Mic over microscope: Kannada stand-up comic Nithin Kamath

Bengaluru

“I’m actually a forensic science graduate - how’s that for an opener?”, quipped Nithin M Kamath, the Kannada stand-up comic, as he kicked off his exclusive interview with News Trail on a light-hearted and humorous note. Most people look at a crime scene and see evidence; Nithin M. Kamath looks at a BMTC bus and sees a comedy script. 

He used his degree to decode Bengaluru’s everyday absurdities, swapping microscopes for a microphone and lab silence for laughter. Whether he’s roasting a front-row audience member or explaining his relation with a ‘pressure cooker’, he is the self-aware jester that Bengaluru didn’t know it needed - served hot, strong, and unfiltered.

Five years in, still writing the syllabus
The Bengaluru-based comic recalled that he was always an ‘infotainment kid’, drawn to quizzes and chess, before gradually developing an interest in comedy through cartoons. “In 2020, I began working with Tharle Box as an assistant writer”, he said, recalling his scripting for their popular webseries ‘Kyaabre’. 

He later went on to write several other sketches and worked on recorded talk shows featured on the Tharle Box YouTube channel. Nithin moved to Mumbai in 2022, where he worked as a content strategist on multiple media projects and was also associated with JioCinema during the Indian Premier League (IPL), contributing to fan shows.

After returning to Bengaluru, he chose to part ways with TB Entertainment and began working independently, forming a collective with a few fellow independent artists. Reflecting on five years in comedy, he joked, “I like to tell people I’ve completed a bachelor’s degree in comedy by now”.

Unique premise behind a comic’s success
“There’s a science to comedy,” Nithin said, explaining the craft behind scripting.  He shared that his ideas usually stem from everyday, relatable moments - whenever something catches his attention, he instinctively looks for the humour in it and begins exploring its comic potential.

He added that riffing and bouncing ideas with his friends and other fellow comics is a regular part of his creative process. He explained that while a joke may begin on paper, it truly comes alive through the audience’s imagination and subjective interpretation.

Bigger stages ahead
After his stint with Tharlebox on ‘Yelahanka Hudga’ and ‘Gatti Chutney’, Nithin has spent the last two years as an independent artist, touring two one-hour comedy specials - ‘BLR 2 BOM’ and his latest, ‘Filter Kaapi’, slated for release in January 2026. Looking ahead, he plans to tour with his new special titled ‘Loverboy’ in 2026, exploring the psychology of relationships sugarcoated in absurd humor.

He is also working on two intellectual properties (IPs): ‘Moor Jana’, a live crowd show with Ganesh Kashyap and Harman Preet Singh, and ‘Co Me Dy Ma Pa’ with Anto Christon.

Comic identity
“I’m popular, but I’m not famous”, Nithin remarked, noting that he is yet to have a viral moment, something he hopes the new year will bring. For now, he says he’s proud of his progress this year. Moving forward, he plans to focus more on YouTube than Instagram. A performer who has always felt at home with a microphone, Nithin intends to stay on stage for a longer term.