SP39: Gagan Gopal on finding oneself

Gagan Gopal is a stand-up comic born in the Indian city of Hassan and now based in Munich. He performs in both English and German and, together with Mustafa Gaja, organizes the (now again paused) weekly open-mic Medium Rare. We listen to a bit of Gagan at the Comedy Factory Munich
from autumn 2020, in-between lockdowns. There Gagan talks about how he tried to find his true inner self by doing some yoga and meditation. But what if during introspection you find out you’re a piece of shit? Gagan walks us through the process of forming and honing the joke: how he started with a creepy setup and punchline that got no laughs and how he turned it into something more relatable for the audience.
Gagan dives into why telling a joke is a bit like hatching an egg: Not only is it crucial what’s inside. You also have to treat it right to find out what’s inside after all. The best joke will suffer if not told
correctly. And even the best presentation can hatch a monster. He also talks about why comics shouldn’t put all their efforts into self-deprecation on stage. In the end, we also like ourselves, don’t we?
Gagan Gopal on Instagram
Gagan’s weekly open mic Medium Rare Comedy
Comedy Factory Munich, where Gagan is co-host