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