Celebrated Indian stand-up comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi’s shows – Bas Kar Bassi – held on February 17 in Christchurch and on February 18 in Auckland, were an absolute hit, leaving the audience asking for more. Bassi’s signature style of observational comedy and unique storytelling skills had the crowd in splits.
The Auckland show took place at the Dorothy Winstone Centre in Freeman’s Bay, which has a seating capacity of around 800 people, was packed to capacity. Even with people standing, they were still enjoying the show. The environment was vibrant, and the laughter echoed throughout the venue.
31-year-old Bassi, who hails from Meerut, India, is widely popular for his unique style of anecdotal comedy. In 2017 Bassi, who studied to become a lawyer, began his career as a stand-up comic after attending an open mic. Over the last five years, Bassi has truly gone viral with his YouTube videos getting 200 million+ views. He has also appeared in comedy specials for Amazon and has toured India and the world widely doing shows. Bassi will also be seen in the upcoming Luv Ranjan film, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor.
An attendee at the Auckland show, Vaishali Arch, described the evening as “generous, gentle, kind, and full of humour.” She went on to say that Bassi’s best line of the night was “jitne foreigners gorakhpur mein dikhte hai, Utne hi Auckland mein dikh rahe hai. Har dusra banda Indian hai Auckland mein” - which translates to “the number of foreigners you see in Gorakhpur, you see the same number in Auckland. Every other person is an Indian in Auckland.”
Another member of the audience called it ‘an excellent show put together.’ Harveen Bajaj said, “The timing and delivery were spot-on. Anubhav Singh Bassi is a great comedian and with his unique storytelling style, he took us on a roller coaster journey which was a great experience. I really enjoyed the show. Enjoyable laugh riot.”
Bassi had originally planned to perform in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing the shows to be postponed. However, he more than made up for it with his outstanding performances in Christchurch and Auckland. He also announced that his next world tour would begin in Australia and New Zealand.
The Christchurch show was held at the La Vida Conference Centre and attended by around 700 people. Arpita Seth who attended the show said, “It was great of Bassi to come down to Christchurch as most of the big performers only visit Auckland. We thoroughly enjoyed the show as we could relate so much to his stories and funny experiences. Thanks to the organisers who made this show possible in Christchurch.”
Local talent Shradha Baluni, an upcoming stand-up comedian from Auckland, opened the show in Christchurch with her gig, which also received an overwhelming response from the audience. She certainly set the tone for an incredible evening of laughter and entertainment.
In an interview with Indian Weekender, Bassi expressed his gratitude to all his sponsors, including Fume, Bollysphere, Harman Deep, The Marching Elephants, Pranshi Group, The Laughter Factory, Accountrix, Sandeep Khanna Mortgages, DigiComet, Arise and Maia Foods for their support in making the shows a success. Bassi was also appreciative of the hospitality shown to him during his time in New Zealand.
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