Girls take the stage: Sass, spice and everything nice

As I casually strolled into Grilled at Dhanmondi 27, fashionably late by just enough to make an entrance, I could feel all eyes turn to me. 

The comedian on stage, Nilima Rafi, gave me a knowing grin, clearly delighted that her next punchline had just walked in. 

“Oh, thank you for being right on time,”—her sarcasm on full display. The crowd, a cozy gathering of around 15 people, burst into laughter, as I awkwardly took my seat, now officially part of the act.

Nilima had just three minutes left on stage, but she was working the room like a pro, delivering zingers about her marriage to another comedian with the perfect blend of wit and mischief. She even threw in a few borrowed jokes from the neighboring country, managing to dance around risqué topics with just enough spice to keep it funny and not awkward. 

Sexual innuendos? Sure. But losing her comedic charm? Not a chance.

It was Stand-up Dhaka’s third time hosting an all-girls comedy night to encourage more girls to be in the comedy scene of Dhaka. The lineup on the 12 September show was for seven girls but two of them were no show. The remaining five girls got five minutes each for their sets. 

Nujhat, hailing from the land of hills and spicy shutki (Chattogram, of course), confessed that performing stand-up in Dhaka has its perks—apparently, Dhaka’s crowd is more open-minded, or as she put it, “less likely to stare at me like I’ve just insulted their ancestors.” 

Her joke about the lack of consent in our society had the audience hooting in agreement, proving that some truths hit a little too close to home.

Meanwhile, Anjuman was basking in the thrill of finally being able to make political jokes out loud—without the fear of being whisked away in a black van. But it was Shahrin who truly stole the show, nailing a Kim Kardashian impression so spot on, the crowd might have momentarily wondered if North West was about to pop up next.

The female comedians shared how supportive peers constantly encourage them to perform more open mics and shows. Many of the newcomers are inspired by Nilima, who said, “I used to attend comedy shows and noticed there were no female comedians, so I decided to fill that gap.”

Anjuman, an introvert, added, “A friend pushed me to do stand-up because she thinks I’m funny.”

Despite still breaking into the male-dominated comedy scene, the women enjoyed performing. Early on, they’re sticking to safer material, mostly sexual and political jokes, but it’ll be exciting to see them experiment with fresh, original content in the future. Even though Nilima is more experienced, the newcomers are enthusiastic and hopeful, a promising sign for what’s ahead.

“Bangladeshi audiences don’t always appreciate intellectual jokes, but I’d love to see that change,” Nilima stated when discussing her hopes for the future. “We also want more audience support, as that will encourage more women to step up and take the stage as comedians.”

As someone who enjoys hour-long comedy shows and personal anecdotes with a witty twist, I expected the new generation of girls to try out a variety of materials as now they get the stage on Open Mic Sundays and feature comics on Thursdays.