10 Things To Know About Aditi Mittal

Aditi Mittal is someone who makes me laugh even on Twitter. Her quick wit, presence of mind and a deep sense of empathy is what makes her so popular, and enviable to someone like me whose jokes simply don't make the cut. She is never apprehensive to broach topics which are otherwise only brought up in hushed tones and here are ten things that we love about this comedian:

1. Among other shows and events, Aditi Mittal is now hosting a comedy show on BBC Radio 4, titled 'A Beginner's Guide to India', where she clarifies that knowing Indians bob their heads is not racist, but mimicking it, definitely is.

2. Mittal feels that stereotypes are a gateway to letting people know that you are on their side before you take them on a different journey. So of course, Punjabis are Loud and Gujaratis are cheap, but what is this vaginal tightening cream again?

3. Like many women in the entertainment industry across the world, the comedian is tired of answering if women are funny enough or funny at last or funny at all. Growing up watching actors like Juhi Chawla and Karisma Kapoor, Mittal acknowledges that there was just one glitch in the system, "We did see funny women in the mainstream but they had to be devastatingly hot or embarrassingly ugly. "

4. She was the only woman in the AIB roast and boy did she preach, "Raghu I am a big fan of you work...like a big rope, stool and ceiling fan."

5. Aditi Mittal is keenly aware of the fact that comedy, as a genre, is not very forgiving. But being fearless and full of conviction helps one endure the punches and stand up stronger.

6. She thinks of comedy as a device, 'meethi churri' in her words. 'It is a nice way to tell people that they have messed up.'

7. Mittal is one of the best English comedians in the country, who is also confident that because comedy as an industry is at such a nascent stage in the country, if women are treated any differently from men, she'd be the first to find out.

8.  Yes, she cracks jokes for a living and is very serious about it too. Mittal is of the opinion that comedy sketches or material pertaining to social issues need to be dealt with extreme caution, 'because sarcasm as a concept has still not landed in India'.

9. Mittal talks with equal elan about topics ranging from Bra Shopping to Sanitary Napkins to Masturbation whilst also reviewing films as her on-stage alter-ego Dolly Khurana. She says the two reactions triggered most by comedy are of disbelief, 'I never thought of it like that' and relativity 'Oh my God I know exactly what she is talking about.'

10. Her advice to young women wanting to venture into comedy, 'you have to sell yourself'. She feels that there are more men in comedy because they are able to sell their brand of humour and convince audiences to come to their shows.

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