Southeast Asia’s favourite comedian Kumar is taking the world by storm, one country at a time

Kumarsutra and Anita Dorai 

Kumar is hailed as one of South East Asia’s most iconic and respected performing artists, and a brilliant stand-up comedian. His unique brand of humour, a one-of-a-kind fusion of traditional and modern aspects of performing arts has been perfected over the years.

Kumar’s electric personality and humour is widely known among the South East Asian community for poking fun at all things controversial whilst successfully avoiding the fine line of being insulting.

The following are Kumar’s thoughts on being irreverent, funny, incisive, and unique:

 

Q: What are your thoughts on being a stand-up comedian? 

Stand-up comedy is hard to explain; it’s the way I live, the way I am with family, friends. It’s this instinct for balancing laughter with social acceptability which I have honed for many, many years.

 

Q: What can Sri Lankan audiences expect from Kumar?

Talking about people, their idiosyncrasies, married couples, the problems they go through, relationships, boyfriends and girlfriends – the funny side to all of this. Most people who are married don’t even have sex anymore. They don’t think it is important, they just keep the marriage going. So I hope to make people really laugh with all the situations going on in their everyday life. 

 

Q: How did you come into this field?

 I came into it by accident. I was earning very little money. I was told I can moonlight as a stand-up comedian with a script and I had to memorise the lines and go on and just tell the jokes. I did that and the rest is history. My brand of humour is very localised. I mostly go to cities that are more Asian.

 

Q: What are your thoughts on February, the month of love?

A: Celebrating love – I will be in Perth on Valentine’s Day so hopefully I will find a kangaroo. Maybe on Valentine’s Day you can go to the zoo. But seriously on Valentine’s Day you need to share your love with all those around you.

 

Q: What does the future hold for Kumar?

If something comes along, it comes along. When you plan and it doesn’t happen you get very disappointed in life. I say celebrate now! No waiting for tomorrow!

 

Q: What achievements are you proud of? 

A: I am proud of where I am now. I think there’s more to come. But a lot of good things have happened to me over the years. And it’s great because we’re all born for a reason (I know what I’m born for now), and it’s important to find what you’re born to do in this world.”

 

Q: Tell us more about your show ‘Kumarsutra’.

 Kumarsutra is a show like no other that will bring the audience through a story of struggle and triumph injected, of course, with my trademark humour.