The comedian with a message
Stand-up Alexander Babu brought his ‘Alex in Wonderland’ one-man show to the UAE Review
From music, to religious harmony, to politics, to philosophy, to yoga, to road safety and to social and contemporary issues, it was a fun-filled rollercoaster ride at the Alex in
Wonderland show at Emirates International School Theatre last weekend.
The Agni Events-conducted musical show in Tanglish, a mix of English and Tamil, by stand-up comedian Alexander Babu kept the audience at their wits end throughout the two-hour parody.
Armoured with double bongos, a harmonium, a bass drum and a stool, which acts as his drum, Babu started with the words “let’s laugh at life and have some fun.”
Now performing his 73rd Alex in Wonderland show — he has conducted it in many cities across the world — Babu spoke about his engineering graduation days and the subsequent Master’s Degree in the US and his life in America. He also narrated how he accidentally made the transition from a software developer to a stand-up comedian over the last four years.
The ease with which he handled the parody clearly showed that he has been at it much before he started his stage shows.
“Yes, I used to be the clown among the group of friends at get-togethers and entertain them. So, it [stage performance] comes from that. I was learning and playing on the side. I am passionate about music and performing,” Babu told tabloid! after the show. “There is no real change in the content in almost all the shows. It’s like a play. Only 10 per cent of the content changes based on the current situation.”
The parody touched upon the music composition of legends such as Illaiyaraaja, AR Rahman, and did not spare anyone from Shivaji Ganesan, to
Shivaji the Boss movie and Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, popularly known as Rajinikanth, who is making his political foray, along with his friend and fellow actor Kamal Haasan. SP Balasubrahmanyam and KJ Yesudas, Mani Ratnam, and Gautham Vasudev Menon were also highlighted.
He even pencilled the ‘Why This Kolaveri Di’ duo of actor Dhanush and music director Anirudh Ravichander in a different light.
On the current political scene in Tamil Nadu, in regards to the political entry of movie idols Rajinikanth and Haasan, Babu said: “Tamil Nadu is heading for a change, a positive one. But becoming the chief minister should not be the only goal. Being the leader is one role, but not the role.”
After praising the late former playback singer and actor Malaysia Vasudevan and the numerous singers who performed the choir in some of the classics of Illaiyaraaja as the unsung heroes.
He brought to the fore the menace of comparison and competition that’s ruining the world. For that, he cited the blockbuster Baahubali as an example.
Many decades ago, cancer would have provided the twist to a movie plot, but today it is the accident that gives the twist. This is where he highlighted the importance of wearing seat belts and helmets and abiding by the rules.
Babu’s next message is the importance of keeping it simple. “Beauty lies in simplicity,” he said and picked former legendary music director MS Viswanathan, popularly known as MSV, and how he just used bongos to produce timeless classics with one instrument.
VERSATILE SHOW
Babu also showed his versatility when he produced many songs composed by MSV with the same music. At another point, he reeled off five songs in the same genre of Yesudas, while underlining SPB’s variety in singing.
“No point in imitating, focus on your strengths. Never worry about criticism. Keep doing what you believe in doing,” was his message with AR Rahman as a case in point.
Babu also talked about following his passion, which he did when he gave up his 15-year-long career in software development to take up comedy.
What next from here? “I just wanted follow the journey and do what I enjoy. As an artist my responsibility is to spread the good vibes in the world then good things will happen. The moment you feel good you will do good things will happen.”
Having taken the audience through the Wonderland, Babu concluded by saying: “May all the laughter continue to grow love and peace.”