Stand-up comedian Jamie Lever says she was always sure of what her true calling was – being on stage and doing comedy.
In a free-wheeling chat with the Hindustan Times, the 29-year-old said that initially her parents weren’t okay with the idea of her taking up comedy. “They would always tell me,‘Yeh sab toh chalta rahega’ and I should complete my studies. But when I joined a marketing job in London, I felt out of place, and realised that it’s only when I have a mike in my hand that I feel really happy with my life,” she said.
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Speaking on the recent controversy around sexism in stand-up comedy in India, Jamie said, “I haven’t been treated any less for being a comedienne. Maybe, it’s because of my father [Johnny Lever]. But a lot of women out there, who are good at this [stand-up comedy], don’t come up to pursue this, and I don’t know why. Personally, I have never felt ki support nahi mila. Also, it’s about time that people start considering stand-up acts as a full-time job,” she said.
However, she did say that her TV and film journey had been easy because of her father, actor Johnny Lever. She said, “When I entered the industry, I didn’t have to struggle. People were like ‘Yeh Johnny Lever ki beti hai, matlab hamari bhi beti hai’. They look up to my dad as their father figure,” she said.
She is currently hosting Sabse Bada Kalakaar along with actor Jay Bhanushali.
Pic: NDTV