Malayali content creator Harikrishnan US on finding an audience through wordplay

“Although my name is Harikrishnan USA, I am currently working in Australia,” jokes the Melbourne-based content creator, popularly known as Iyyer Cook, as he sits down for a chat with me.

Still reeling from the excitement of being recognized by someone at a cafe a few minutes ago, she says, “Even though I’m from Poojappura (in Thiruvananthapuram), this is probably the first time someone has approached me after watching my content.”

Harikrishnan, a 36-year-old business analyst by day, has built a niche online audience with 13-second reels of one-liner jokes, mostly using wordplay in English and Malayalam. He is gearing up for his first stand-up comedy show in Kerala, Iyyer Cook: Live & Unfiltered, on June 7 in Thiruvananthapuram.

“Nobody had to force me to come on stage. They just had to ask. I performed on a local channel in Melbourne and also did stand-up comedy at college festivals as an engineering student and a corporate employee,” says Harikrishnan, who counts American comedian George Carlin and Malayalam actor Jagathy Sreekumar as his idols.

Harikrishnan USA aka Iyyer Cook | Photo Credit: SPECIAL EDITING

“Since my childhood, I always loved being on stage and doing jokes,” says Harikrishnan, who previously worked as a software engineer and lecturer. “I’ve always loved stories and storytelling; it’s something that has stayed with me in every profession,” he says.

Harikrishnan has been a member of the International Chalu Union, a popular Facebook community that posts memes on politics, film and media, since 2012, and he credits the group for sharing some of his early work. “There were many accounts with strange nicknames that made references to popular culture. Even my username Iyyer Cook is a reference to the late Sankaradi character in the 1994 Priyadarshan film.”Minnaram. “I explained how his character narrates the events of the film in a complex way, which is how I often tell stories,” he says.

Harikrishnan’s videos generally follow the question-answer model. He starts the video by asking his viewers a riddle. “I usually start by turning my head away from my laptop screen, facing the viewer, because most of the time I’m working while shooting the videos. The reason the video is only 13 seconds long is because I only have so much time to spare,” says Harikrishnan, who moved to Melbourne eight years ago.

Harikrishnan states that he engages the audience with his content in two ways. “First, by surprising them with a question, pointing them in a certain direction, and getting an unexpected answer. Second, you can give people the answer and then expect them to connect.”

He adds: “Initially, people found my jokes stupid and pointless and got a little annoyed. Then they started engaging with my jokes and started to see it as a challenge to find the answers. Now some of the comments under the posts are even better than my original ideas.”

When asked about choosing stand-up comedy as a profession, Harikrishnan says that he is ready if he can earn a regular income from it. Commenting on the uncertainty surrounding the performance, he says: “There’s no guarantee a joke will land, whether online or offline. But when I look back, I realize there have been times when I’ve experienced worse things. So even if a joke doesn’t land, I just brush it off and move on. Ultimately, my goal is to make people laugh without hurting them.”

The show will take place at TAC-The Artists’ Cafe, House No: 23, Sree Nagar, Sreevaraham on June 7 at 6.30pm. Admission is free but will be on a first come, first served basis as seating is limited. Contact: 7907433995