By Marylee Stephenson (Socoicomic),
Special to The Post

Comics performing at ‘Stand Up – The Original Tandoori Kings of Comedy’ told their jokes to a near capacity crowd at the Bell Performing Arts Centre, in Surrey this past weekend. And the local talent was a big hit!

The Kings (and one Queen) were MC Munish Sharma of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken!, Clifford Prang, the “funny gora” as he likes to call himself, headliners Sunee Dhaliwal and Hollywood Harv, and the award-winning comedienne Ash Dhawan! 

The whole evening was a warm, funny, and a celebration of the quirks and quarks of Punjabi culture. There was Sunee Dhaliwal, wondering whether calling himself a Tandoori King was as racially insensitive as calling someone a Fried Chicken Baller. He also warmed people’s hearts with an account of his mom’s health issues, somehow finding a way to humanise that difficult part of his life through self-deprecating humour.

Clifford Prang told us how he’d grown up in a community where he was one of the few ‘goras’ there. He was able to throw in lots of Punjabi to the delight of the audience, including a hilarious rap of the Punjabi alphabet. He was a true “cross-over” comic – funny and charming.

Ash Dhawan has been moving up the comedy ladder at a rapid pace.  Last year she won Vancouver’s Best New Female Comic, beating out dozens of competitors in a multi-stage race.  She walks a fine line between risky and comfortable. There are the usual, but still witty, comments about ethnic stereotypes, but ones that have some truth to them: “I wanted to visit my uncle—I took a cab.  We had a nice talk about my health – he’s a doctor.”

MC Munish Sharma brought huge energy and order to the whole evening, bringing down the house with a few minutes of frantic, rubber-legged dancing.

It was great to see all ages, and even a few goras/ goris all laughing together. The easy movement between languages, and the interactions between the comics and the audience were enjoyed and enjoyable.

This is expected to be an annual event—only at the rate the South Asian Arts Society is going, it could happen every month and no one would complain!

Marylee Stephenson is a Vancouver based comedian. For more information go to www.sociocomic.ca.