Arun Sriram in one of his shows
“Maybe if I talk about potholes in Kannada, they will get filled,” laughs Arun Sriram while talking about the online bashing he received for his show Whitefield Tamizhan in December last year. Presented in Tamil, it faced criticism from language purists.
Now, the CA-turned-standup will present his latest set in Kannada, Tamil and English this weekend. Arun adds, “I know how tolerant the people of Bengaluru are; I’m sure they will tolerate my Kannada too.” “I thought the Rajyotsava weekend was an auspicious time to give back to the city that is now my home.”
Originally from Chennai, Arun settled in Bengaluru 20 years ago and, like most people, he started learning Kannada by conversing with auto drivers.
Talking about his move from corporate to comedy, Arun says he has always been considered funny and he started with open mic sessions in 2017. “When I had a few lines, I considered taking my humor from a one-on-one approach to a one-to-many setting.”
Arun Sriram
He credits fellow comics Kenny Sebastian and Praveen Kumar for guiding him in his early days. “Praveen gave me a copy of Judy Carter comedy bible Which was a game changer. After three years I thought I was doing stand-up comedy,” he laughs, “It changed the way I write. My scripts became sharper, tighter and my sets got better.”
“You believe you’ve arrived when you’re given a five-minute slot, of course it’s very little until you step on stage and see silence and a Q&A in return. My first standup was in 2018, and looking at the video, I pity the audience more than myself.”
Needless to say, Arun’s scripts are “primarily observational, self-deprecating and experiential” and he performs in “conversational Indian English”, even when including the occasional phrase in Tamil in Chennai. “Having started out for the comics who came from Chennai, I started adding a little Tamil to my acting and found that when you share with the audience the language in which you think and speak, there is a natural flow to your speech.”
However, it was only after giving a Josh Talk (a platform for inspirational stories and skill upgradation opportunities) in Kannada about two years ago that Arun began to consider presenting a set in the language. “That conversation was a single take, 11-minute speech about my journey in comedy. I figured if I could do it without prompts, I might as well give it a shot.”
Arun Sriram and an ISL interpreter on one of his sets
He says the upcoming special, his first standup performance in Kannada, revolves around human emotions. “We have been brought up to believe that certain emotions are good, while other emotions like anger, sadness or hatred are bad. However, they are all important, valid and share an important place in our lives. My show touches on the comedic elements of each Navarasa or Emotion.”
Arun is one of the few standups who performs with an Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpreter, offering it as an option when he performs. “Normally, people who are deaf can only watch YouTube videos using subtitles. It can be tiring to keep one eye down to read and the other eye up to follow what comes up. Their issue is close to my heart and I always ask if there is a demand for it in my shows,” he says, adding that there will be no ISL interpreter this weekend.
After this show, Arun will take his set to Mumbai next weekend, where he will perform in Tamil and English.
Arun Sriram will present Navarasa in Kannada (3 pm), Navarasam in Tamil (5 pm) and Epiphany in English (7 pm) at Rangasthal on November 2, 2025. Tickets are available from ₹399 on BookMyShow.
published – October 28, 2025 08:39 PM IST