Never thought I could make a living out of standup comedy: Chirayu Mistry

In 2013, when Chirayu Mistry tried his hand at standup comedy for the first time, he had no clue that it would become his calling in life. He says, “Saral, a friend of mine, encouraged me to participate in Footprints (a national level fiesta organised by MS University). It was a jampad stage and in hindsight, I think the jokes were quite bad (laughs)! But people enjoyed it and that gave me confidence. Had I not participated that day, life would have been different.”

Chirayu, one of the most popular standup comedians in Gujarat, adds, “It has been more than 12 years, and the journey has been a fabulous one. I never thought I could make a living out of what I do. I am grateful to everyone for their love and support.”

‘I try to choose my words carefully’

Talking about how tough it is to do comedy at a time when people get offended easily, Chirayu admits, “It’s not easy because you never know what will offend someone. In the age of social media, you have no control over who will watch your content and how they will react. When you are performing in an auditorium, there is a collective vibe the audience creates during the show. You may joke about a famous personality and they will love it. But when someone else is watching it on the internet, who was not part of that vibe, he/she may react very differently and get offended. You never know which joke can backfire, and comedians get abused all the time on social media. So, I try to choose my words carefully and filter out certain things if needed.”

He adds, “Ideally, we should get better as a society and if you don’t like something, you shouldn’t watch it. But on the internet, everyone has an opinion—and many seem to enjoy tearing others down.”

‘Wasn’t easy to draw audiences when I started’

Reflecting on the journey, he says, “I am thankful to Manan Desai and Vidya Desai for giving me a platform when nobody knew me. Initially, when we started doing standup comedy in Gujarati, it wasn’t easy to draw audiences. Standup comedy was new for the audience too, as they didn’t have too many reference points. Putting out videos regularly helped us a lot. Today, the scenario is completely different. I think our casual, relaxed style has helped us connect with all age groups.”

‘Writing is just 20% of what I do’

Chirayu is also into writing films and shows. He was the additional dialogue writer for Thamma (2025), and along with Om Bhatt and Manan Desai, co-wrote Bachubhai (2023). He says, “My journey as a writer started in 2015 after college. I am grateful to Rahul Bhole and Vinit Kanojia, who trusted me with script doctoring for Chor Bani Thangaat Kare (2017). Along with Manan (Desai) and Aakash Mehta, I had written a script, and we pitched it to a few makers, but things didn’t work out. But all these experiences helped me grow, and it taught us how to write long-form content.”

He adds, “We wrote Bachubhai during the lockdown. Niren (Bhatt) bhai was familiar with my work and I am grateful to him for Thamma. However, I think writing is just 20% of what I do. Writing for others requires a lot of patience and practice.”

‘Rawness is the USP of The Lavari Show’

Talking about the popularity of The Lavari Show, which he hosts with fellow comedians Manan Desai, Om Bhatt and Deep Vaidya, Chirayu says, “I feel rawness and casualness are the USPs of the show. Also, the brotherhood we share in real life helps us while on stage. In standup comedy, there are a lot of rehearsals for polishing your content. But here, it’s just the opposite and even we don’t know what we will be discussing with the guests coming to the show. The idea is to just chill and have fun. That’s why even celebrities like Jackie Shroff have spoken candidly about everyday realities—recalling, for instance, something as basic as using the toilet while living in a Mumbai chawl. That show has taken us to people’s drawing rooms.”