Anu Menon gets honest and hilarious in her second stand-up special ANcool

Anuradha Menon is a cool mom. While other parents have to make themselves seem cool, she sets out to prove to her son that she is indeed uncool. “My 12-year-old son told me that I come under the category of cool parent and that is very annoying for him because when all his friends complain about their parents, he has nothing to contribute. So he has to lie about how horrid I am,” she says, laughing. Growing up as a nerd with braces, boy cut, and glasses, she refuses to accept the title of ‘cool mom’ and sets out to do what she does best — write a few jokes about how uncool she is. 

Her latest stand-up special ANcool is filled with anecdotes of how truly uncool she is and digs into the vulnerabilities of growing up without get-ready-with-me (GRWM) videos, facial filters, and concealers that hide your zits. Being a story-based comedian, her stand-up specials are filled with anecdotes. “I’ve always believed that the basis of all humour is the truth. Of course, truth is exaggerated and embellished in order to raise a laugh, but it is rooted in fact,” she says. Anu Menon is best known for her bespectacled persona, Lola Kutty, who was clad in Kanjeevaram saris and spoke with heavily Malayalam-accented English on Channel V. This too was rooted in truth, as she is from Kerala.

ANcool, which she describes as theatrical, includes act-outs, facial contortions, and numerous hand gestures. “I always worry that with all the facial contortions, I’ll wrinkle very soon. I suppose one will just have to invest in some anti-wrinkle cream,” she says.

Coming back to Chennai, where she grew up, she says that her accent is something that subconsciously changes when she visits the city or speaks to someone from Chennai. “I say things like ‘something and all she was saying,’ and my husband finds it amusing,” she says.

Speaking about being vulnerable on stage, she says that in stand-up comedy, you are the closest version of yourself because there is no character to hide behind. “When it comes to a show like mine, where I’m talking about stories from my past, there is a great deal of vulnerability because you are exposing so much. But I think that’s the beauty of being human.” In the show, she includes anecdotes from her personal life, which involve other people, and “you have to find a delicate balance of making them part of your story. I suppose you hope and pray that no one takes offence,” she says.

However, Anu is an “equal opportunity offender” because her jokes often include everyone she is close to. Her parents, son, husband, in-laws, and anyone who comes close will find themselves in a joke. “I would like to believe that it is all innocent fun, and the good thing is I have a very supportive family. So my mother-in-law gets a 20% cut of all jokes about her,” she jokes.

In times when stand-up comedy is being scrutinised and put under the lens, Anu says that we have lost the ability to live and let live completely. “Sometimes when I’m asked to do some shows, they’ll say, ‘Anu, we’re very cool. You can joke about anything you want except sex, religion, politics, politicians, plants, animals, authors, poets, Hollywood movies, Bollywood movies, actors, actresses, parents, spouses, children, tall people, short people, tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, sports, especially cricket and football, states, regions, news channels, reality shows, and OTT platforms.’ I ask, ‘Oh, is it okay if I breathe?’”

Anu Menon is bringing her second comedy special ANcool to Chennai on March 1. Tickets on in.bookmyshow.com starting ₹499