Sunny Boy with Adi Parmar

“This show comes from a place buried deep inside me - it’s a story that needs to be said out loud for me to move on with my life”

In a light-hearted chat with gay Indian comedian + finance industry escapee, Adi Parmar, we uncover the deeply personal nature of his show, Sunny Boy, (whilst being careful not to include any spoilers), as well as the importance of having a supportive partner in the making autobiographical work + how he found his way into the Amsterdam comedy scene!

“I’ve steered in the direction of storytelling while still trying to keep it funny and light-hearted”

Sunny Boy has emerged from Adi’s need to make sense of + speak truth to the complexity of growing up gay within a Hindu + patriarchal culture + to reflect back on this now, having lived in the Netherlands with a loving partner for the last 8 and a half years. He mentioned that the Amsterdam comedy community are very fun + inclusive with lots of opportunities to test out new material + veer off in different directions. Part of the process of making this show was Adi giving himself permission to make comedy that honoured his vulnerability + storytelling more than telling universally funny jokes. There is risk to this, because as he rightly put it, when your personal life is the content of your show, you are putting yourself on stage with the inherent possibility of being judged not only as a comedian but as a human in general. It’s a bold risk that many independent artists make in their autobiographical works + when it pays off, it’s double the reward.

“I feel restless when I have an idea, and then when it’s ready, I feel euphoric”

In Adi’s creative process, spontaneity comes first + writing comes last. He mentioned that he often struggles with blocking specific times to create; it feels too forced. More organically, he notices funny things coming up in casual day-to-day conversations with friends + will scribble ideas down afterwards. He describes the mulling over phase of his ideas as a kind of obsession that sometimes can cause him drift away from the present - but that the right time always comes for him to test out material, eventually. At this point, he likes to jump on the mic with a camera recording him to see what emerges + then he re-watches the video, downloads the written transcript + edits from there. Adi also, like many other performers heavily relies on feedback + discussions with other artists, within the Amsterdam community + beyond. Last October + November he also popped over to the Soho theatre Comedy Plus Lab, in London, which really helped him to expand on his work more in with new artists + audiences.

“I work in finance but I just want to assure you + anybody else that I’m trying to get out of it”

Adi had a day job working for a big corporate finance company, which he actually quit last year to make more time for his creative career. The show is self-funded and as much as he has disliked working in this industry - I’m sure it has been very helpful in terms of getting him to this point. He now is working in finance for a smaller tech company + sees himself wiggling away from it all in the near future. Adi mentioned that he always wanted to work in hospitality, with an interest in food + wine, which is also a classic side hustle for many independent artists as it gives them a lot more time + flexibility to venture out creatively. Plus you can work hospitality in the day + perform at night. In terms of emotional support, his partner, who is a non-performer, has been such a rock from the beginning of Adi’s journey into comedy. He told a story of the first few open mic slots he performed at, where he was testing ideas out in the presences of tiny audiences + how he’d felt so insecure but his partner would consistently listen + encourage. I personally believe artists need so much love + cheerleading to do what we do - I’m so happy Adi has this support from his romantic relationship.

“Adelaide Fringe is my litmus test for what kind of life I want after”

Adi seemed in disbelief + awe that he now gets to live the life of an artist. Introducing himself + his show to the public feels surreal + the audience feedback he’s received all feels very aligned. It sounds like he’s at a turning point in his creative career + life in general!

My Review

Adi Parmar charmed us with his queer charisma + his sharp wit but that's not all, you’re going to discover his massive heart by the end of the show. This is not just comedy, this is a celebration of Adi’s personal story + big life choices that encourage us to reflect upon ours.

From our giggly interview, I knew I was in for some big belly laughs at Sunny Boy + I was certainly not disappointed. We entered the Squeaker to a slide show of pictures of baby Adi accompanied by high-energy Indian music. We knew things were going to get autobiographical + what an on point story to be telling us at this point in time: one that celebrates queer life, that takes some joyful jabs at colonisation + one that reckons with his understanding of real love, even when complicated cultural norms have another idea. Adi invites us into some really deep + sometimes dark, personal experiences with both his family, his partner + his experiences of Indian + Dutch culture. He manages to tell these stories with a harmonious truth, heart + humour. The show was also eye-opening, educational + I imagine highly relatable to many other Indian folks in the audience. The bigger picture of India’s daily life is often blurred by the loud opinions of western tourists, who bypass the complex history + rigid patriarchy that co-exists with the ancient spiritual culture. This show expands our awareness + allows Adi the opportunity to speak his own truth without interruption which was really satisfying + empowering to witness.

Adi knows how to make us wait for a punchline + drop it with pleasure. Within the first few minutes of the show, his light-hearted presence + cheeky grin created an intimacy that made us all feel like each of us were his close friend. From asking an audience member to play his mum giving birth to checking to make sure the Indian folks in the audience don’t know his parents - he left no stone unturned + we were 100% with him all the way. A particular highlight for me was in the moments where he invited us into absurd imagined scenarios that played with commonly known tropes of the cultures he’s a part of - like calling out his partner’s Dutch directness in the context of being caught cheating + the idea that he is the result of praying to the ‘wrong’ Indian Hindu Gods. And of course, a big shout-out to queer-co-parenting bits + his theory around bisexual men.

Adi is one of those people who’s experienced much absurdity in his life + his comedy exposes it with a volcanic sense humour, that churns up our shared underworld, so we can see more clearly. What a gift he has - I can’t wait to see what he does next!