9 min readAug 16, 2026 05:00 AM IST First published on: Aug 16, 2026 at 05:00 AM IST Azeem BanatwallaBy Azeem BanatwallaFor as long as I can remember, I have wanted to make people laugh. I don’t think I was ever particularly good at it. Enthusiasm minus charisma equals awkwardness. My early teens were punctuated by facepalms and eye rolls from classmates. I wasn’t trying to be the class clown, I just always felt the need to be heard. Often, to my detriment. I have been made to stand outside of class for tongue-in-cheek observations by more than one teacher. As a professional comedian in India, 2026 is starting to feel like school again.