It’s well established that Kenny Sebastian is the good boy of India’s stand-up scene. The 29-year-old’s innocent looks and boyish charm have made him a favourite among comedy fans.
Comedy wasn’t Kenny’s first calling. Born in Kerala, he did his schooling in Bangalore and went to study visual arts. The cinema bug bit him early, and he was making short films from the age of 15. He was also actively involved in theatre for many years.
In 2008, Kenny started his YouTube channel and dropped his first video, 9 Hours To Live, in which he parodied various Bollywood films.
Stand-up happened when Kenny was 19-years-old. He decided to try his luck in a stand-up contest at IIT Mumbai’s Mood Indigo festival, and ended up winning. From that moment, he embarked on a full-fledged career in stand-up comedy, and soon became one of the most sought-after comics in the country. His solo show Don’t Be That Guy became an Amazon special in 2017. Three years later he also had a special on Netflix, called The Most Interesting Person in the Room.
It’s Kenny Sebastian’s easy-going persona that makes him likeable. On stage he looks just as comfortable and relaxed as he would be at home. His set looks less a performance and more a lighthearted conversation among friends. He does get animated, but his voice is hardly raised beyond a pleasant decibel.
Kenny’s jokes and observations are nothing but relatable, and always seem to strike a chord. Here he talks about something that each of us can identify with — having Indian parents.
Schools and examinations were a tough ordeal, as he describes here.
One of Kenny’s unique quirks is his love for personifying inanimate objects. In this episode of his talk show Chai Time with Kenny, he imagines his phone’s thoughts on his love life…
… and here he does one-second impressions of many household items.
View this post on Instagram
Kenny is also a delightful musician and often pulls out the guitar during his shows. Here’s a 101 on how to woo the ladies with a guitar.
Besides stand-up, Kenny has utilised his comedic talent is various other avenues. A few years ago he was part of an improv group, The Improvisers, along with Kanan Gill, Kaneez Surka and Abish Mathew.
Kenny and Kanan have a sketch comedy show on Amazon Prime Video called Sketchy Behaviour.
Last year, Kenny started a Simple Ken, a simply “no advice” podcast on which he discusses all kinds of topics and often invites guests.
Kenny Sebastian is bringing his new show Explain Yourself to Mumbai. Catch his gig from March 19 to 26 at The Habitat, an intimate venue at Khar that hosts stand-up gigs, poetry readings and other performances.