Russell Peter: Comedians are truth tellers, we talk about the world the way we see it

Global stand-up comic Russell Peters is touring India again, this time with his Relax World Tour . Having toured the country five times already, the award-winning comedian says that returning to India feels like coming home.
“I love coming back to India – it’s my favourite place to tour and to just be. Even though I wasn’t born here, it’s home. I like to just hang out in Bombay. Walk around and take it all in. Like I’ve said before, I’d live there (in India) if I could,” he says.

Talking about what audiences can expect from this tour, he says, “‘Relax’ means to just take it easy. There are a lot of people who take what comedians say really seriously when we’re literally just joking. It’s not that serious. Relax. Forget your problems. Just go with it and enjoy the show.”

‘My comedy is silly, there’s no big message’Russell has stayed relevant across generations of audiences. What, according to him, matters more for longevity in stand-up today: evolving your voice or staying true to it? “I’m not opposed to evolving. Life forces us to evolve. Circumstances change. Life comes at you and changes you. But I’ve stayed pretty true to who I am. My comedy is silly. There’s no big message. It’s just fun and unfiltered. It’s me,” he shares.

‘In comedy, intent is everything’Russell weighs in on the comedy climate: Are audiences becoming more sensitive, or are we simply more vocal? “Some people are definitely more sensitive, but comedy is subjective, and people like what they like.

I’m true to myself. I’m not for everyone, but comedians are the truth tellers. We talk about the world the way we see it. It might not be how you see it, but that’s life,” he says. The comedian believes that stand-up comics aren’t meant to be politically correct. Given the real repercussions some comics face now, does he think intent still matters in comedy – or has impact completely overtaken it, we ask. “Intent is everything. There’s no malice in what I’m saying onstage. It’s just my point of view. If someone is offended by something, it usually has more to do with them than me. They’ve either chosen to be offended or are dealing with their own issues. I can’t be held responsible for how you interpret something. That’s on you,” he responds.

The show is in association with EVA Live.


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