One fateful evening, Amit Chowdhury went from being just another student who loved watching stand-up comedy videos on YouTube to an instant hit among classmates. "Having no other talent to impress girls and become famous, I gave stand-up comedy a shot," says the student of Manipal Institute of Technology with a laugh, remembering the Talent Night for freshers.

New hobby

• The numerous stand-up comedy videos on YouTube and the super success of Indian comedians like Zakir Khan, Kenny Sebastian and Vir Das - not to mention collectives such as AIB, East India Comedy and SnG Comedy - have spurred a lot of teenagers to move beyond common hobbies such as music, dance or photography and give the art of stand-up comedy a try. So much so that stand-up is the new "passion" on the block among college students. As more and more teenagers get access to the Internet, the number of aspiring stand-up comedians is gradually increasing.

Even five years ago the picture was very different - slapstick then ruled the comedy roost. As the audience for comedy matured, so did its tastes. Stand-up comics these days talk about everything under the sun - from issues plaguing the country to problems in their relationships. Since the topics are generally relevant and relatable, it emboldens newbies to write their own set. "I had a small set ready to perform in front of an unknown crowd while taking the stage for the first time and, luckily, it went well," says Chowdhury, who is now a regular at open mic and comedy night events.

Open mic

• An open mic event is the ultimate thing for a comedian. It is where you try out your materials, test them in front of a small live audience. With the popularity of stand-up comedy increasing, a lot of cafes and pubs are hosting open mics. These events are not only the go-to place for new comedians but also the testing stage for seasoned comedians before they go on tour or do a show.

Another important thing on the experience curve of a budding comedian is opening the act for established stand-up comics and sharing the stage with them. "Opening for established comedians helped me gain confidence since I got to experience the stage and perform in front of a much bigger audience," says Ritabrata Dass of the Calcutta-based comedy collective, The Comedy Bylane, which has opened for stand-up comedians such as Manish Tyagi, Karunesh Talwar and Sumit Anand.

Take a bow

• Anyone can try stand-up, you do not need any special talent for it unlike, say, singing or art. "The only prerequisite is the ability to take things lightly and have a personal take on everyday things," says Yashoroop Poopa Dey, who graduated from St. Xavier's College in Calcutta this year.

That does not, however, mean stand-up is a cakewalk - from writer's block to jokes that fall flat to an uninterested audience, a comedian has to face them all.

"If you truly have the perseverance to overcome these and keep moving on, success is just a well-made, beautifully-shot YouTube video away," says Chandroday Pal, whose performance is currently streaming on the Hoichoi app.

If you are thinking of taking up stand-up comedy as a profession, Pal has a word of warning. "Comedy is difficult business. What you see in a video is the result of months of hard work," says the stand-up comedian. And facing a live audience is even harder - there is no option of a retake.

Soham Ghosh is a third-year student of Bhawanipur Education Society College