Ron Lee, CSP
1 min
Curry Monster
Performed by Sandeep Totlani
The Factory Theatre, Marrickville
Reviewed by Ron Lee, CSP
Sandeep Totlani is an Indian-born, tri-lingual dentist and pizza eating competition winner whom I saw performing in a packed, standing room only comedy venue. It should be said that the venue was a long, narrow shipping container that held a couple of dozen people.
Being a self-confessed “fat Indian” gives him a good base for comedy, with stereotypes providing low-hanging fruit. But he thankfully doesn’t hit all of the well-worn clichés such as the head wobble or a tech support guy who calls himself “Darrell”.
To emphasise his Indian-ness and fatness, Totlani stages a papadam eating contest with an audience member.
I’m not sure where he is positioned in the comedy marketplace, but if he were to be cast in a movie, he’d be the jovial best friend of the leading man or the optimistic cop who is killed on the day before he is due to retire.
All of Totlani’s stories are about his experiences in Australia, mostly in relation to unconscious bias. When he’s asked if he experiences racism, he understandably replies, “I live in Queensland”.ç