Five Specials Starring Women Stand-ups For The Crack You Up Weekend Guide
The lockdown restrictions may be lifted but most of us are in no hurry to venture out into the world anyway. With monsoon setting in, we won’t be surprised if your weekend plans only include curling up on the couch and binge-watching shows. If you’re in the mood for something lighthearted to lift your spirits amongst all this doom and gloom, we’ve got you covered. Here are five comedy specials featuring hilarious women to get you cackling.
Sumukhi Suresh - Don’t Tell Amma
Despite being considered a veteran in comedy circles, Don’t Tell Amma is Sumukhi Suresh’s first stand-up special where she jokes about everything from her childhood in Nagpur to Nutella and most importantly, her mother. Housed on Amazon Prime, this hour-long special is highly relatable and is a testament to Suresh’s impeccable delivery and stage presence. And if you’re still left wanting more, you can always check out her show Pushpavalli on the same platform.
Aditi Mittal - Things They Wouldn’t Let Me Say
Released in 2017, ‘Things They Wouldn’t Let Me Say’ on Netflix marked the first time a female Indian comic was featured in a special on an OTT platform. A mainstay in the Indian comedy scene, Aditi Mittal finds the humor in sex, menstruation and other stigmatized topics that many would veer away from. Adding an extra dimension of fun, Mittal also brings out her sari-clad alter ego, Mrs Lutchuke to dole out sage advice about sex and life.
Ladies Up
With an all-star lineup of comedians Prashasti Singh, Kaneez Surka, Supriya Joshi and Niveditha Prakasam, this Netflix special will have you holding your sides. Touted as a “much-needed win for women in comedy”, Ladies Up explores a wide gamut of topics including dating, the North-South divide and divorce. Veteran Surka is the standout of the lot with her unabashed and vulnerable storytelling.
Read more: Five Women-Led OTT Releases To Watch This August
Aparna Nancherla - The Standups
Best known for voicing the character of Hollyhock in the animated show Bojack Horseman, Aparna Nancherla is an outstanding Indian-American comic. Her segment in season two of the Netflix series The Standups is completely worth a watch. Over the years, Nancherla has perfected the art of being openly awkward and uses that to steer her deadpan comic style. In this special, she weaves her bits around relatable struggles like modern communication.
Anu Menon - Wonder Menon
Anu Menon graced our screens in the 2000s as Lola Kutty, a stereotypical South Indian character and has since rebranded. In her 2019 Amazon special she talks about the mayhem of having a Gujarati husband while being a Malayali. Tackling motherhood and marriage, Wonder Menon brings out another side of the comic even though she does occasionally fall back on predictable setups and template jokes.
(Edited by Sanhati Banerjee)
