer?

I was born and brought up in Delhi, so for the obvious reasons I feel closer to Delhi. Also, I love the food in Delhi. Mumbai is an out-and-out professional city and has its own charm.

Which city has a better audience for comedy?

I try to make my comedy universal so that everybody can relate to that.

How did your journey in comedy start?

I started my journey in 2012 after I completed my BTech. I told my parents that I would like to give my stand-up comedy career two years. My brothers also convinced my parents.

When was the first time you tasted success?

A video of mine on the subject of iphone started going around in 2013 but unfortunately my name was not there. Now, people come up to me and praise me for my act.

Who does inspire you?

There are two stand-up comedians whose work always inspired me — Russell Peters and George Karlin.

How do you see the growth of Indian comedy scene?

I feel we still have few more miles to go. In cricket, football or even in the Olympics we took a lot of time to touch certain landmarks.

You have also been associated with few start-ups as an angel investor. What was your thought process?

Financial stability is something which I have always believed in. An artist should have the financial backup so that he can focus on his art.

What’s your new show all about?

This time everything comes straight from my heart! It will be honest, transparent and hilarious.

What’s your dream now?

I think the dream changes from time to time. I have completed a decade in comedy now. I feel I would like to have the relevancy in comedy in next 30-40 years.