Posted by Top Stand-Up Comedians in India
Stand-up comedy is a type of comedy that is created out of the comedian’s expression. Stand-up comedians are not pre-scripted and they create their act, as it goes along. They can talk about anything from an idea to recent news or a personal experience.
India is known for its diverse culture and beautiful landscapes. From the east coast to the west, there are many things to explore in this country. However, India also has a thriving stand-up comedy scene that people should not overlook! In order to help you find the best comedians in India, we have compiled a list of some of the top performers. These comics will surely make your night out one to remember!
The best stand-up comedians in India are not always the ones you might expect. Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan have had successful careers in comedy, but they’re not on this list!
Stand-up comedies make for one of the most entertaining ways to be entertained in India.
Top 10 Best Stand-Up Comedians in India
Here are the Best Indian stand-up Comedians 2023:
- VIP – Vijay Ishwarlal Pawar
- Ahsaan Qureshi
- Sunil Pal
- Krishna Abhishek
- Ali Asgar
- Bharti Singh
- Johnny Lever
- Sunil Grover
- Raju Shrivastav
- Kapil Sharma
10. VIP – Vijay Ishwarlal Pawar
Vijay Ishwarlal Pawar is one of the Best Indian stand-up comedians. He was born in a small town called Sangli, India and he studied engineering at Pune University.
Vijay was always into comedy after watching some of his favorite TV shows like All In The Family or MASH when he was growing up! His first stint as a comedian came when Vijay performed for three hours to pay off his college tuition (talk about dedication)!
He then went on to work with Kishore Vidrohi’s “The Great Maratha” show which aired on DD National, an Indian Public Service Broadcast Channel.
9. Ahsaan Qureshi
Ahsaan Qureshi is one of the Best Indian stand-up comedians and has been a part of many comedy shows. His first brush with comedy came when he was just six years old!
Qureshi started out as an actor in Bollywood movies but soon found his passion for stand-up while starring on “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge” (India’s version of America’s Got Talent). He went from being a runner-up to winning the show and becoming India’s funniest comedian!
He then participated in “Comedy Circus”, which is another funny television show, where he would make people laugh by imitating their voices. Ahsaan Qureshi is a Stand Up Comedy pro who knows how to keep the audience in stitches. He has perfected his art of dialog delivery, and it’s all thanks to his mastery at engaging the audience for extended periods of time with every word he speaks.
8. Sunil Pal
Meet the humble comedian, who first started serving tea to customers at a Mumbai suburb. He has now become an illustrious name in Indian comedy and is one of India’s most successful comedians! His unique dialog delivery style coupled with his deadpan humor gives him that edge that makes it hard for anyone else to beat him on stage. This self-taught great achiever participated in the inaugural version of the Great Indian Laughter Challenge and won against Raju Shrivastav – this was truly no mean feat as he went up against some very eminent people such as Ahsaan Qureshi!
7. Krishna Abhishek
Krishna Abhishek is one of the Best Indian stand-up comedians. He has performed in more than 2000 shows across India and abroad, like UAE! Abhishek did his MBA from GITAM University before he started going to various comedy clubs, performing on stage for five years.
He then took a break from comedy because he was working as an HR manager but soon found himself back on stage with a bang when people got nostalgic about him not being there! Krishna Abhishek is now seen as one of the funniest advocates of “Man-Comedy” (humor that deals with everyday life) and interacts well with audiences by choosing topics that are relatable to them.
6. Ali Asgar
Ali Asgar is an Indian stand-up comedian. He is also the host of “Comedy Nights With Kapil” which airs on Colors Channel, so he gets to entertain audiences from all over India!
Ali’s performance in one episode was enough for him to be noticed by some big shot producers and directors who then gave Ali his first break as an actor in J P Dutta’s film Border (a Bollywood movie). His acting career continued with roles in movies like Singh Is Kinng, Aaja Nachle and Partner, etc… before returning back to what made him famous – comedy!
The world-class performer has been featured across various international channels such as HBO, BBC, Comedy Central, and Showtime too.
5. Bharti Singh
Bharti Singh may be the only female comedian on this list, but she can stand tall among her male counterparts. She knows how to tell a joke and make people laugh with an excellent sense of humor that has made some guest stars squirm on the Comedy Circus Bachao series!
She has an excellent sense of humor, people know Bharti as Lalli who forms a great foil for Krishna Abhishek on Comedy Circus Bachao series. Among all comedians listed, she stands tall thanks to her ability to perform “below-the-belt comedy” with Krishna and getting under the skin of guest stars such as Ravi Kishen or John Abraham (who are also featured).
4. Johnny Lever
Johnny Lever is one of the Best Comedians in India. He has a great sense of humor and can make people laugh with his trademark “bawdy” comedy!
He started off as an extra, but soon became popular for playing funny supporting roles in films like Aankhen (2002), Joshilaay (2003) etc… before becoming a household name thanks to his successful stint on Comedy Circus from 2006-2007. Johnny lever then went on stand-up comedy tours outside India and did shows at venues such as London’s The Comedy Store.
The Best Indian Stand Up Comedian also won prizes for being Best Actor at the BIG Entertainment Awards 2003, 2004 and 2005 too!
3. Sunil Grover
Sunil Grover is one of the Best Comedians in India. He rose to fame for playing Gutthi, Bunty and Professor Shonak on Comedy Nights with Kapil which airs every Friday night at 11 pm on Colors TV!
He was a contestant on “MTV Splitsvilla” Season-II before he became associated with MTV. This self-proclaimed Best Indian Stand Up comedian has been featured in movies like Khatta Meetha (2007) and Bhagam Bhaag (2008).
After the spat with Kapil Sharma on their Comedy Nights Show, Sunil Grover quit for a brief time. However he is back in action and it would not be complete without his performance as Guthi—a female comedian himself! His silent comedy performances have been well received by Indian television audiences which only show how much of an excellent performer he really is.
2. Raju Shrivastav
Raju Shrivastav is Best Indian Stand Up Comedian and a well-known comedian. He rose to fame from his show Comedy Circus, but now works in the field of acting too!
He started off as an actor in movies like Kudiya Veet Bolna (1980) before shifting focus to comedy when he was noticed by Johnny Lever while shooting for Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja.
India’s master of mimicry and actor Raju Shrivastav is a versatile performer. He first rose to fame by mimicking India’s greatest actors, including Amitabh Bachchan. Possessing an excellent sense of humor as well as his skill in mimicry, he has acted in many Hindi films such as the comedy spoof Bombay to Goa (2018).
1. Kapil Sharma
Kapil Sharma is the Best Indian Stand-Up Comedian in 2023 but has also tried his hand at acting and hosting. He first rose to fame in 2004 with the popular television show “Comedy Circus”.
He then went on to host Kapil’s Show Comedy Nights Live! which airs every Friday night at 11 pm on Colors TV. The Best Indian Stand Up comedian was born as a stand-up comic before he entered Bollywood movies such as Khatta Meetha (2007) or Bhagam Bhaag (2008).
In 2017, he became embroiled in controversies when fellow comedians alleged that he had taken credit for their jokes without giving them due to credits. However, this did not stop him from returning with another season of Comedy Nights.