“If you want to know where you’re going, you need to know where you’re from.” That is the mantra that comedian Rishi Budhrani took with him when he set out to write and perform one-man show Can I Make You A Suit, Mate?, which returns to the stage this week, following a sold-out run in 2022, during the Esplanade’s annual Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts. In the show, Rishi plays a character ‘loosely’ based on his own father – a tailor and maker of suits, delivering a comedic monologue about his life and the customers he meets.

“I’m glad that during Kalaa Utsavam, I had a lot of free rein. I had done a 15-minute teaser of this during COVID, at a small theatre festival. Kalaa Utsavam saw that and decided to give it legs to grow,” says Rishi. “They handled everything — submission, permits — they just trusted me fully as a performer and the team to play. And it made me realise that this show had something, that it was a show that needs to be watched by all. It’s a rare piece — maybe I’m biased because I wrote it — but it’s one of the few pieces that are not just timely but also timeless. Yes, things change, the world changes, countries change, and some vibes might no longer be relevant, but this show was built around a timeless take with relevant and timely elements thrown in.”

While Rishi knows the strength of the piece, he remains surprised by the number of people word of mouth has reached. “Back at the Esplanade, it was a very small production and people kept asking ‘when is the next show? I’d love to bring my parents’,” says Rishi. “I’ve had people who heard about the show come up to me when I’m jogging or parking my car. Random Sindhi people come up to me and say, “Eh, you did the show about your father!” and then they tell me all these other stories. Suddenly, all these people became interested in his life story and started adding on, which I had to check with my dad to make sure they were accurate. I do think that a lot of people feel connected to the show because it’s about someone older, which we can all relate to, whether it’s about ourselves or someone we know.”

In the show, Rishi plays a Singaporean tailor who takes you through his time in this country as a business owner for over 4 decades. He sees things like nobody else does and he regales us with stories of dealing with the “Mat-salleh’s” from different parts of the world, and how he fought to survive through the Gulf War, SARS, the Asian Financial Crisis, and most recently, the pandemic. All this while making you laugh, becoming your friend, and, most importantly, trying to make you a suit. “When I dig deeper, I realize my dad is an interesting character. Discovering who I was and who he is — our professions have a lot of parallels. As a tailor, he talks to people from all over the world, and he can talk to them for hours on end, all to sell them a suit. As a comedian, my job is to entertain a global audience by listening to them, talking to them,” he says. “The same questions arise — where are you from? What’s your job? Married? I realized there was some influence on me. It’s ironic that he told me to study hard, become a lawyer or doctor, and keep away from tailoring, and now look what happened.”

Speaking about his relationship with his father, Rishi explains how the show helped them become closer to each other, even if it isn’t explicitly expressed. “Parents of our generation are very non-emotional. They struggle to tell you to your face that they’re proud of you and your achievements, but to strangers, they’ll be boasting and telling them all about you. And as for me, my father has never once told me that he loves the show,” he says. “Yes, he’ll say ‘Wah. Full house, everyone laughing.’ But you can see it on his face — he’s overwhelmed by something he wasn’t expecting, pleasantly surprised. I mean, which parent expects to see a biopic about them performed in front of a full house and to even get a mention in the papers? For him, opening the papers and having relatives in India going, “Wow, you’re a superstar, can you send me the DVD of your movie?” — this is a new world for him. He’s overwhelmed and intrigued, and so proud of his friends always asking about ticket sales and asking for a discount — and telling me not to give them one!”

Going back a bit further to his career itself, Rishi reflects on the current state of the comedy scene. “For about the last two decades, it’s almost always been Kumar, and only around 2013-2015 where you had people like Fakkah Fuzz, Sharul Channa and myself pop up, where we quit our full-time jobs to dedicate ourselves to comedy. It’s not east – you need the guts to take the leap of faith and really commit yourself to turning it into a career,” says Rishi. “As they say, some people have a passionate love affair with comedy; and before you know it, it becomes a whole marriage. And people don’t do it for the money, because that’s not sustainable – you have to do it for the passion, or you’ll be stressed about your livelihood.”

“These days, the new generation of comedians have formed a scene and are generally very supportive of each other. There’s been a lot of new spaces opening up, from East Coast Comedy to The Lemon Stand, and we’re seeing plenty of new acts that have potential, growing with every show, maybe even becoming a headliner that can murder the crowd,” adds Rishi. “Some people flourish in Singapore, but others, like Sam See or Jinx Yeo do much better overseas, where the Australians or British really appreciate his sense of humour, and give him the due respect, care and validation as a performer.”

For Rishi, despite his success, he is constantly humbled, always finding new things to learn, and new ways to see the world. “I had a bit of a discovery, when I went overseas. I was quite humbled because I felt like I was becoming too comfortable in Singapore, so I needed to go out there and try something new. So it was the school of hard knocks; rejected from clubs, had amazing shows, shit shows, did Vegas, did NYC, did LA, hung out at Russell Peters’ house, and his wife offered me a burrito while we complained about some other comedian…and it was really all so wild,” says Rishi. “I think it’s important to get out of your comfort zone regularly, and by doing comedy around the world, I ended up connecting with so many people. Anywhere you do stand-up, no one is actually looking for jokes, but what they’re all really looking for is connection. If you can find a way to do that, you can entertain them, by finding a topic or issue that shows you just get them.”

“Take for example how in Cape Town, I was hosting private shows for Prudential, and then I stuck around and tried to do some shows in some clubs. I had the chance to spend time with communities and locals, and when they find out you’re a comedian, they tell you things — stories about racial dynamics, people who don’t like each other — and some of it makes its way into your set. Not all of it works, but a pinch of local humour tends to land very well because it shows that you went out of your way to find out. And, well, like they say, you can fake an orgasm, but you can’t fake laughter,” he adds.

As of now, revisiting Can I Make You A Suit, Mate? has reminded Rishi of the importance of going back to one’s roots, and how that knowledge will take him even further than before. “I want to take this on the road and see how we can globalize it. I always remind myself that as much as we evolve as performers, change as human beings, and discover where we’re going, we cannot forget our roots or end up as part of other communities,” he says. “Recently, I went back to football, which got me in touch with the grassroots level — Singapore Premier League players and what the government is doing to support athletes. I’ve reached the point where I look at the impact on individuals. Some of these kids come from underprivileged backgrounds, but you look at their face and they’re just so elated to play and study in Spain like with the Unleash The Roar campaign. It means a lot.”

“I think a lot of this also comes from how when COVID happened, and I lost someone close to me, subconsciously, I began reconnecting with my roots. This show was a way to do that — I didn’t plan it that way, but delving deeper informs my work moving forward. The question about staying grounded helps remind me who Rishi is and who I want to be,” he continues. “Seeing a lot of things in the world helps solidify who you don’t want to be. It’s like MCQs — you go by elimination. I’m learning to say no, reminding myself I was this insecure Indian boy from Tanjong Katong, and that I can’t get ahead of myself. I remind myself of the importance of learning and how knowing that you don’t know is the most important thing. Stay curious, and constantly reconnect with your core values that keep you grounded, and that’s the way forward.”

Can I Make You A Suit, Mate? plays at Wild Rice @ Funan from 23rd to 27th October 2024. Tickets available here