Tarang Hardikar: Pune’s Offbeat Comic on the Rise

Long before stand-up and open mics, before a small but growing comedy circuit took shape in Pune, there was television and imitation. 

Mr Tarang Hardikar, an up-and-coming comedian, grew up watching Mr. Bean and studying the elastic physicality of Rowan Atkinson. “I remember being really young and doing something funny and my grandmother telling me – ‘You said it like Mr. Bean’.” By college, he was re-enacting Mr Bean’s one-man sketches in his theatre club.

Stand-up entered the picture around 2018. His first performance was at a mixed lineup featuring poets, musicians and comedians. He went on first with a set about struggling to order at Subway, overwhelmed by the speed of the questions. To his surprise, it landed well.

“I was a very shy and awkward boy in real life,” Mr Tarang said. “But something about the stage really excited me.” He told tabla! that he was not someone who would be typically described as “the funny one,” keeping mostly to himself growing up and rarely the centre of attention. What he did possess, however, was an “observational instinct and a rich inner world”.

“I grew up in a pretty serene part of Pune so I have some fond memories of wandering around all day,” Mr Tarang recalled.

It was only after stepping onto a stage that the response became clear – people found him funny. Within two months of doing open mics, he decided to pursue comedy more seriously.

His writing process is disciplined. Morning pages are written daily, soon after waking, wherein thoughts and feelings are put down on paper, whether or not they strike him as humorous or witty. The exercise of articulating emotion, he said, became foundational to his stage work. Throughout the day, he would document observations on his phone after which at least one new idea was tested during each performance.

Pre-show anxiety has not fully disappeared since, though it has softened over time. While the jitters tend to peak just before he walks onstage, he manages them by listening to music and taking a few minutes to settle his nerves. Once the set begins, adrenaline would take over. 

The many experiences of jokes falling flat had also primed him for failure. With exposure to different rooms and audiences, he noted that it became clear to him that a joke’s reception is often shaped by context as much as the comedian’s prowess.

His influences, he said, were shaped by his irrevocable attraction to observational comedy, citing figures such as Jerry Seinfeld and Mitch Hedberg. In recent years, however, his sensibilities have shifted toward the absurd and the poetic, influenced by comics like Sam Campbell and Jaqueline Novak.

Looking ahead, his ambitions extend well beyond the local circuit. International travel and performing for diverse audiences are firmly on the horizon, along with the development of a full hour of material. “I really want to travel the world and do my shows. I wanted to say things that resonate with people regardless of nationality,” he said. He is all set to perform in Singapore at Ola Ola @ Marina One on Mar 14.

Beyond traditional stand-up into musical comedy and show writing, Mr Tarang also covets expanding to other mediums. “I have always been writing songs for as long as I can remember. I also have many stories that I’d love to make into a TV series or film. I have an affinity for theater as well,” he said.