Conversations with Hemkesh Mittal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hemkesh Mittal.

Hi Hemkesh, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Honestly, I was just your standard funny kid in school. The whole stand-up thing didn’t actually start until 2020, and I only did it because my friends practically dragged me to an open mic and forced me to register. They gave me a five-minute slot. I got up there, panicked a little, blew through my material, and bolted after exactly three minutes. I was severely undertime, and to be completely honest, the joke absolutely bombed—but the adrenaline rush was unmatched. Those were the best three minutes of my life. The room, the microphone, the energy of the crowd; it all just felt incredibly alive. From that exact moment, I was hooked.

For the first year and a half, it was strictly a fun hobby—just a way to kill time and get a few laughs. But as life happened and things got complicated, comedy shifted into something I genuinely relied on. Whenever I hit a rough patch or felt overwhelmed, I’d go find stage time. It was the one place where the chaos outside just paused. Up on that stage, life felt entirely normal. That was the turning point for me. That was when I realized this wasn’t just a weekend gig to impress my friends; it was exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

It’s wild to think it’s going to be six years this December. I’ve definitely crossed the 1,000 open mic mark by now, but I genuinely stopped counting a long time ago. You just get into a permanent rhythm of writing, testing, and bombing. Things really started to accelerate when I decided to take social media seriously. I posted a few reels, a couple of them went absolutely crazy online, and that gave me a massive confidence boost. That digital momentum completely spilled over into the live scene. Getting to do panel shows like Madhur Model was a massive turning point—it put my name out there, built real recognition, and eventually opened the doors for bigger corporate gigs and brand offsites.

But even with the viral clips and the corporate stages, the core of it hasn’t changed. The hustle is exactly the same as it was on day one. I’m just trying to figure out the mechanics of a better joke, tighter pacing, and ultimately trying to be a better comic every single day.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth ride. The reality of those early years was a lot of relentless busking, constant rejections, and some truly massive bombing on stage. But honestly, that unpredictability is exactly what makes it worth it. A roller coaster is what actually keeps you feeling alive.

There is absolutely no feeling in the world quite like getting a room full of strangers to laugh at the exact same time. For me, the real shift happened when I started checking my DMs after shows. Getting messages from people saying they were going through a terrible time, but that sitting in the audience completely turned their night around -that changes your entire perspective. It makes you realize the actual impact of what you’re doing.

Getting recognized for the work itself is great, but the real reward is the evolution. Constantly trying to get better at the craft and finally getting to share green rooms and stages with the exact comics I spent years looking up to- that’s the whole reason I keep doing this. That is exactly why every single bomb, empty room, and rejection was entirely worth it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m honestly still very much a student of the craft, so acting like an absolute authority on my own work feels a bit premature. But to me, stand-up is ultimately about taking the mundane things people completely ignore, running them through your own perspective, and serving them back in a way that makes an audience laugh hard enough to forget their own problems for an hour. That shared release is the entire magic of the art form.

I’m still figuring out my exact comedic voice, but right now, I lean heavily into observational humor, self-deprecation, and just offering my completely unfiltered take on everyday, real-life problems.

If you ask me what I’m most proud of, it’s the local connection. I was a pretty quiet, introverted kid. I’ve lived in my neighborhood in North Delhi for twenty years, and for most of that time, nobody really knew who I was. But when I started taking my actual experiences and the hyper-local quirks of my area and putting them on stage, the material just blew up. It resonated because it was real.

Suddenly, people from my neighbourhood stop me randomly on the street to say hi. Neighbors and relatives are actually forwarding my comedy reels to my parents. Going from the quiet kid to the guy the neighborhood recognizes simply because I told our shared stories on stage-that is easily my proudest milestone so far.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
People generally read me as this incredibly laid-back, relaxed, and completely unserious guy. But the irony is, I take this entirely unserious business of comedy incredibly seriously.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memkesh?igsi=MTM4cng5eGpyOHo3NA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hemkeshmittal?si=_JyDHpLwi3Dl8zcP