Stand-up comedy show at Nando’s today

A unique band of entertainers have emerged to entertain the comedy lovers of the country. “Live English Stand-Up Comedy,” an animated comedy show by Naveed’s Comedy Club is taking place in Nando’s at 7pm today. Neveed Mahbub , Max Mystel & Ashik Ahmad are the performers of this show.  The founder of Naveed’s Comedy Club shares his aspirations with Dhaka Tribune:   What you will perform tomorrow? I really don’t know, I will go with the flow, it is almost always the case in stand-up comedy shows. Ashik, Max and I will go onstage consecutively.  The whole act depends on time, situation, interactive communication between me and my audience. It is very common for a comedian to interact with the audience members expect the spectators to reciprocate. The whole idea of a comedy club is to have a good laugh without hurting anyone’s feelings.    How did you get started as a comedian and when did you start your club in Bangladesh? I was a regular at comedy clubs in the US. At one point, I went to the famous comedy instructor, Sandi Shore (2004) and got trained under her for 2 months. That’s how it all started. I became the Best Male Comedian at the 2007 Original Las Vegas Comedy Festival and from that point on, I turned a professional.    Naveed’s Comedy Club in Bangladesh started on March 6, 2010.   When you embarked as a professional, what was it like initially?   Entertaining a crowd face to face and making people laugh with genuine enjoyment is a tough feat to achieve. It was tough when I started and it still is.   What are your current endeavors and projects? Currently, I am busy with various projects, such as “The Naveed Mahbub Show” on NTV (Mondays 9pm) which has been airing for a year. I am also working to expand the scope of stand-up comedy in TV shows, sketches, political humor, news spoofs. Naveed’s Comedy Club is a nationwide road show, discovering new comedians, writers and talents.   How much popularity have you gained and what are the challenges you have faced or facing? The show has been phenomenally popular so far. But, we have just scratched the surface, we still have a long way to go. Stand-up comedy is where a comedian performs in front of a live audience. It does not entail telling jokes but is more like an informal, yet humorous conversation where the comedian speaks about his or her own experiences to which the audience relates.    Who is your favourite comedian? Many, the late, great George Carlin is my all time favorite.    What are your future plans? To make sure that comedy is my only profession. Establish stand-up comedy in Bangladesh in full bloom. Use comedy as a tool to make the society/world a better place. l