‘I believe love will conquer everything,’ says stand-up comedian Mayandi Karunanithi

Stand-up comedian Mayandi Karunanithi, who shot to fame following his performance in a popular comedy show on an OTT platform, says love is the only recipe for successful parenting.

A software engineer, Mayandi works for a tech company and pursues stand-up comedy in his spare time. He has wowed audiences in more than 300 stand-up comedy shows across India. In this exclusive interview, Mayandi speaks to us about stand-up comedy, his family, his relationship with his daughter and more.

They say artists are born. How helpful was your childhood in making you a stand-up comedian?

I was born in Periakulam in Theni district in Tamil Nadu and grew up in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. I have two siblings – an elder brother and a younger sister. Our parents encouraged us to pursue extracurricular activities. We would take part in Thirukkural recital competitions, elocution and extempore events. I never had stage fright because I was used to speaking in public from a very young age. I think that’s what helped me to become a stand-up comedian.

How are you at home? Do you make the women in your family - your mother, wife, daughter - laugh?

I do make people at home laugh, but I do not use the lines I use for my audience. I adopt a different technique. I rely heavily on Tamil actor Vadivelu’s dialogues like, ‘vada poche’ (an expression used when something you were expecting or hoping for did not happen), ‘venam’  (‘No’ ) and ‘vitru azhuthuruven’ (‘Let me go or I will cry’). I use these phrases often and make them laugh. They too would repeat these and then make me laugh!

How supportive is your family of your role as a stand-up comedian?

I do a lot of stand-up comedy shows on YouTube, college functions, private and corporate events. My content is mostly related to problems faced by parents while raising children, issues between husband and wife, and problems faced by corporate workers. I dig into my experience as a husband, father and corporate employee. These experiences help me to make my content engaging.   For example, I once said something playfully to my daughter long ago. Later, she recalled it in public during a conversation and put me in a spot. I take these encounters from my daily life and use them in my shows.

You have a five-year-old daughter. What kind of father are you?

I have an unshakeable belief that love will conquer everything. Therefore, I give my daughter Dhanvi undiminished love. I want her to have the confidence to discuss her problems with me. I always want my daughter to believe that if she shares her problems with me, I will help her find a solution.

During the pandemic, children were very dependent on technology and they didn’t get too many opportunities to play outdoors. This made me very sad and once the situation improved, I would encourage my daughter to run out of the house and play outdoors. I play with her whenever I have the time. During the lockdown,  she would hover around me all day long. I would give her little tasks like painting and motivate her to give her best. After work, we would play together.

I also want Dhanvi to know the importance of our traditions and culture even though we live in a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore. So we make it a point to celebrate Pongal in our native village Vetriyur in Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. She enjoys Maatu Pongal and Manju virattu (bull chasing) celebrations.

Mayandi with wife Abhiramy and daughter Dhanvi

Children these days are glued to gadgets. How do you keep your child’s screen time under control?

Keeping children’s gadget usage under control is a challenge for parents. However, my wife and I have adopted some strategies to significantly reduce gadget usage. We permit Dhanvi screen time only during a specific time of the day. We allow her to play educational digital games. But once her quota of screen time is over, we do not let her use gadgets.

Throughout the evening, my wife and I play games like ‘raja-rani-police-thief’ along with Dhanvi. We have cards marked as king, queen, police and thief, shuffle them and then lay them on the table. The ‘police’ should catch the ‘thief’ by reading the facial expressions of other participants. These kinds of games are very interesting and when you play them, time just flies.

As a working couple, how do both of you manage the responsibilities of work and home?  

Abhiramy, my wife, is a software engineer like me. Just as I am passionate about stand-up comedy, she is very passionate about her work. She wants to achieve great heights in her field. The challenges faced by women today at the office and home are immense. So we must support them in relieving this stress. If we face a problem, we must devote the time needed to fix it rather than worrying about it. Similarly, no matter how many responsibilities you have, women must devote some time for themselves.

Eight hours of sleep and thirty minutes of exercise every day will help in alleviating stress. Meditation helps greatly to navigate daily life without anxiety. If you don’t have time for exercise, then listen to some calming music while working. Watch comedy shows that make you laugh to your heart’s content. Before going to bed, chat and laugh with your children.

How did your parents raise you and your brother? 

Our parents raised me and my brother by saying, ‘Be honest, treat a fellow human being equally’. We three siblings were raised without any discrimination. It happened very naturally. But I think today it is very important that every parent should teach boys to treat girls equally. Boys should be educated that a woman’s self-respect is as important as theirs.

If your daughter wants to pursue a career of her choice, how will you support her?

I will support her dreams in any way possible. Even though I am a software engineer, my passion and dreams revolve around stand-up comedy. How can I stop my daughter from dreaming?

Let her try her hand at everything. When she grows up, I will certainly provide the support she needs to progress in her chosen field.

I want not only my daughter but all the girls to continue to work towards their dreams without fear. This is what I want to say to the women out there – remember that your dreams and goals are as important as your family and children. Do not give up your dreams under any circumstances. Keep moving forward.