My Life, Career, and Family | Johnny Lever | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Johnny Lever, a renowned comedian in Bollywood, shares insights into his career and the art of comedy.

Transcript

MALE SPEAKER: Hello, everybody. My name is Akshay. On behalf of the Talks at Google team, I'd like to welcome you to this wonderful event featuring Johnny Lever. Johnny's been a part of the Hindi film industry for 35 years now with over 400 films. He's been nominated for the Filmfare award for 13 times and has won two of them, so please welcome Joh... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤕 Comedy is considered a talent that one is born with, as Lever started imitating his grandfather's comedic acts at a young age.
• 🧑‍🏭 Many actors in Bollywood are now doing comedy roles, but there is still a distinction between comedians and actors who perform comedic roles.
• 🧑‍🏭 Lever enjoys working with various Bollywood actors but has a special fondness for Govinda and Shah Rukh Khan.
• 🥳 The process of creating jokes and comedic content involves keen observation of people and their behaviors, which Lever dedicates several hours to every day.
• 🎑 Lever highlights the collaborative nature of comedy films, where writers, directors, and assistants contribute to creating funny scenes.
• 😤 Stand-up comedy is more independent, requiring the comedian to come up with their own content without the support of writers or a team.
• 🍳 Lever's daughter, Jamie Lever, has also ventured into comedy, and she shares her journey of breaking into the industry.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is comedy something that can be learned or is it an innate talent?

According to Johnny Lever, comedy is something that you are born with, as he started copying his grandfather's comedic acts at a young age.

Q: What is the difference between a comedian and an actor doing comedy roles?

While everyone wants to make people laugh, comedians specialize in delivering humor, whereas actors doing comedy roles have a broader range of acting skills.

Q: Who are some of the actors Lever enjoys working with the most?

Lever enjoys working with actors like Govinda and Shah Rukh Khan, but he also appreciates collaborating with Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar.

Q: How does Johnny Lever come up with new jokes and content for his stand-up comedy?

Lever says that his inspiration comes from observing people and studying their behaviors, jokingly adding that he also searches Google for ideas.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Johnny Lever discusses his belief that comedy is a talent one is born with and shares anecdotes about copying his grandfather's comedic acts as a child.

• He explains the difference between comedians and actors doing comedy roles, stating that everyone wants to make people laugh.

• Lever expresses his enjoyment of working with actors like Govinda, Shah Rukh Khan, and Anil Kapoor, but emphasizes the importance of teamwork in comedy films.