“Back in my school and college days, I used to dance and didn’t have any stage fright. But, later I realized that I was naturally funny and that I could actually monetize this art. Then, I started seeing some really good stand-up comedians on YouTube and finally, made up my mind to capitalize on this. I started doing open mics and people told me that I was really good at this.
In 2016, I was taken in by “Bhubaneswar Komedians” and that’s when my journey started. Following my graduation in 2017, I got placed in a company and went to Pune, but within a year I left the job to pursue full time comedy. After coming back to Bhubaneswar, we founded “Comedy Highway”, which is the only stand-up comedy collective in Odisha.
I’ve now completed 5 years into comedy and I’ve done shows with some renowned comedians such as Zakir Khan, Abhisek Upmanyu, and many others as well. My video is scheduled to be released in the January of 2022 which I will do with “Habitat”. I’ve been invited to perform in more than 50+ colleges in Odisha, as I am the second Odia comedian to perform in “Canvas Laugh Club”, the first being Biswas Kalyan Rath.
I also happen to be the voice-over artist for Disney’s Donald Duck for a few Hindi dubbed episodes in 2008. This made it easier for me to make my way into the top 70 contestants in the “Great Indian Laughter Challenge 2017”.
In the beginning, it was difficult to convince my parents because at that time I used to do only open mics and no paid shows. They did not understand why I went to bars to perform in front of an audience. Gradually, when I got featured in articles and newspapers, they were convinced that I’m doing something legit.
Done and dusted with my MBA, I have been posted near Bhubaneswar itself as a Program Facilitator in an NGO. I am skeptical about pursuing stand-up fulltime because I realized that this artform requires my availability only in evenings(that's when most shows happen). A day job therefore definitely keeps me busy.
Since the stand-up scene in Odisha is still in its nascent stage, I look forward to helping young comedians who want to try their hands at this art, and help them grow in this industry” – Satyabrat Mohapatra.
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