Raghav Mandava’s year-old CV says he’s a sports reporter and a flair bartender. Pretty soon, the 22-year-old will add stand-up comedian to his small list of achievements. Mandava has always had a flair for comedy but till recently his one liners were reserved for his family during dinner. Then, Mocha Bar in Nehru Place introduced Shaken N Stirred nights in June in association with stand-up comedy pro Papa CJ, where they invited amateur performers to showcase their stuff to Mocha Bar’s clients. In the three months since they started these nights, a variety of budding singers, poets and dancers as well as musical satirists and stand-up comedians have performed here. “Without this platform, I would still have been unknown in comedy,” adds Mandava, who performs here regularly and has picked up a small but growing following. Right now Mandava is a flair bartender at the News Cafe at DLF Place Vasant Kunj.

If you’re waiting to be discovered and need a venue to showcase your talent, look no further than the nearest cafe, bar or mall. Many double up as performance venues to add some buzz and hopefully, make more money. Urban Cafe in Gurgaon was the destination of choice for music crazy youngsters on Wannabe Wednesdays, when three bands compete for the day’s best performance. “We hosted 29 rock bands in seven weeks and every Wednesday the place would be chock-a-block. The food and beverage sales picked up,” says Uttam Dang, Assistant Manager, Urban Cafe. Last week, Mocha Bar put up notices calling campus bands for an event called Band Stand in October. “Most bars and cafes are reserved for experienced bands, amateurs have a tough fight. Band Stand is a platform for newbies,” says Deepali Gupta, Brand Manager, Mocha Bar.

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