After serving in the Indian Navy for 23 years, retired Commander Manish Tyagi returns to his old passion -- making people laugh
Manish Tyagi
“Now Paul is a real estate novelist who never had time for a wife, and he is talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy, and probably will be for life,” -- the lines from Billy Joel's classic, Piano Man, articulates the stringent measures of the armed forces and the not-so-easy retirement. Davy was either broken or had unfulfilled dreams, but Manish Tyagi, 50, has a different story. A retired commander of the Indian Navy, he is now a stand-up comedian. He served for 23 years (1989-2012) before returning to what he did best back in college -- make people laugh. Tyagi is based out of Ghaziabad but is currently on tour. Excerpts from an interview:
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Why pursue stand-up comedy?
I am an engineer and have worked with the Navy for years, I wanted to do something interesting. People loved me back there, and found me funny. I could crack jokes for hours. But, my daughter is my greatest inspiration. She told me that I am the only person who can make her laugh. She wanted me to be like Kapil Sharma. I told her that is difficult but the process started in 2014.
Were you the official entertainer during your sailing days?
I remember doing a lot of mimicry. I had the knack of cracking jokes at the right moments. I also did a lot of observational comedy those days. Stand-up comedy cannot happen overnight. There is a thin line between being funny and making fun of people.
You haven't spoken much about your Navy days...
I have finally started to talk about it after repeated requests from friends and fans. One needs to be careful about jokes on the Navy -- they shouldn't be detrimental to the armed forces. But, when I say I was a commander, there is a 'wow' factor. The next thing people ask me is about the cheap canteen stores.
Can you share a joke from your days in the Indian Navy?
We had huge impetus on uniforms and haircuts. We had many Jats in the Navy.
We would be sailing for a week, and some of them were in bad shape. Once we docked at a port, a senior officer spotted a Jat who was tying a rope to the jetty and blasted him for not shaving. He said: “What nonsense, why haven't you shaved?” to which the Jat replied, sulking, “Sex ka toh koi nai puch raha mujhe (nobody asks if he had had sex).”
Where else do you seek inspiration from?
I schooled in Ranchi and know a lot of Biharis and Bengalis. I was famous before MS Dhoni became successful (laughs). I crack jokes on their accents. They will always say 'hum' when referring to themselves. They are terrible at pronouncing the letters W and V. I have relatives who are funny in their own way. They are a part of my shows, too. I also have a section about mothers. Since my mother stays with me, I have a good collection of emotional blackmail stories.
On Tomorrow, March 22, 9 pm
At Fat Man's Café and Grill, 8, Tian Building, 3rd Floor, Gulmohar Road, JVPD, Juhu.
Call 26254446
Entry Rs 199
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