A familiar face, Neel Kolhatkar steps on stage and not onto your computer screens. In his one-night show for the Sydney Comedy Festival, Neel shares the experience of his upbringing as an Indian-Australian in The Shire, the struggles of being below-average height, and sexual objectivity in today’s society.
Neel showed up with his long hair and double denim outfit, differentiating himself from his usual clean cut look as seen on Youtube. His many accents and characters will leave you cracking and off your seat.
He is casual but charming — his boyish charisma gives a sense of affability. His jokes are all too true for Sydneysiders, and his knowledge of Sydney culture will make you laugh out loud (whilst not feeling too bad for laughing at race jokes). His cheeky observations are too familiar; it’s as if you’ve been thinking them your whole life. There’s a level of comfort with him — it’s as if you’re talking to your best mate.
Neel came prepared to enthral us with his social commentary and his ‘millennial relatability’. He even jokes about being the stereotypical Triple J presenter, a playful but hilarious take on hipster culture.
Neel advocates minority domination. As a ‘brown person’, he welcomed his audience to objectify him online. He believes in an interactive participation with his fans in his comedic career. He explores stories about his travels overseas and even personifies the retail industry.
Seeing Neel’s show makes you feel relaxed and at ease. It’s all in good fun and no intended offence, as he explains how ‘race jokes’ and ‘racism’ differ. You won’t stop heavily agreeing with Neel about various topics and at the same time also shaking your head to his plethora of sex jokes. His gut-wrenching honesty will leave you gasping for more.
– Kevin
Kevin Rodrigueza is a 21-year-old Sydneysider and a personal lover of burgers and craft beer. Follow his adventures at @kevinr___.
Neel Kolhatkar – #ObjectifyNeel ran 6 May 2017 at The Enmore Theatre.
Check out our guide for the Sydney Comedy Festival for other shows to see.
