Stand-up comic Jamie Lever says she feels a certain responsibility towards taking her father, veteran star and comedian Johny Lever’s legacy of “clean comedy” forward.
Jamie, also an actor, is currently seen in the short film “2050 Care with Love” which is available on YouTube. It also features veteran actor Sulabha Arya.
When she came into the film industry, Jamie said she not only inherited her father’s goodwill but also his fans.
“My father is known for doing clean comedy for the past 40 years and today’s generation also says that this person made us laugh without saying any vulgar things or cuss words. So, I have a different responsibility. When I came into the industry, his fans were also passed on to me.
“Then, I had my own fan following too, so I had the responsibility of maintaining that style of comedy. There was no pressure, it was a choice that I made to continue doing that style of comedy, which is clean, because I wanted entire families to watch it (my comedy) together,” the comic-actor told PTI in an interview.
Jamie, also a social media sensation known for her excellent impersonations of celebrities like Asha Bhosle, Farah Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Javed Akhtar, said she doesn’t want to upset anybody with her comedy.
“… I don’t want to offend anybody, because comedy is such a positive thing. You are bringing laughs, spreading joy. It is also a very spiritual thing for me, so I don’t want to pollute that with anything else, so that is my personal reason for doing clean comedy,” she added.
The 37-year-old said society has warmed up to female comics over the years.
“We are in a much better place now than 10 years ago, when I started. I never thought of myself as a female comic, I just thought of myself as a comic and I wanted to compete with other comics and I wanted to make my own place in the industry,” she said.
“When I started working, people told me there are very few female comedians… (They asked me) what were your challenges, what were your struggles and that’s when I realised, ‘Oh yes, I’m actually in this category and I’m a female comic’,” she added.
Jamie said women aren’t encouraged to pursue stand-up comedy.
“Initially when I was doing stand-up, many people didn’t take me seriously. People used to tell me that ‘you are doing comedy, but you have studied, what else is the alternative?’. It was never considered as a serious profession. It took me time for people to also realise that ‘Okay, now this is her full-time job and this is what she’s doing successfully’.” Directed by Lakshmi Iyer of “First Second Chance” fame, “2050 Care with Love” explores the world of an elder (Arya) and her caretaker (Jamie) who develop a deep connection in the era of fleeting connection.
The actor said Iyer saw beyond her comedy skills and cast her in the short film.
“People generally want to do the tried and tested things in which you have got success. Everyone has to use that formula which is a right thing to do and completely understandable, nobody wants to take risks in a business like this.
“Then you come across some good directors who see beyond all of those things. Someone like Lakshmi, who just knew that there’s an emotional and sensitive side to me. When she sat with me as a person, she realised how I am as a person, she got more convinced that I could play this character,” she said.
Jamie, whose film credits include “Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon”, “Housefull 4”, “Bhoot Police” and “Crackk”, also hopes to explore different facets of her personality in movies.
“I’m doing a couple of other projects where I will be playing more serious roles… I’m happy there are directors who are taking a chance with me and seeing me as an actor and not just a comic or an impersonator,” she added.
“2050 Care with Love”, produced by Santosh Kumar Acharjya under Elios Films Pvt. Ltd., also features Avinash Dwivedi in a pivotal role.
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