PARTICIPANTS ALI ASGAR & KASHIF KHAN ALI ASGAR Tellywood’s favourite ‘dewar’, Ali Asgar, started his television career with Ek-Do-Teen-Chaar on Doordarshan. Sporting an uncanny resemblance to Bollywood star Rishi Kapoor, Ali’s career zoomed with shows like Ghauranda, Parampara, Kartavya, Karz followed by Balaji’s Itihaas, Kutumb, Hum Paanch-Season 2, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. As the loving Kamal of Kahaani Ghar…he became a household name. He further tried his hand in Bollywood and has several films like Khalnayak, Raaz, Joru ka Gulam, Josh, Hum Ho Gaye Aapke, Shaadi No. 1, Jeena Sirf Mere Liye to his credit. Known for his ‘down-to-earth’ attitude, Ali has a great sense of comedy. He idolizes the yesteryear comedian, Agha for his comic timing. KASHIF KHAN Kashif began his career as a model and later moved on to performing stand-up comedy at various shows. Having a versatile personality, Kashif enacts serious characters in films, plays and television soaps. On the other hand, Kashif performs stand-up comedy in shows with equal ease and style. Co-hosting Comedy Ka Baadsshah with Raju Srivastav, Kashif proved to be much more than just a bag of jokes with spontaneity and individuality being his distinctive characteristics. KARISHMA TANNA & KHAYALI SAHARAN KARISHMA TANNA A sunshine smile, sexy looks & standing tall—that’s Karishma Tanna for you. At 19,this simple Gujarati girl started modeling and acting. Karishma got her first television break with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi where her role as the very talkative Indu was hugely popular. Later, she moved on to doing more daily shows with prominent roles in Koi Dil Mein Hai, Palki and Ek Ladki Anjaani Si to name a few. A successful ramp model, Karishma has also been associated with theatre where her comedy play ‘perfect wedding’ has been running successfully and completed over 50 shows. KHAYALI SAHARAN A small made man, with immense potential to make the viewers laugh with his one-liners, Khayali hails from the historical state of Rajasthan. His earliest memories of entertaining people were in school, performing comic items in front of his friends, schoolmates and teachers. The popularity and adulation he received in his early days was the deciding factor for Khayali to choose stand-up comedy as his profession. Having represented Jaipur at the State Level Comedy Contests, Khayali weaves his comedy around experiences from daily life and his interactions with people. Khayali has anchored various comedy shows across the country and set a record of stand-up comedy for 2 full hours! KETAKI DAVE & PRATAP FAUJDAR KETAKI DAVE A…ra…ra…ra…ra these words instantly remind you of the middle class Gujarati housewife - Dakshaben of ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’. Beginning her career with theatre, Ketaki has been associated with Gujarati theatre for the past 20 years. She has also worked on the big screen in films like ‘Aamdani Athani Kharcha Rupaiya’, ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ where her comic act looks effortless and natural. Happily married to Rasik Dave, an actor by profession, she believes in enjoying life each day as it comes. PRATAP FAUJDAR Pratap Faujdar is a ‘hasya kavi’, a historical writer and a member of the Hasya Kavi Sammelan. Born and brought up in Punjab, Pratap is an engineer by profession and owns an automobile component’s factory. His has been a national level comedian for the past 2 years and has over 600 live shows to his credit. Pratap’s jokes mainly focus on social issues and day-to-day happenings making it more relatable. He strongly believes that it’s easier to laugh at others but difficult to laugh at oneself, no prize for guessing, his jokes start with himself! KIRAN KARMARKAR & SUNIL SAWARA KIRAN KARMARKAR Kiran Karmarkar, better known as Om, takes his first step from serious roles to stand up comedy. Born and brought up in Mumbai, Kiran is a sincere and talented actor who started his career with Marathi serial titled 'Dinmaan’ in 1989. His first Hindi serial ‘Safar’ was on Home TV but his biggest break came in 1997 with Balaji Telefilms serials like Itihaas, Padosan, Ghar Ek Mandir and ultimately his character of Om Agarawal in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, which made him a household name. He moved on to do other soaps such as Kkehna Hai Kucch Mujhko and Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasman along with a few ad films. Kiran is a perfectionist and a complete home bird. An introvert by nature, he takes time to open up to people. SUNIL SAWARA Sunil Sawara is our ‘funny man’ from Allahabad. A hasya kavi by profession Sunil has traveled extensively across the country to perform live. He has also released two audiocassettes of his ‘hasya kavita’, which has had successful runs. Sunil began stand-up acts on Laughter Challenge, which made him even more popular and won him audiences and full-house shows. SWAPNIL JOSHI & VIP SWAPNIL JOSHI Television’s chocolate boy Swapnil Joshi began acting at the age of 9 in Ramanand Sagar’s mythological drama ‘Uttar Ramayan’ and as the natkhat Krishna in ‘Krishna’. He was a popular face in serials like Campus, Amanat, Hadh Kardi Aapne, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar. While busy with television, Swapnil bagged a cameo role in the film Ghulam-e-Mustafa for which he later won the Best Debut at a popular awards function. A levelheaded actor, Swapnil is known for his spontaneity and fun-loving nature. VIP Vijay Ishwarlal Pawar, better known as VIP, has been doing stand-up comedy and other shows since the last 14 years. His forte is mimicking people and voice modulation. The biggest dream in his life is to enter the Guinness Book of Records for his penchant to imitate animal voices. URVASHI DHOLAKIA & SHAKEEL AHMED SIDDIQUI URVASHI DHOLAKIA Indian television’s eternal vamp Uravshi Dholakia started out early with commercial films before her television break. Waqt Ki Raftar, Dekh Bhai Dekh was the first few shows she worked with and from then there was no looking back. Urvashi has proved her mantle in various roles. But recognition came as Komolika of Kasutii Zindagi Kii which took her career to a different high. Apart from television, she has also been active with Nadira Babbar’s theatre group, ‘Ekjute’ and has further diversified from being an actor to a producer by setting up her own production company. SHAKEEL AHMED SIDDIQUI Shakeel is one of Pakistan’s finest stand-up comedians with an experience of 26 years in the act. Playing the character of ‘Tili’ in Umar Shariff’s famous play ‘Bakra Kishton Pe’ gave him instant popularity and a successful name in the business. An artist par excellence with a great comic timing, Shakeel’s witty streak gets the audience splitting with laughter at every performance. VARUN BADOLA & DEEPAK DUTTA VARUN BADOLA Originally from Gharwal-Uttaranchal, Varun started his career as a writer in Delhi. He then came to Mumbai and got his first break as ‘Ayush Kumar’ in the immensely popular television show Banegi Apni Baat. Thereafter good roles and work never stopped with Varun. In fact one of his most challenging roles was in Koshish Ek Asha. Some of his other popular shows are Astitva –Ek Prem Kahani, Des Mein Nikhhla Hoga Chand, Ek Chaabi Hai Pados Mein. DEEPAK DUTTA Hailing from Delhi, Deepak got trained in acting from Roshan Taneja’s acting school. Some serials to his credit are ‘Kayamath’, ‘Viraasat’, ‘Karam Apna Apna’, ‘Tu Kahe Agar’ and he has also acted in the film - ‘Bhagat Singh’.