Oli should be the next prime minister of Nepal, and by Oli I mean, Komal Oli,” said Ayush Shrestha, one of the performers at a comedy show titled Mondays Are Funny, which took place at Bikalpa Art Center in Pulchowk on Monday evening. Shrestha’s opening remark was a way to enter into a satirical commentary into the precarious relationship between Nepal, India and China. Ayush was one of the seven performers who took to stage to perform stand-up comedy amid a company of some 30 gathered enthusiasts.

The seven performances made light of a range of issues, from current political affairs in the country to taboos around prostitution, mensuration, and sex; and celebrations such as Shivaratri, as well as, Valentine’s Day. One of the performers also did standup comedy on quarter life crises and the plight of being short around really tall people.

The audiences were responsive to the performances, and the performers seemed encouraged by the laughs and applause of the audience. “Internet helped  our generation encounter the  comedy  culture of the west, which is different than the traditional comedy that is practiced in Nepal,” said Rajina Shrestha, the co-organiser of the event, “We started in January and since then we have been hosting comedy night every week, and we have been overwhelmed by the response we have received.” The comedy night is set as an open-mic format where anyone can sign up to perform.

Even though the culture of standup comedy is new to Kathmandu, one such comedian from the city Shailee Basnet has already gained prominence in the comedy clubs of New York. Some of the performers who went on stage on February 12 held Basnet as an inspiration, while for the organisers, who have regular day jobs, the comedy show is a way of starting the week on a light note.

Mondays Are Funny is hosted every Monday at 6 pm at the Bikapla Art Centre.