Junaid Akram, Danish Ali talk personal journey, satirical comedy and social media trends

While the wizards of the film and television industry continue to curate entertainment through storytelling and craft, times have changed with social media and digital influencers. There are new contenders with their candid comedic styles of being critical of society around them and hence winning popularity amongst the public.

Masters of their craft, the stand-up comedians and social media sensations, Danish Ali and Junaid Akram made an appearance on Time Out with Ahsan Khan to talk about the importance of their medium, the process of bringing humour behind their content and delivery, and their interactions with the audience.

Upon being asked who Ali looks up to in comedic pursuits, the YouTuber named veterans Anwar Maqsood, Moin Akhtar and Bushra Ansari. “They’re our old guards. Their hard work was reflective in their work, scripts were celebrated and given importance. Now it seems like the next generation skipped scriptwriting. There came a generational gap but now I’m hopeful it's changing,” he said.

Ali is a doctor by profession but he left the field of medicine for stand-up comedy. Why, you ask? In simple words, he would rather become a successful comedian than be a “mediocre” doctor. “I realised very early on that I don’t share the same zeal to be surrounded by books and attend to patients on two hours of sleep. There were people like that around me and that made me think of my lack of passion for it.”

Akram jumped into the conversation and added, “But if you did become a mediocre doctor and messed up with a procedure on a patient, ek na ek video aa hi jati. Viral bhi hojati. (Someone would have uploaded a video [on your malpractice] and it would get viral too).”

Akram, who says he has a “taya abbu” look, has a blend of satire comedy and social critique in his videos. Talking about inspirations, he wanted to add Majid Jahangir’s name. “A few days ago, there was a video where he was in serious difficulty. It’s sad when you keep your hero on a pedestal and see them breaking. Jahangir sahab had done so many characters. He truly knew how to mask things.”

About his style, Akram owes everything to his “half a dozen” siblings. “We didn’t have internet back then so talking was the only option. But we wouldn’t just talk. There was always a roasting competition. That’s where my practice began. I got into stand-up and then to YouTube eventually to reach a wider audience,” he said.