Ahead of bringing his new show ‘Generational’ to Panaji, Azeem Banatwalla talks about his fondness for Gen Z, dealing with censorship, and living in Goa
CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
A comedian, writer and podcaster, Azeem Banatwalla has been part of India’s comedy circuit for over a decade and released stand-up specials such as ‘Cometh The Hour’ and ‘Minor Celebrity’. Having toured with his latest show ‘Generational’ since 2025, he is all set to perform it in Panaji this weekend.
Excerpts from the interview:
The concept for this show was born from your move from Mumbai to Goa, as it forced you to rebuild your social circle.
It’s not just that. It was also about trying to understand why we spend so much time on our phones and why young people today behave the way they do.
You wrote this show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival last year. How has it changed since then?
It’s an evolving process. There are always small elements that change from show to show. I’ve rewritten the beginning and end several times and small jokes and improvisations keep getting added
here and there.
As a millennial, what have you learned from Gen Z?
I think both a positive and a negative – to prioritise their needs and their mental health above everything else. Sometimes it’s to their own detriment and at the cost of the sanity of the millennial trying to deal with them! But at their best, they’re very fun. I enjoy Gen Z despite all their idiosyncrasies and you’ll probably understand why once you’ve seen the show!
With so much discussion around generational differences and technology, was it difficult to find a fresh angle
for the show?
I wouldn’t think so. Technology has always distracted us from the things we want to do. It is phones now; before that, it was television and the internet. Eventually, once you move past it, you realise there’s life to be lived. I just set myself deadlines and am too afraid of failing to let anything distract me beyond a certain point!
How do you deal with growing censorship while working on your shows?
It is what it is. There are things we can do as citizens to resist what people in power are doing to stay in power and we’ll keep doing that. For now, we work within
the framework we have and we still have a lot. It’s in our interest as performers to keep pushing back against the boundaries instead of allowing ourselves to be boxed in.
How has online stand-up content affected live comedy?
One feeds the other. You can’t have online content without live shows. Thankfully, audiences understand this. The live scene is thriving, as it should be.
What is your take on the future of stand-up comedy in India?
It’s already a huge industry and it will continue to grow because there’s no shortage of topics, opinions and audiences within the country. There’s space for everyone to grow and find
their niche.
What do you love most about living in Goa now?
The pace of life. My muscle memory is still set to the hustle of Mumbai, so it takes me a while to slow down and settle into Goa’s rhythm. But I feel people here have a better pace and quality of life. There’s also a great sense of community and
I enjoy that.
(‘Generational’ will be performed on May 9 at 7 p.m. at Institute Menezes Braganza, Panaji. The show is organised by LVC Comedy)
