PRESS

Funny business

by Shefali Rao
2013-03-28

Samir Khullar is pretty much the whole package - an actor and writer with biting wit to match. The Indo-Canadian comedian, known internationally by his stage name Sugar Sammy, tells it like it is, from wisecracks on arranged marriages to faulty Indianisms.  Over 72,000 fans on Facebook are testament to his popularity. And he was recently in the country to start of the funny series by Comedy Central, as they made their foray into live entertainment in India. The funny man from Montreal gives us a hint of his brand of humour.

The greatest comedian ever.

Eddie Murphy. He's definitely the one that I love most. And I really admire Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais and Sacha Baron Cohen. But what makes Eddie Murphy my favourite, is that his humour is unfiltered. He brings a marginal point of view  to the forefront and he talks about things no one else is really discussing.

One thing, that all comedians should have.

I think they all should have a certain level of groundedness. That way, you can do a better job of observing society and telling jokes the right way.

Why the name Sugar Sammy?

I got it back when I was in university. I used to throw parties all the time and charge a fee,  because it helped pay for  my tuition. But I always let in all the girls for free - it's the rule of any great party, because then automatically, you get the guys to pay and come.

And all the girls started calling me Sugar Sammy and it just stuck. One joke that never fails. I have this one on arranged marriages and it works everywhere.

Have you ever been compared to Russell Peters?

Yes. I mean, it doesn't happen as much now as it did in the beginning. There are more comedians of Indian descent now, so people have gotten over it. It's not so bad, I guess it could have been a lot worse.

A film you would change the ending of.

Deewar. I would have let Amitabh Bachchan live.

Three Indian quirks that you think make for great comic fodder.

First, eating with our hands, and the second would be our accents for sure, from my parents to everyone in India.

Also, do people still say ‘yaar' a lot?

That would probably be the third.

Number one on your bucket list.

Julia Roberts.

Weirdest fan mail.

After Comedy Central last aired my show in India, I got a message on Facebook from a girl's mother, who wanted me to marry her daughter (laughs). She even sent a photo of  her daughter and everything! I though it was very sweet, though.

About your set in India.

The humour is mixture of Hindi, English and Punjabi, with lots of jokes about cultural clashes between Indians in India and Indians in North America. It is a very well-rounded set with stuff about relationships with my exes, with my parents, my travels, sports, pop culture and all of that. I can't wait to come back to India, I've been missing it  for a while now.