Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gk. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

GK, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

As a standup comedian and digital content creator, my journey has been largely self-taught, rooted in over a decade of experience in theater writing, directing, and acting. I transitioned to standup comedy in 2019, developing material organically without formal training or templates. Reflecting on my journey, I realize I could have accelerated my learning by seeking mentorship from experienced comedians, working more closely with other comedians, experimenting with different styles, and analyzing successful comedians’ techniques more systematically. The most essential skill for me personally has been keen observation, which forms the basis of my observational humor. Other crucial skills include adaptability for crowd work, concise writing for impactful jokes, stage presence and delivery that I believe I got through my theater experience. My primary obstacle has been time constraints due to my full-time job, which has slowed my progress as a comedian. Despite these challenges, my theater background provided a strong foundation, and my natural approach yielded positive results. This experience has taught me the importance of leveraging existing skills while constantly seeking new learning opportunities in standup comedy.

GK, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As an engineer by profession and a stand-up comedian by passion, I’ve spent the last two decades fine tuning my craft by being part of various theater groups, working in short films and feature films. I’ve also acted on stage and in short films while occasionally directing for theater as well. In March 2019, I co-founded Bldg18 Comedy Club, marking a significant milestone in my arts career.

Since then, I’ve focused mainly on stand-up, comedy performing at over 300 open mics and 200+ shows across more than 35 cities in the USA, Australia, Singapore, and India. I have performed at the prestigious Sydney Comedy Festival in 2024. My comedy has resonated with corporate audiences, leading to performances at tech giants like Google, Amazon, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, and Dropbox, as well as various other startups and corporate events.

My online presence expanded significantly when my first standup video “Exams and Indian Parents” went viral on WhatsApp and got forwarded multiple times. I’ve also built a strong presence on Instagram (@gkthecomic), where my family-friendly, relatable content has gotten over 15 million views. Another significant milestone was when I got the opportunity to appear on Indian cricketer Ashwin Ravichandran’s YouTube shows where I discussed cricket with humor.

Currently, I’m touring with my solo standup special “Based on True Stories.” In the past year, I’ve also ventured into brand collaborations, creating marketing reels for over 10 brands and businesses.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The ability to evoke laughter is, for me, the ultimate reward in comedy. In a world where daily stresses and worries often weigh heavily on people’s minds, the ability to lift that burden, even momentarily, through humor is fulfilling. There’s an unparalleled joy in watching an audience’s faces light up, hearing their genuine laughter, and feeling the positive energy in the room. This is what drives me as a comedian.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I began sharing funny, relatable videos on Instagram. Some of these videos mix humor with interesting facts about cities or people. One thing that has helped me grow my following is consistency: posting regularly. Don’t get discouraged if your posts don’t get much attention at first. Just keep making content. Over time, you’ll improve and learn what your audience likes. The most important thing is to stick with it and post often.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @gkthecomic
• Youtube: @gkthecomic