The advent of social media and online pop culture has also brought about a radical change in Indian comedy circles. The past decade saw the rise of stand-up comedians from India, with several comedy clubs opening across the country and stand-up acts going viral on social media. From YouTube trends to Twitter, Indian stand-up comedians have been dominating online conversations, pop culture, and content for quite some time now.
We bring you a list of the most prominent and popular stand-up comedians from India you can follow on YouTube and social media for a hearty dose of laughter.
Anubhav Singh Bassi
A qualified lawyer, Anubhav Singh Bassi was once a UPSC aspirant and also tried his luck in the food business before becoming a stand-up comedian. His act, ‘Waiting Chating ‘, made him a sensation on YouTube with Millions of views.
Abhishek Upmanyu
A chemical engineer by qualification, Abhishek Upmanyu worked as a research analyst before joining ‘On’Air with AIB’ as a writer and then went on to make waves with his hilarious stand-up acts like Friends, Crime, & The Cosmos, Delhi, Mumbai & Rich People, and Breakup, Respecting Elders, & Discrimination.
Abish Mathew
Abish Mathew started his career as an RJ at Red FM in Delhi before switching to stand-up comedy. His show Son Of Abish is quite popular on YouTube, where he has hosted several guests, including YouTube and Bollywood stars.
Aditi Mittal
One of the foremost female stand-up comedians in India, Aditi Mittal has appeared in several comedy shows across the globe. She was invited by the BBC to the prestigious 100 Women Conference in London in 2013. She also appeared in the American documentary Stand-Up Planet. Her jokes range from various cultural issues to women’s problems in India. Some of her most popular acts online are The Story of Madhumakkhi and Bra Shopping.
Appurv Gupta
An engineer by qualification, Appurv Gupta has been a regular performer in several college fests and corporate events. His comedy is a humorous take on a middle-class Indian family and culture, in which he appears as Gupta Ji. Some of his best acts include GuGupta Jii Aeroplane Wali Journey and Apple, Micromax & Patli Pin wala charger.
Atul Khatri
An engineer and MBA by qualification, Atul Khatri served as CEO of his family-run computer business before turning to stand-up comedy as an alternative career. He has performed in several comedy clubs and was also a part of the comedy group East India Company. He also appeared on several OTT shows and several TV commercials for popular brands. Some of his most popular stand-up comedy acts include Atul Khatri on the Justin Bieber Concert and When Your Child Turns 18
Biswa Kalyan Rath
Hailing from the Eastern state of Odisha, Biswa Kalyan Rath is one of the most popular stand-up comedians in India. He caught eveveryone’sye with his Pretentious Movie Reviews with fellow comedian Kanan Gill. He soon became a popular face in Indian stand-up comedy circles, with appearances at comedy clubs across the country and on several OTT shows. Some of his must-watch acts include Biswa Kalyan Rath – Extroverts and Chaos and Uber and Me.
Kanan Gill
Kanan Gill came into prominence with Pretentious Movie Reviews, where he appeared with Biswa Kalyan Rath. Since then, he has appeared at the top comedy clubs in the country andon OTT platforms like Amazon Video and Netflix. His must-watch acts include Prem Aggan Review and Siblings.
Kenny Sebastian
Kenny Sebastian has appeared in several international shows and on several OTT platforms, including Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. His stand-up acts you should watch are: Middle-class restaurant problems, Indian Parents, OCD, and Electricity at Home.
Kunal Kamra
A man who is always in the news and in the midst of controversies these days, Kunal Kamra worked as a production assistant at an ad agency for several years before starting his career as a comedian. Since then, he has appeared in several ad films and OTT shows. His comedy often targets politicians and the government, with some of his famous acts being Patriotism & the Government and Revisiting Demonetisation.
His show Shut Up Ya Kunal! is also quite popular on YouTube, where he has invited several eminent guests, including Arvind Kejriwal, Javed Akhtar, Ravish Kumar, and Asaduddin Owaisi.
Radhika Vaz
One of the earliest female stand-up comedians in India, Radhika Vaz is often noted for her bold, unapologetic, and often controversial acts She has an unusual take on sosociety’serceptions of women with humor is often noted for her bold, unapologetic, and often controversial acts She has an unusual take on sosociety’serceptions of women with humor One of her actspepeople’sye pepeople’sye was What the F**k should I wear?, where she performed stark naked to break stereotypes in a brand collaboration with FabAlley.
Rahul Subramanian
Rahul Subramanian managed e-commerce, corporate branding, and digital marketing at Mahindra Rise for quite some time before switching to stand-up comedy. He has recently become popular for his hilarious acts that the urban Indian middle class can relate to. Some of his acts you should definitely watch are Break Up and MBA, and India and Pakistan.
Sorabh Pant
Sorabh Pant was one of the earliest entrants to the Indian comedy scene, where he began his career working with Vir Das. He founded the comedy group East India Comedy in 2012, where he performed alongside other comedians at comedy clubs across the country and internationally. Some of his interesting acts include Engineering Colleges and Uncles on WhatsApp.
Vir Das
One of the earliest stand-up comedians in India, Vir Das has appeared in several Bollywood movies and television shows, and has participated in prominent comedy festivals across the globe. He has also written comedy columns for several publications, including Femina, Maxim, and Tehelka. Some of his most popular acts online include Indians are Racist-ish and Indians are Homophobic.
Zakir Khan
The Sakht Launda on Indian Comedy, Zakir Khan has been a favorite among online audiences for his relatable and humorous acts, which are absolutely adorable. He became popular when he won Central’s India’s Best Stand-Up Comedian competition in 2012. He has also been a part of several shows on Indian OTT platforms. Some of his best “”ts include “”When I met”” “elhi Girl”” “What happens when you fai” in a” exam!” and “Life Mein Cha iye Izzat.“
Samay Raina
Fondly referred to as the “Supreme leader” by his fans, Samay Raina was the runner-up at Comicstaan Season 2. Since his stint at the popular Prime Original, Raina has made quite a name for himself with his live-streamed chess matches. He also appeared in Comedy Premier League, a Netflix original, which his team won.
Vipul Goyal
Often regarded as one of the best stand-up comedians in India, Vipul Goyal has managed to stand out amongst a bevy of similar-sounding comedians with his great observational sets. He is also the only stand-up comedian to have a dedicated show – Humorously Yours – a semi-autobiographical show produced by TVF.
Rahul Dua
Since Rahul Dua emerged as the winner of the first season of Comicstaan, his fan base has only grown. He has gone on to do several stand-up shows (with a European tour in the pipeline) and has also appeared on Comedy Premier League.
Gaurav Kapoor
Gaurav Kapoor is an emerging stand-up comedian who has gained popularity over the last couple of months. Aside from his stand-up comedy, Gaurav is also especially popular on Instagram and has gained thousands of followers thanks to his super funny reels!
Akash Gupta
The winner of the second season of Comicstaan, Akash Gupta, is widely considered one of the most talented comedians working in the industry today. With his work in Comicstaan as well as the Netflix original Comedy Premier League, Gupta showcased a range broader than that of n most other comedians.
Amit Tandon
Amit Tandon is famous for his relatable content and conversation-commentary style, making him one of the most famous stand-up comedians of recent times, whose videos have reached 100 million+ views worldwide! He was also among the 3 Indian comedians out of 45 comedians chosen worldwide by Netflix for the comedy event series Medians of the World’. An engineer and an MB graduate, he ran his own HR company, and what started as a side hobby became his full-time passion!
Varun Grover
This multi-talented man is a comedian, singer, poet, filmmaker, and writer who was even awarded the 63rd National Film Awards for Best Lyricist (Dum Laga Ke Haisha). He has also written songs and notable works for movies like Masaan, Udta Punjab, and RRR. This IIT, Varanasi alumnus is a powerhouse of talent who has also hosted many hit stand-up shows. His stand-up video, uploaded to his YouTube page, has 108k subscribers.
Harsh Gujral
Harsh Gujral rose to popularity owing to his hit stand-up comedy videos like Jo BBoltaa Haiii Wohi HotataHaii. He is also known among his fans as ‘Vicky Kaushal’! This hilarious man, hailing from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, worked at many MNCs as an engineer before choosing stand-up comedy as a full-time career. His crowd work is also very popular.
Gaurav Gupta
Gaurav Gupta, the OG representative of the new generation of ‘Ba’iyas’, often jokes about everyday issues like family, career, and other aspects of life in a hilarious manner. This Delhi-based comedian was also featured in an Amazon Prime original, ‘Ma’ket Down Hai ‘. Not many would know that he is a dentist by profession, but he chose to make people laugh rather than ask them to open their mouths and show their teeth!
Devesh Dixit
Devesh Dixit is a creative person who is a comedian, storyteller, sketch-maker, and YouTuber by profession! This Jaipur-born comedian has many punchlines and stories to tickle your funny bone! He got famous after hosting a series of massively popular stand-up comedy shows, including Which College You From?, Road Rage, Getting Married, and Wiz Khalifa and Radio Ads.
Piyush Sharma
He is a Bombay-based comedian who now has wide popularity as a YouTuber and a comedian. He started his journey as an IIT-Bombay-passed-out civil engineer, but his interests flew him away from the construction site and set him up on a stage! His stand-up comedy shows, such as ‘Sm’ll Towns in India’ and ‘AT and Banks ka Scam’, have received a great response from viewers. Currently, he has 404k subscribers on his YouTube channel, and we expect that number to grow over time!
Munawar Faruqi
Munawar Faruqui is known for his dark comedy and controversies too! His bold stand-up comedy style instantly attracted the youth towards him. He was born in Gujarat and moved to Mumbai in 2002. In his early 20s, he started his YouTube channel with the video titled “Dawood, Yamraaj & Aurat,” which earned him some early fame. What started as a side hustle became a full-fledged career thanks to his impactful content and comedy.
He even appeared on Kangana Ranaut’s show, Koffee with Karan Season 1, and won! He is also known for his singing and rapping, and he even appeared in the Punjabi song “Todh” by Prince Narula and Ronay Anjali. Right now, he has 4.11 million followers on YouTube and a massive following across social media platforms.
Karunesh Talwar
Karunesh Talwar is another famous Indian stand-up comedian who you must have already heard about. He has appeared in many popular shows, including Swiggy and AIB, and is known for writing scripts for On Air with AIB, AIB Honest Series, and Gilbert. Apart from this, he has also given his voice as a narrator in the popular TVF show ‘Hostel Daze’. He has 722k subscribers on his YouTube channel, and people like him for his relatable content and hilarious punchlines.
Did we miss any of your favorite stand-up comedians from India? Do let us know who makes you laugh the loudest, and we will include them in the list.
