Maya S Krishnan to perform satirical standup show Pomblel on Brigade Road this Saturday

Actor and theatre practitioner Maya S Krishnan is set to bring her character-led theatrical standup show, 'Pomblel', to the BLR Comedy Club on Brigade Road in Bengaluru this Saturday. Featuring her popular alter ego 'Manjula Teacher', the performance uses humour, sarcasm, and satire to challenge patriarchy, confront sexism, and question everyday social conditioning and rules imposed on women.

Krishnan, who completed her engineering degree in Bengaluru and emerged as the second runner-up of Bigg Boss Tamil in 2023, developed the character of Manjula Teacher during her time inside the reality show house. While on the show, she frequently confronted sexist remarks and misogynistic behaviour. However, she found that taking a straightforward approach often led to negative reactions from the audience.

"Inside the house, I was shocked to see audiences rooting for someone who was openly misogynistic and cruel," Krishnan recalled. She noted that every time she directly told someone they could not speak to women in that manner, she was called angry, loud, or aggressive.

To change her approach, Krishnan created Manjula Teacher, a satirical clown who says directly what women are often criticised for saying. She found that people who disliked her when she was angry started enjoying the same criticism when it was delivered through comedy.

Unlike conventional standup comedy, 'Pomblel'—which means women—thrives on unpredictability. While the show follows a carefully written structure, nearly 40 per cent of the performance is improvised on stage through direct audience interactions.

Krishnan credits her extensive background in theatre for shaping her craft, politics, perspective, and empathy. She noted that she fixed the premiere date and sold out three shows before she even began writing and creating the piece, using the stress of the deadline to push her creative process.

Through the performance, Krishnan hopes the audience will leave questioning why different rules continue to exist for men and women.